Good News You May Have Missed
Otsego Land Trust Protects 135 Acres on Butternut Creek
EXETER—The headwaters of Butternut Creek are protected forever, thanks to a local family and Otsego Land Trust. Patrick Clearey, his sister Vicki Coleman, and Vicki’s children Garrett Coleman and Alisha Coleman-Jensen, donated a conservation easement on December 13 to safeguard the 135-acre property in Exeter.
Rural landscapes and ecosystems are under increasing pressure for development. Commitments from local landowners help to protect the landscape and enhance climate resilience in the Otsego region.
Private landowners have a variety of reasons for working with Otsego Land Trust to conserve their land in perpetuity. Otsego Land Trust works with property owners to identify the key conservation values and draft a legally binding easement that expresses their vision for the land. Clearey recently explained his interest and motivation.
“I grew up in Schuyler Lake at a time when the dairy community was flourishing,” said Clearey. “It was a different place than it is today. We kids spent our time fishing Oaks Creek during the summer and ice fishing Canadarago Lake during the winter. We ran long traplines for muskrats, beaver, and mink in the swamps and creeks. We made sod dams in Herkimer Creek to create summer swimming holes. We could hike and hunt the hills surrounding the hamlet without worry. It was a first-rate outdoor sportsman’s childhood.”
“These experiences formed my bond with all things wild and natural. I always knew I wanted to spend my life working in and defending the great outdoors. I secured a degree in biology and eventually found myself working for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. The mentorship of Joe Homburger at DEC taught me valuable insights about conservation.
“When my older sister Vicki and myself acquired my grandmother’s homestead in Exeter, I knew I wanted it to stay as wild as possible. My family had been on Angel Hill since before the 1840s. Now it is time to ensure that the property will remain in a natural state in perpetuity. So here we are, finalizing our conservation easement with Otsego Land Trust—a place I have desired to be for a long time”
The property contains managed stands of hardwoods as well as extensive wetland and riparian areas at the headwaters of Butternut Creek. The Clearey conservation easement will help to protect water quality and mitigate the risk of flooding downstream.