SKANEATELES, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) says it has acquired 101 acres of open space just outside the village of Skaneateles. FLLT will retain and manage the property in perpetuity as a publicly accessible nature preserve to be known as the Shotwell Brook Conservation Area. The property was identified as a conservation […]
SKANEATELES, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) says it has acquired 101 acres of open space just outside the village of Skaneateles. FLLT will retain and manage the property in perpetuity as a publicly accessible nature preserve to be known as the Shotwell Brook Conservation Area. The property was identified as a conservation priority due to its location near the headwaters of Shotwell Brook, a key tributary of Skaneateles Lake, FLLT said in its announcement. The parcel includes more than 1,000 feet of frontage on the brook and more than 1,000 feet of frontage on U.S. Route 20. It is part of the eastern gateway to Skaneateles and the Finger Lakes region, FLLT noted. “I am incredibly pleased to have completed the sale of this property to the Finger Lakes Land Trust,” Dr. Marc Pietropaoli said in the FLLT announcement. “I look forward to seeing the community enjoy the benefits of this preserved land.” Pietropaoli is the founder of Victory Sports Medicine & Orthopedics in Skaneateles, per its website. The FLLT purchased the property through an internal loan from its Opportunity Fund — a source of capital to facilitate time-sensitive acquisitions. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has pledged a grant of $1.3 million through its Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) and the FLLT has also received a number of private contributions, including a grant of $150,000 from the Central New York Community Foundation. The Ithaca–based FLLT went on to say that the property is also located in an area of “intense development pressure.” Establishing the Shotwell Brook Conservation Area will provide a “significant long-term benefit” to water quality within the Skaneateles Lake watershed. Shotwell Brook enters Skaneateles Lake near the water intake for the City of Syracuse’s unfiltered drinking water supply. FLLT said. The FLLT plans to initiate ecological-restoration efforts on the land through a partnership with the Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It’ll involve restoring and enhancing wetlands on the property; planting native trees and shrubs; establishing native grassland; and controlling non-native, invasive pest species. Additionally, the FLLT intends to develop 2.1 miles of walking paths on the land, including a universally accessible loop trail. The site will also include scenic overlooks and wildlife viewing areas along with an interpretive kiosk and a parking area. “This project uniquely brings together two important missions of the Finger Lakes Land Trust — to expand public access to nature’s beauty around Skaneateles Lake and to help preserve the exceptional water quality that serves as the water supply for Syracuse and the central New York region,” Sean O’Keefe, FLLT board member and Skaneateles resident, said in the FLLT announcement.