The Land Trust acquired three parcels, totaling 57 acres near the south end of Honeoye Lake, in the towns of Richmond and Canadice. All three parcels will ultimately be transferred to the state as additions to the neighboring Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area (HIWMA).

Two of the properties include frontage on East Lake Road and consist of steep mixed hardwood forest overlooking the inlet and lake. Protection of these parcels helps to secure the hillside’s soils and will prevent erosion by prohibiting development.

Photo: Chuck Feil

Located between the HIWMA and a tract of conservation land secured by The Nature Conservancy, these two pieces will further connect a 5,660-acre complex of conservation lands that also includes Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area, Cumming Nature Center, and the Land Trust’s Wesley Hill Nature Preserve.

A third parcel, located on West Lake Road, buffers adjacent state-owned wetlands and provides scenic views of the lake and surrounding hillsides. Protection of these three properties will help ensure water quality within Honeoye Lake and maintain the land’s role in filtering runoff.

This complex of protected lands is identified as a priority conservation project in the New York State Open Space Plan. By conserving lands with state and non-profit partners, the Land Trust has helped to create one of the most extensive areas of connected conservation lands in the Finger Lakes region.

The parcels were purchased with interim funding from the Land Trust’s “Opportunity Fund.” This internal loan fund supports timely acquisitions on projects where temporary funding is critical. Proceeds from the sale of these parcels to the state will roll back into the fund to support future conservation projects.