FLLT acquires land near wildlife management area

CATHARINE, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has purchased 30 wooded acres in the town of Catharine, located adjacent to the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Located off Oak Hill Road, the property shares a boundary with a section of the Finger Lakes Trail that follows along Cayuta Creek. “This latest project is the fourth we’ve completed in this area,” FLLT President Andrew Zepp said in a news release announcing the acquisition. “Connecticut Hill encompasses one of the largest intact forests remaining in our region and hosts a diversity of wildlife. Places like this area increasingly important for many reasons, from water quality to carbon sequestration and providing the opportunity for people to connect with nature.” The FLLT intends to transfer the parcel to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as an addition to the Connecticut Hill WMA, expanding recreational opportunities in the area. With elevations reaching 2,000 feet, the Connecticut Hill WMA is a popular destination for hiking, birding, hunting, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. It’s located about halfway between Ithaca and Horseheads. About half of the WMA is in Tompkins County and the other half is in Schuyler County. With more than 11,000 acres, Connecticut Hill contains about nine miles of designated hiking trails. It is recognized as one of the state’s important bird areas and is home to a variety of songbirds, as well as a range of mammals — including fishers and black bears. Connecticut Hill is also a key component of the Emerald Necklace, a proposed greenbelt linking 50,000 acres of existing conservation land in an arc around Ithaca that is a priority project in New York’s Open Space Plan. Information on the region’s destinations for outdoor recreation, including the Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area, is available online at www.gofingerlakes.org.