Agencies and organizations in three states cooperate in land preservation activity

A project that began with a "For Sale" sign at an abandoned ski area along Petersburgh Pass has, in ten years, turned into a multi-state effort to preserve the Taconic Ridge between New York, and Massachusetts and Vermont. At this time, some 10,000 acres and a major section of the long-distance Taconic Crest (foot) Trail has been preserved through conservation easements or purchase by state agencies.

Botanical Surveys

The RLT has an ongoing project called the "Botany Project." It involves the production of complete botanical surveys of some of the major natural areas of Rensselaer County, including plant collections.

The RLT has established a model for other local land trusts with its botanical projects, thanks in part to professional and expert amateur botanists serving both on our Board and as volunteers. We first used a grant from the Sweetwater Trust to develop a database and enter information on all Rensselaer County specimens in the Herbarium of the New York State Museum. We subsequently received legislative initiative funding through State Senator Joseph Bruno's office to conduct detailed botanical studies at the Grafton Lakes State Park, Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center and the RLT's Butternut Hill preserve. These studies included complete vouchered plant collections from each park or preserve and computer-generated maps showing collection locations. The vouchered plant specimens are housed in the State Museum's Herbarium.