The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) accepted the donation of a perpetual conservation easement protecting 203 acres in the town of Virgil, Cortland County, from landowners Jim Povero and Sandy Yahner. This scenic property is a mix of open meadows, forest, and agricultural fields that are leased to local farmers for crop production.

The property spans the divide between two major central New York watersheds. The western half, which includes the farmland portion of the property, is located within the Cayuga Lake watershed, part of the Lake Ontario watershed. The eastern half, which is largely forested, is in the watershed of the Susquehanna River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay.

Photo: FLLT

The conservation easement adds to a growing collection of protected lands in the area, including two state forests: Tuller Hill State Forest to the east and James Kennedy State Forest to the south. There are also several other parcels nearby that are protected by Land Trust conservation easements.

Costs associated with this project were covered by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition. In addition to the grant funding, the Upper Susquehanna Coalition has partnered with Jim and Sandy on habitat restoration projects, including planting trees and creating vernal pools. These projects are designed to increase wildlife habitat, protect water quality, and enhance migration corridors.

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming, forestry, and hunting.