A new 35-acre land purchase in Tompkins County is helping to grow Ithaca’s Emerald Necklace — a vision for a connected greenbelt of protected lands surrounding the city.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced the purchase Tuesday, adding forest, wetlands, and creek frontage in the Willseyville Valley. The parcel sits directly across from the group’s Eberhard Nature Preserve and borders Danby State Forest.
A key link in a growing greenbelt
The property includes 1,460 feet of frontage on Willseyville Creek and 23 acres of wetlands in a designated Unique Natural Area. It also supports the headwaters of Catatonk Creek, a classified trout stream.
The Finger Lakes Trail runs right past the new site on an old railroad bed. Nearby are other major conservation areas, including Shindagin Hollow State Forest and Cornell Botanic Gardens’ lands.
The Land Trust plans to transfer the newly acquired land to New York State as an addition to Danby State Forest — the fourth such project in this area, adding nearly 200 acres so far.
What is the Emerald Necklace?
The Emerald Necklace is a conservation vision to link 50,000 acres of existing protected land in a wide arc around Ithaca. It includes state forests, nature preserves, Audubon-designated bird habitats, and over 78 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail.
The area is recognized as a priority in New York’s Open Space Plan.
To learn more or explore local preserves, visit fllt.org or gofingerlakes.org.
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