Thanks to a partnership between the Land Trust and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), three parcels totaling 57 acres in the Towns of Canadice and Richmond, Ontario County have been added to the Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area.   The three separate parcels near the south end of Honeoye Lake were purchased by the Land Trust in 2019 with interim funding from the organization’s Opportunity Fund. This internal loan fund supports timely acquisitions on projects where temporary funding is critical. Proceeds from the sale of these parcels to the state will support future conservation projects. Two of the properties include frontage on East Lake Road and consist of steep mixed hardwood forest overlooking the inlet and lake. A third parcel located on West Lake Road buffers adjacent state-owned wetlands and provides scenic views of the lake and surrounding hillsides. Protection of these three properties will help ensure water quality within Honeoye Lake and maintain the land’s role in filtering runoff.
“Protecting water quality and preserving wildlife habitat are top priorities for DEC and our conservation partners across the state,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “Once again, DEC is partnering with the Finger Lakes Land Trust on acquisitions that will enhance the State’s Wildlife Management Area network and these lands’ recreational and environmental benefits for New Yorkers.”
“These acquisitions expand recreational opportunities while helping to ensure water quality,” said Land Trust Executive Director Andy Zepp. “We are delighted to continue our productive partnership with the DEC.”
DEC purchased these parcels from the Land Trust utilizing the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects.