DEC Announces More Than $1.72 Million in Grants Through the Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Program

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced more than $1.72 million in grants to six land trusts for nine projects that help conserve local forests. The land trusts will purchase new conservation easements that will protect air and water quality, preserve wildlife habitat and biodiversity, support sustainable forest management, and increase outdoor recreation opportunities for the public.

"Under Governor Hochul's leadership, DEC continues to protect forests and bolster climate resiliency, quality of life for all communities, and the economy," said Commissioner Lefton. "With approximately 73 percent of New York State's forests being privately owned, this $1.72 million in FCELT Grant Program funding will help landowners keep their forests as forests and maintain working forest landscapes. Through partnerships with land trusts and dedicated landowners, we're adding protections that keep trees standing, wildlife thriving, watersheds intact, and communities resilient."

The grants, administered by the Land Trust Alliance in partnership with DEC, were made available through the Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts (FCELT) Grant Program and contribute to the State's goal of conserving 30 percent of New York's lands and waters by 2030. These grants are intended to provide community benefits, advance ecosystem benefits and climate resilience, and work towards goals identified in the New York State Open Space Plan, the New York State Wildlife Action Plan, the New York State Forest Action Plan, and/or other local, regional or statewide land protection plans. Environmental justice and climate resilience are key components for project selection.

New York Senior Program Manager for the Land Trust Alliance Jamie Brown said, "Protecting forests offers so many benefits to all New Yorkers. The FCELT Grant Program is a vital tool that assists land trusts to do this important work. We are grateful to the State's support and leadership in protecting our natural resources and important places."

Funded Projects:
Genesee Valley Conservancy, Livingston County: $227,220 to purchase a conservation easement on the 135-acre Pokey Moonshine Hallow property, located in the town of Springwater. This land is 99 percent forested and situated within the watershed of Hemlock Lake, a drinking water source for the City of Rochester. The landowners will continue to sustainably manage the forest.

Genesee Valley Conservancy, Steuben County: $350,000 to purchase a conservation easement on the 841-acre Beckhorn property, located in the towns of Rexville and West Union. This is one of the largest forested parcels remaining in Steuben County and will connect to other protected land. The property's forest blends species found in both temperate and boreal climates, making for a diverse mix of trees and plants, enhancing biodiversity and providing habitat for numerous species of birds and mammals.

Hudson Taconic Lands, Rensselaer County: $265,000 to purchase a conservation easement on the 288-acre Wheeler Mountain Escarpment in the towns of Brunswick and Grafton. The land is 100 percent forested and is adjacent to the 1,100-acre Camp Rotary Conservation Easement recently acquired by Hudson Taconic Lands. The easement will protect Wheeler Mountain and the Quaken Kill, home to critical habitat and part of a larger initiative to create a four-mile contiguous corridor of protected forest along the western escarpment of the Rensselaer Plateau.

Otsego Land Trust, Otsego County: $54,250 to purchase a conservation easement on the 41-acre Burr Forest property in the town of Westford. The land is adjacent to the popular Betty and Wilbur Davis State Park. The easement property is 90 percent forested, and includes wetlands and hemlock stands, along with large concentrations of native plants. The landowners will manage the forest for wildlife and the health of the forest.

Roundout-Esopus Land Conservancy, Ulster County: $160,850 to purchase a conservation easement that will protect 19 acres of diverse forestland adjacent to Minnewaska State Park in the town of Wawarsing. The easement will protect Mine Hole Brook, which contains brook trout and is a tributary to Roundout Creek. The easement will also ensure that the area surrounding the Mine Hole Trail, a popular and heavily used recreation area, remains in a natural state. The current owner is interested in proactively managing the woodlands for habitat, with a focus on improving the health and ecological diversity of the forest.

Scenic Hudson, Columbia County: $250,000 to purchase a conservation easement on the 272-acre West Family Land property in the towns of New Lebanon and Canaan. The land was once part of a larger 19^th century Shaker community and is adjacent to conserved land, including Bates Memorial State Park in Massachusetts. The forest is a mix of hardwood and softwood and includes habitat for several bird and mammal species.

Scenic Hudson, Dutchess County: $125,000 to purchase a conservation easement on the 137-acre Royal Strawberry Hill Farm and Preserve in the town of Poughkeepsie. The property, once part of a network of farms, has mostly reverted to forest in an area under extreme development pressure. The City of Poughkeepsie identified the property in its Open Space Plan and designated the land as an urban greenway. The land hosts a limestone woodland forest community, wetlands and streams, habitat for birds, mammals, and amphibians, and connects some of the last remaining forests in the area.

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust (THTLT), Herkimer County (two projects): $131,122 to conserve the 135-acre Kimak Forest property and $161,175 to conserve the 182-acre Grafer Forest property, both located in the town of Russia. Both properties are part of a large, forested area that includes other conservation easements held by the land trust. These new easements will build on THTLT's conservation efforts surrounding Hinckley State Forest. Both properties are characterized by forested land that contains a mix of softwood and hardwood species, which play a crucial role in providing habitat for a diverse array of wildlife. Several streams cross the property and flow into West Canada Creek.

The grants are funded through the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Among the many environmental victories in the enacted 2025-26 State Budget, Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders increased the historically high level of $425 million in EPF funding. The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water sources, advances conservation efforts like the projects announced today, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers.

See video here for more on grants through the forest conservation easements for land trusts program.

Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James recently announced a landmark agreement to modernize the process to secure and protect critical open spaces statewide. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) streamlines and clarifies the legal and administrative review procedures for fee and conservation easement acquisitions to facilitate and expedite open space projects that preserve water quality, protect wildlife habitat and diverse ecosystems, promote working lands and support rural economies, increase climate mitigation and resiliency, and expand recreation and public access opportunities across the state.

About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents approximately 950-member land trusts supported by more than 250,000 volunteers and 6.3 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington D.C. and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available on the Land Trust Alliance's website.