Putnam County Land Trust Receives State Conservation Grant

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Land Trust Alliance announced about $2.3 million in NYS Conservation Partnership Program grants for 51 nonprofit land trusts across the state. The Putnam County Land Trust was among them, with an award of $20,000.

Following Earth Week, a weeklong celebration of New York's commitment to protecting the environment, the grantees were announced at a statewide land trust gathering in Albany April 24.

“Land conservation is an essential tool that provides immeasurable environmental and economic benefits for New Yorkers and visitors alike,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s leadership, financial support from the Environmental Protection Fund, and the hard work of New York’s land trusts, the Conservation Partnership Program continues to improve our quality of life while protecting valuable natural resources and state lands.”

The NYSCPP grant awarded to the Putnam County Land Trust will support the installation of a parking area at the Brandon Farm Preserve to allow public access. This preserve is in the Great Swamp/Ice Pond priority conservation area and adjacent to a 700-acre network of protected lands.

This is the 16th NYSCPP grant that PCLT has received.

Two of these were in collaboration with other land trusts. A grant with Oblong Land Conservancy resulted in a National Award for both land trusts at the Land Trust Alliance Rally in 2016. The second, a collaboration between 4 land trusts provided funding for nature programs for each of the participating groups. Three transaction grants helped to fund the acquisition costs for Brandon Farm, Burdick Farm and the Garden Recreational Preserves. Others allowed for Organizational Assessments that help guide the organization in its practices to insure compliance with Land Trust Standards & Practices and two have provided funding for Strategic Planning. These Organizational Assessment and Strategic Planning grants have made it possible for PCLT to be a current applicant for Land Trust Alliance accreditation.

Andrew Bowman, president of the Land Trust Alliance, spoke at the event.

"This partnership enables land trusts and local communities to tap the enormous potential of the land to address societal challenges and positions New York as a national leader in demonstrating the relevance of land conservation to all Americans," he said. "New York’s commitment to the Environmental Protection Fund sets a standard that can inspire other states to protect water quality, promote healthy communities and address the growing risks of climate change. These are smart investments in our collective future. On behalf of the Land Trust Alliance and New York’s land trust community, we thank Governor Andrew Cuomo, Commissioner Basil Seggos and the New York State Legislature for investing in this effort."