The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) announced it has acquired 101 acres of open space just outside the village of Skaneateles.

The property will be retained and managed by the FLLT in perpetuity as a publicly accessible nature preserve to be known as the Shotwell Brook Conservation Area.

The property was identified as a conservation priority due to its location near the headwaters of Shotwell Brook, a key tributary of Skaneateles Lake.

The parcel features more than 1,000 feet of frontage on the brook and more than 1,000 feet of frontage on U.S. Route 20 and is part of the eastern gateway to Skaneateles and the Finger Lakes region.

It is also located in an area of intense development pressure. Establishing the Shotwell Brook Conservation Area will provide a significant long-term benefit to water quality within the Skaneateles Lake watershed. Shotwell Brook enters Skaneateles Lake near the water intake for the City of Syracuse’s unfiltered drinking water supply.

The FLLT will initiate ecological restoration efforts on the land through a partnership with the Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This will involve restoring and enhancing wetlands on the property, planting native trees and shrubs, establishing native grassland, and controlling non-native, invasive pest species.

Additionally, the FLLT intends to develop 2.1 miles of walking paths on the land, including a universally accessible loop trail. The site will also feature scenic overlooks and wildlife viewing areas along with an interpretive kiosk and a parking area.

“This project uniquely brings together two important missions of the Finger Lakes Land Trust—to expand public access to nature’s beauty around Skaneateles Lake and to help preserve the exceptional water quality that serves as the water supply for Syracuse and the central New York region,” said Sean O’Keefe, land trust board member and Skaneateles resident.  “Both are goals we’re pursuing to bring the community together in support of benefits to us all.”

“This acquisition by the Finger Lakes Land Trust is an important and exciting contribution to preserving open space in the town of Skaneateles and supporting water quality for Skaneateles Lake,” said Skaneateles Town Supervisor Chris Legg. “The new conservation area abuts 89 acres of conserved land owned by the Town that also helps protect Shotwell Brook. In support of our partnership with the Land Trust to protect the lake, the Town is supporting this project with $50,000 from our Land and Development Rights Acquisition Fund. We look forward to the Shotwell Brook Conservation Area offering education and enjoyment through public access to outdoor recreation.”

“We are thrilled that Dr. Marc Pietropaoli has taken this dramatic step to sell his property at the eastern gateway of Skaneateles to the Finger Lakes Land Trust,” said Holland Gregg, executive director of The Citizens to Preserve the Character of Skaneateles and former president of the FLLT Board of Directors. “It is a total game changer for Skaneateles and the region, and we are so grateful.”

“The Skaneateles Lake Association applauds the tremendous effort set forth by the Finger Lakes Land Trust in supporting the protection of Skaneateles Lake,” said SLA Executive Director Frank Moses. “Every acre of improved and protected land is a critical step forward ensuring quality of life and water for future generations. Many thanks to FLLT!”

“I am incredibly pleased to have completed the sale of this property to the Finger Lakes Land Trust,” said Marc P. Pietropaoli, MD.  “I look forward to seeing the community enjoy the benefits of this preserved land.”

The FLLT purchased the property through an internal loan from its Opportunity Fund—a source of capital to facilitate time-sensitive acquisitions. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has pledged a grant of $1.3 million through its Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) and the FLLT has also received a number of private contributions, including a grant of $150,000 from the Central New York Community Foundation.

The FLLT has launched a fundraising campaign to reimburse the Opportunity Fund and cover costs associated with ecological restoration, public access improvements, and funds for long-term management. To make a gift in support of this project, please contact Dawn Cornell, director of development and communications, at 607-275-9487 or [email protected].

By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected over 33,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The FLLT owns and manages a network of over 45 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 200 properties that remain in private ownership.

The FLLT focuses on protecting critical habitat for fish and wildlife, conserving lands that are important for water quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping prime farmland in agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.

Information on the region’s premier destinations for outdoor recreation may be found at gofingerlakes.org, a resource created by the FLLT to encourage people to get outdoors. Additional information about the Finger Lakes Land Trust may be found at fllt.org.

Chris Ray

The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced the acquisition of 101 acres in Skaneateles.