Town: Postenkill
Number of acres: 104.57 acres
Protected since 2014
The donated 104.57 acre Sluyter Conservation Easement property is privately owned and is not open to the public. The property abuts another conservation easement property (Colehamer Conservation Easement), creating a 167 acre regional conserved area. The property contains a wet zone, agricultural zone, and a working forest zone. Each zone permits and restricts different activities. The property is a mix of grazing agricultural land, woods and wetlands. There are carriage and walking trails throughout the property.
The property is located in a nationally designated Forest Legacy area. Its conservation values include
- an extensive forest with many kinds of trees of different age classes and canopy levels. This structural variety in the forest provides habitats for many animals, plants and fungi. The forest also serves as a wildlife corridor.
- a stream that flows into Newfoundland Creek, a Class C(T) trout stream that is part of the Poesten Kill watershed. Protecting the stream and its surrounding woods helps protect the water quality of Newfoundland Creek.
The public benefits of this conservation easement include protecting the agricultural value, scenic beauty and natural resources of the property and surrounding woodlands. Additionally the easement helps protect the water quality and quantity of the Newfoundland Creek, the Poesten Kill, and the Hudson River watersheds, sources of fresh water for numerous towns and cities, including New York City.