06/30/2022
The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) applauds yesterday’s announcement that more than 1,000 acres in central New York’s Tully Valley will be returned to the Onondaga Nation, creating a sanctuary for fish and wildlife.
“This is a tremendous milestone,” said FLLT Executive Director Andrew Zepp. “We applaud everyone involved and strongly support this effort. The FLLT hopes to have opportunities to work with the Onondaga Nation and other Haudenosaunee Nations on similar projects in the future.”
The agreement to return the land was forged by representatives of the Onondaga Nation, New York State, the U.S. Department of the Interior. The land transfer is being undertaken as part of a settlement agreement with Honeywell, Inc. for past damage to Onondaga Lake. The property will be subject to a conservation easement held by New York State.
The Tully Valley property to be transferred encompasses a mix of fields, forests, and wetlands with extensive frontage on Onondaga Creek. A diversity of wildlife are present and native brook trout are found on a portion of the site.
See Governor Hochul’s full press release at https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-us-department-interior-and-onondaga-nation-announce-one-largest-returns-land.
By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected over 28,000 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 170 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 www.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 http://www.fllt.org.
