Delaware Highlands Conservancy gets $57,000

Land specialist to be hired for Sullivan County office

By FRITZ MAYER

ALBANY, NY — The Delaware Highlands Conservancy has been awarded a grant of $57,000 to fund a position at their newly opened office at the Sullivan County Government Center in Monticello. The grant, which was announced on April 16, was one of 52 grants totaling $825,000, awarded to land trust organizations across the state by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Land Trust Alliance, a private group that works with states to preserve open space.

The two-year grant will allow the conservancy to hire a full-time land protection specialist, who will work with landowners interested in establishing conservation easements on their properties in Sullivan and Delaware counties. The specialist will also be involved in public outreach efforts to explain conservation easements, which are voluntary and legally binding agreements between a landowner and a land trust to preserve all, or some, of a property’s natural values.

Several state politicians released statements in support of the grants.

DEC commissioner Pete Granis said, “Land trusts are an invaluable partner to state and local governments in the implementation of smart-growth principles.”

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther said she was “pleased” that the conservancy was awarded one of the highest such grants in the state. She said, “The work of protecting land is so important for our environment, food chain, recreation and quality of life.”

Senator John J. Bonacic said, “This funding for various conservation projects is essential to our region to sustain its natural beauty that our tourism economy depends upon.”

“We are excited by both the opportunity to work with more private landowners to protect the natural areas, farms and forests as well as the potential to provide increased support for local planning efforts,” said Sue Currier, the executive director of the conservancy.

In the state, some two million acres of land are protected by 90 land trusts, while nationwide 36 million acres are covered by about 1,700 land trusts.