YOUR LAND, YOUR LEGACY
Thank you for being a conservation easement landowner.
Together, since 1984, private landowners such as yourself have worked with the Adirondack Land Trust to conserve 16,758 acres of forests, farmlands, waters and wild places that advance the quality of life of our communities and the ecological integrity of the Adirondacks.
The Adirondack Park is known for the Forever Wild Forest Preserve, but private ownerships hold this landscape together. Landowner contributions and challenges are often overlooked. That’s why we are initiating this newsletter to build community and a forum for sharing some of the motivations, fits and resources for managing protected lands.
Since I stepped into the role of Stewardship Manager in October, I’ve been impressed and humbled by the breadth of landscape that partners like you have conserved. Whether you’ve helped ensure that farmland remains viable for agriculture, or protected your land for forestry, wildlife habitat, water filtration, open space or a combination future generations will be grateful.
I’m looking forward to meeting many of you soon. In between our annual visits to easement properties, our land management team (meet us al on page 3) hopes this newsletter will help you navigate your conservation easement and learn about some incentives and tools for conservation land management.
Landowners make conservation choices all the time, and one of our roles is simply advisory to help you make sound decisions. If we don’t have an answer, chances are we can steer you to someone who does. Please don’t hesitate to call on us if you have any questions.
Derek Rogers Stewardship Manager
derek.rogers@adirondacklandtrust.org (518) 576-2400 x 114
OUR MISSION is to forever conserve the forests, farmlands, waters and wild places that advance the quality of life of our communities and the ecological integrity of the Adirondacks
YOU ARE PART OF A COMMUNITY
Conservation easement landowners: you are a force of nature. In northern New York, 85 of you are protecting 16,000+ acres of farmland, forest, shoreline and wildland in partnership with the Adirondack Land Trust.
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or a government entity that permanently limits certain uses of land to protect its conservation values. Every easement is different; that’s because every property is different, and so are landowner goals. In the Adirondack Park nearly 1 million acres are protected by conservation easements.
Voluntary private land conservation is also strong across the U.S. Land trusts are working with landowners to protect more than 20 million acres under conservation easement. These easements add up to more than just acres in terms of public benefit. They help maintain landscapes that landowners and communities cherish, providing:
Cleaner air
Cleaner water
Locally grown food
Wildlife habitat
Hiking and other trails
Defense against climate change
AT A GLANCE: A network of land protectors
51 conservation easements
85 ownerships
16,758 acres
6,000+ acres of farmland
9 counties
1 heritage brook trout population
6,000+ acres of working forestland
Conservation Easement Signs Available
If you’re interested in signs for your property, please let us know. Along a trail, at a farm store, or in another well-chosen spot, these aluminum signs can help build awareness about conservation partnerships.
They are available at no charge in 3.75” diamonds or 9”x12” rectangles. Contact derek.rogers@adirondacklandtrust.org (518) 576-2400 x114
MEET THE ADIRONDACK LAND TRUST STEW CREW
Becca Halter Stewardship & GIS Specialist becca.halter@adirondacklandtrust.org (518) 576-2400 x105
Becca stewards many easements and fee properties, and manages our GIS and remote monitoring programs. She is also a Part 107 certi stewarded land for The Nature Conservancy in Western Massachusetts and worked on urban sustainability for the City of Pittsburgh. She led volunteer Adirondack trail crews while earning a B.A. in environmental science from Skidmore College. She enjoys biking, paddling, snowboarding and playing hockey, and serves on the Saranac Lake Village Climate Smart Communities Task Force.
Derek Rogers Stewardship Manager derek.rogers@adirondacklandtrust.org (518) 576-2400 x114
Derek has worked for more than 15 years in conservation, beginning with The Nature Conservancy on Long Island, where he led the stewardship program for 11 years as a Preserves Director prior to relocating to the Adirondacks to work as Development Director at Champlain Area Trails. Derek is an accomplished birder and volunteers for several ornithological organizations. A SUNY Plattsburgh alumnus, he is thrilled to work in the North Country to conserve this dynamic landscape. He lives in Willsboro with his wife and two daughters.
Favorite spring wildflower: dutchman’s breeches
Chris Jage Conservation Program Director chris.jage@adirondacklandtrust.org 518-817-7660
Chris brings a variety of skills to his role, including woodworking—he carved our sign at Coon Mountain Preserve. Chris previously led land protection for the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. He has won awards for protection of more than 12,000 publicly accessible acres across South Jersey and for his work with landowners and government agencies. Chris was also a wilderness ranger with the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona and a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Guatemala.
Favorite spring wildflower: pitcher plant
Favorite spring wildflower: trout lily
Aaron Thomas Farmland & Stewardship Specialist Aaron.thomas@adirondacklandtrust.org (518) 817-2715
Aaron joined the Adirondack Land Trust this year after working with the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts and NRCS. He was raised on a small fiber farm in Central New York and has lived in the Plattsburgh area for 10 years. He studied at SUNY Plattsburgh and William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, earning a B.S. in environmental science with a focus on climate change and agriculture. When not working, Aaron enjoys road trips to see family and friends, seeing live music, and relaxing on the shores of Lake Champlain with his dog, Levon.
Favorite spring wildflower: jack-in-the-pulpit
Farmland Planning Assistance
Up to $500 is available for farmers in Essex County for farm succession planning help. Funds cover one-on-one consultations with experts in estate planning, tax planning and related fields. Contact Megan Zack Stevenson, our land protection manager, megan.stevenson@ adirondacklandtrust.org (518) 576-2400 x109.
Birds on the Farm
The Wild Farm Alliance is offering classes on how to manage for beneficial birds and how to discourage pesky ones. Free courses for farmers run March to July, www.wildfarmalliance.org/bird_training. Our own Derek Rogers can also offer advice on how to manage for a diversity of birds, derek.rogers@adirondacklandtrust.org
Stopping Invasive Species
Love the eastern hemlocks that shade your streams? Concerned about what the jumping worm might do to your soils and plants? The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program offers best management practices, webinars and other resources. See adkinvasives.com
Trees for Tribs
NYSDEC’s annual Buffer in a Bag Program is open for applications until April 11th. Landowners can receive a bag of 25 free tree and shrub seedlings for planting near streams and lakes to stabilize banks, protect water quality and improve wildlife habitat. See www.dec.ny.gov/animals/77710.html#Bag
like a copy, the Adirondack Land Trust is able to offer them for $25 (value $45) thanks to a discount from Keeping Track. Email derek.rogers@adirondacklandtrust.org.
NYS TAX CREDITS for YOUR EASEMENT
Did you know that you might be eligible for a refundable state income tax credit just for having a conservation easement on your land?
If you meet the following criteria, you might save 25% on school, county and town property taxes:
• The easement was donated or sold for less than full value
• The easement is permanent and held by a public or private conservation group
• The easement has a Department of Environmental Conservation conservation easement identification number (ALT can help you get this!)
• The land under easement is owned by an individual or business (except S corporations)
To learn more, scan this code or search online for “NYS Conservation Easement Tax Credit,” or contact Chris Jage, chris.jage@adirondacklandtrust.org
