Finger Lakes Land Trust completes acquisition of largest remaining privately owned shoreline property

LANSING, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has purchased the 480-acre Bell Station property from New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG).

The property, located in the town of Lansing in Tompkins County, was the largest privately owned parcel of shoreline remaining in the Finger Lakes region, FLLT said in its May 24 announcement.

Located on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, the Bell Station property has wooded hillsides overlooking the lake, extensive fields, and several small streams with cascading waterfalls, FLLT noted. It includes 3,400 feet of Cayuga Lake shoreline.

FLLT used a $2 million loan from the Park Foundation, $500,000 raised from individual donations, and an internal loan from the FLLT’s Opportunity Fund to pay for the land purchase. The organization’s announcement didn’t include a specific dollar figure for the purchase price.

The FLLT plans to sell the lakeshore portion of the property to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which will manage the property for recreational uses. Those could include hiking, cross-country skiing, wildlife watching, hunting, and fishing.

In partnership with the Town of Lansing, the FLLT is also exploring the feasibility of utilizing 200 acres of the property for solar-energy production.

“This is a tremendous win for the region and everyone who loves the Finger Lakes,” Andrew Zepp, executive director of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, said. “The Bell Station project will help maintain Cayuga Lake’s water quality while providing new opportunities for outdoor recreation and the generation of renewable energy. We are grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and all of our elected officials and community members who acted together to make this possible.”

The FLLT will formally open the Bell Station property to the public on an interim basis for low-impact recreation on June 10. The public is invited to attend an open house from 2-4 p.m. The event will include refreshments and guided hikes.

Those interested can visit fllt.org/events for directions and more information, FLLT said.