HOSTED WALK IN GERMANTOWN

Germantown, New York - The Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) is hosting a guided walk on the recently improved Keep Conservation Preserve in Germantown. On Wednesday, February 27 from 10:00am to 12:00pm, CLC will show highlights of this 143 acre preserve of rivers, woods, and old farm fields with excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing. CLC will provide snowshoes if needed.

The Keep Conservation Preserve is located on County Route 8. Mowed paths and wooded trails provide an easy walk where many species of birds can be seen throughout the year. CLC assisted the Keep Conservation Foundation with installation of trail signage (a kiosk and trail map) and facilitated the design and printing of a preserve brochure.

The event is free and open to all ages. To register, go to clctrust.org/wandering or contact Marcia Cary at 518.392.5252, ext. 202.

The program is part of CLC’s Wednesday Wanderings series. On the final Wednesday of the month, CLC hosts a walk at one public natural area in the county. Now in its third year, participants take pleasure in being outside and learning from one another about the animals and plants they encounter.

The Columbia Land Conservancy is a nonprofit organization and relies on the financial support of individuals to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat, and rural character of Columbia County, strengthening connections between people and the land. CLC has established 5,750 acres of public land, including the 10 Public Conservation Areas owned and managed by CLC. It has helped some 200 local families protect over 23,000 acres of land. CLC provides outdoor and educational activities to over 4,000 participants per year. CLC also works to support and strengthen agriculture by matching landowners looking to have their land farmed with farmers seeking land and through a corps of experienced farmers who mentor landowners and new farmers. CLC also assists the County and its towns in a variety of land use planning efforts.

103 ACRES PERMANENTLY PROTECTED IN GHENT

Chatham, New York - The Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) has permanently protected another 103 acres of farmland. Working with CLC, Robert and Linda O’Mara donated the development rights on their property in the Town of Ghent, which is a working farm, and created a conservation easement that protects the important natural resources and characteristics of the property. With the easement, as with all of CLC’s easements, the landowners will be able to live on and enjoy their land, and continue agricultural and conservation forestry activities.

FARMS HELP FUEL LOCAL ECONOMIES BUT ARE UNDER GREAT STRESS
The O’Mara property is part of an agricultural area comprised of 18,000 acres of farmland. It includes 83 acres of prime and statewide important soils and is currently used as pasture for the grazing of cattle.

Columbia County strongly benefits from local farms like this one. In addition to providing food, family farms contribute to the area’s scenic beauty, rural character, and economy. In 2007, Columbia County farms generated $66 million in revenue. Farmland also helps keep local taxes in check, since farm owners pay more in property taxes than the cost of municipal services that they require. Land subject to a conservation easement remains on the tax rolls.

Despite these benefits, local farms are at increasing risk. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, from 2002 to 2007, Columbia County lost over 13,000 acres of working farmland. The O’Mara easement reflects CLC’s effort to reverse that trend and ensures that this prime farmland will remain available for agriculture forever.

"Both, Linda and I believe that farming is an essential part of the character and economy of Columbia County,” says Robert O’Mara. “Working with the Columbia Land Conservancy to permanently protect this farmland will help ensure that agriculture forever remains a vibrant part of Columbia County.”

CLEAN WATER, HEALTHY WILDLIFE HABITAT
Protecting the property helps to ensure clean water and healthy wildlife habitat, benefiting the ecological health of the county. The protected property contains portions of a perennial stream that is a tributary to the Fittings Creek. It also includes 18 acres of Class 2 wetlands, as designated by NYS DEC, and 3 acres of wetlands identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Inventory. Wetlands recharge