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Community Corner

Conservation Partners Hold Ribbon Cutting

In a unique public-private partnership, Putnam County Land Trust (PCLT), Westchester Land Trust (WLT) and Friends of the Great Swamp (FrOGS) recently protected a 115-acre parcel of land in the Ice Pond Conservation Area of the Great Swamp -- a region of statewide ecological significance -- in the Town of Patterson, New York.  The land, renamed the Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Preserve in honor of the Foundation of the same name which was a lead donor to the project, was officially dedicated at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, July 22nd at the Preserve. 

 

More than 50 people were in attendance to celebrate this major conservation protection project.  In addition to hearing about the path to protection and learning about the unique ecological and community value provided by this preserve, guests in attendance took a guided hike. 

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Located less than 60 miles from New York City, the Great Swamp is a vital 6,000-acre watershed in the Croton Reservoir system and supplies drinking water to millions of residents in southeastern New York.  It is also one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the state stretching nearly 20-miles across the five municipalities of Southeast, Patterson, Pawling Town, Pawling Village, and Dover.  The Great Swamp improves water quality, recharges the aquifer, reduces flooding, provides critical habitat for plants and animals and creates open space for recreation and scenic views. 

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During the ceremony, PCLT President, Judy Terlizzi, said, “Protecting these parcels of land, which are a part of a significant ecological system in the Ice Pond Conservation Area, has been a major priority for our three organizations for several years now.  The area is endowed with great beauty and natural riches and I like to think of it as a rare and exquisite gem.”  

 

PCLT will maintain sole ownership of the preserve, while WLT will hold the conservation easement on the land, thus ensuring the continued stewardship and protection of this acreage forever.  In addition to funding from the Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Foundation, WLT and PCLT utilized internal funds earmarked for land acquisition, and FrOGS leveraged federal funding through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act for the project.  Additionally, WLT also received a generous contribution from an anonymous private donor. 

 

Lori J. Ensinger, WLT President, recognized the unique partnership that resulted in the protection of these 115 acres, saying, “This project is a shining example of how collaboration and cooperation with the community and like purposed organizations can result in outcomes that benefit the common good.”
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