The Finger Lakes Region is seeing a surge of conservation activity, with new land acquisitions, habitat restoration efforts, and growing partnerships designed to protect water quality, forests, farmland, and wildlife habitat. At a recent virtual update, Andy Zepp, president of the Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT), offered a sweeping look at the organization’s ongoing work across 11 counties.
Zepp began the presentation with news from Naples, where FLLT is under contract to acquire a 120-acre parcel valued at $750,000. The land features iconic glacial hills and is slated to become a state Wildlife Management Area. The acquisition, driven by its value to grassland birds and proximity to Naples Creek, was secured in partnership with the New York State DEC and Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council.
In the Bristol Hills near Honeoye Lake, FLLT recently acquired 115 acres connecting Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area with other protected lands. The forested landscape is part of a long-term vision to create a contiguous conservation corridor—comparable in ambition to the Ithaca Emerald Necklace—with critical value for water quality and outdoor recreation.
Several projects focused on Skaneateles Lake, one of the few major unfiltered drinking water sources in the U.S. FLLT purchased 100 acres at Shotwell Brook, adjacent to the City of Syracuse’s water intake, and is working on wetland and stream restoration there. Additional protection efforts include Bear Swamp at the lake’s southern end and 900 feet of pristine shoreline at Staghorn Cliffs, home to rare coral fossils.
Zepp emphasized the importance of both protection and restoration. “Many of the properties we work on were historically altered,” he said, pointing to farmland being retired for wetland restoration and buffer creation, which reduces nutrient runoff into the lakes. One such project at Kennedy-BuVista Preserve, in partnership with Ontario County, is restoring vernal pools vital for amphibians and stormwater control.
Elsewhere in the region:
- A new 300-acre preserve is underway in the Owasco Lake watershed, targeting farmland and wetlands for both grassland bird habitat and runoff mitigation.
- Fall Creek in Cayuga County saw the addition of 260 acres through conservation easements, with more acquisitions planned to link preserved parcels.
- In Lansing, the newly opened Sims Jennings Preserve protects over 200 acres, supporting grassland birds and offering sweeping views of Cayuga Lake.
- In Tompkins County, FLLT added “Margaret’s Woods” near Treman State Park, with new trails linking to the Finger Lakes Trail.
The Trust is also making accessibility a priority. Zepp announced that new ADA-compliant trails are being developed at preserves in both Tompkins County and Skaneateles, offering improved access for visitors of all abilities.
FLLT’s conservation strategy includes both public and private tools: land acquisition, conservation easements, and partnerships with municipalities. Farmland protection remains a priority, especially in areas with prime agricultural soils facing development pressure, such as near Penn Yan.
In total, the Finger Lakes Land Trust now manages over 40 nature preserves and 200 conservation easements. But Zepp acknowledged the growing challenges: real estate prices are rising, climate change is intensifying harmful algal blooms, and invasive species like privet are spreading. He also raised concerns about potential cuts to federal conservation funding, which supports local projects and state-level programs.
Still, Zepp ended on an optimistic note, announcing that a lakeside parcel in Aurora—formerly owned by Wells College—is being turned into a village park with conservation protections in place.
“There’s more happening than I even had time to cover,” Zepp said, thanking the organization’s 20 staff members, 200+ volunteers, and thousands of donors. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we know there’s much more to do.”
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