News from the Noteworthy from Otsego Land Trust
OLT, USC Protect Private Land in Fly Creek
Otsego Land Trust, with support from the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, has completed a conservation easement with local landowner Adrian Kuzminski to protect farmland, forest and wetlands in Fly Creek. The new agreement adds 120 acres to the amount of land already protected within the Fly Creek watershed.
The Kuzminski property in the Town of Otsego contributes to a growing network of conserved lands that preserve the region’s rural character, environmental resilience and scenic landscape. Adrian Kuzminski and his late wife, Antoinette, have been champions of environmental protection and thoughtful land use locally.
“Our goal was to lock in the agricultural potential of our property for the long run,” Kuzminski said. “We also wanted to preserve the rural nature and natural habitats of our region—values clearly expressed in our town’s Comprehensive Plan.”
The conservation easement on private land ensures that the land will not be subdivided or developed in a way that would compromise the environmental health and integrity.
“This project is a model for how private land conservation can safeguard public investment in ecological restoration,” said May Leinhart, director of land protection at Otsego Land Trust. “Restored wetlands will slow stormwater, filter runoff, provide habitat, and sequester carbon—benefiting nearby communities and farms for generations. The conservation easement ensures these valuable ecosystem services remain protected even as ownership changes.”
The Upper Susquehanna Coalition selected the site for partnership because of its strong restoration potential and will begin planting wetland trees and shrubs on some of the more marginal farmland this spring. This work is funded through an EPA grant, which required the land to be permanently protected by Otsego Land Trust before restoration could begin.
“The Upper Susquehanna Coalition includes 22 Soil and Water Conservation Districts across the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay,” added USC Coordinator Lydia Brinkley. “By pairing permanent land protection with restoration, we reduce future risks from development pressure, ownership changes, and ensure long-term ecological value.”
Otsego Land Trust is a community-based nonprofit organization that works to improve the quality of life in the Upper Susquehanna Region by enhancing climate resilience, promoting public access to nature, and working with private landowners and partners to conserve land for future generations. For more information, go to otsegolandtrust.org.
Editor’s Note: This is a paid advertorial.
