OLT Protects Additional Land in Butternut Valley
COOPERSTOWN—A local conservation partnership has permanently protected watershed land in the Butternut Valley. Otsego Land Trust and two private landowners, Rick O’Keefe and John Chanik, have completed a conservation easement to protect 19.5 acres of land for generations to come, OLT officials said in a press release issued on September 25.
The privately-owned property was identified by OLT and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition as a priority for ecological restoration. It borders Cahoon Creek, an important tributary of Butternut Creek, and joins a larger network of protected lands that safeguard wetlands, farmland, forests, and scenic views in the Butternut Valley.
Landowners O’Keefe and Chanik were motivated by a vision to restore the property’s natural features.
“We purchased this property to preserve view sheds, wetlands and wildlife habitat,” O’Keefe shared. “Although it has federal and state wetlands, most of the hayfields were created by draining the wet areas. Our goal is to restore the property to its natural state by returning those hayfields to wetlands, as well as planting native trees and shrubs. The efforts also support storm water mitigation. We hope whoever owns this oasis in the future shares our love of the land and the natural beauty and diverse habitats it nurtures.”
“The Cahoon project is a model for how private land conservation can protect public investment in ecological restoration efforts,” said May Leinhart, director of land protection at the land trust. “The landowners and USC will transform this land from abandoned agriculture back to wetlands, restoring the ecological function of the landscape. Wetlands are important in slowing storm water flow, filtering run-off, providing habitat and sequestering carbon so that nearby communities and farms can flourish.”
Lydia Brinkley, USC coordinator added: “In partnership with Otsego Land Trust, we’ve extended our focus to prioritize wildlife improvements within the Butternut Creek watershed. By bringing together partners, we address shared conservation goals that also align with the Chesapeake WILD Program Pillars.”
This conservation easement with OLT ensures that the property will not be subdivided or developed in the future, officials said. USC will be working with the property owners to replant the property with trees and shrubs that support the wetland ecology. The project partnership was supported by a grant from the Chesapeake WILD Program.
Otsego Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the quality of life in the Upper Susquehanna region by protecting more than 12,000 acres of local fields, forests and waters in perpetuity. To learn more about local conservation efforts, visit otsegolandtrust.org or follow OLT on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/OtsegoLandTrust.
