Otsego Land Trust Protects 96 Acres in Davenport

DAVENPORT—Prime agricultural soils and upland tributaries that feed into Upper Ouleout Creek in Davenport are protected forever, thanks to a local family and the Otsego Land Trust. Local landowners Anne and Robert Stack donated a conservation easement on December 27 to safeguard the 96-acre property in Davenport.

Rural landscapes and ecosystems are under increasing pressure for development. Commitments from private landowners help to protect the landscape and enhance climate resilience in the Otsego region, OLT representatives said.

According to a media release, conservation-minded landowners have a variety of reasons for working with OLT to protect their land in perpetuity. OLT works with property owners to identify the key conservation values and draft a legally-binding easement that expresses their vision for the land. Anne Stack, in a recent interview with May Leinhart, OLT land protection program manager, detailed her reasons for working with the land trust to conserve their property.

“We are putting our 96 acres of woods and fields, wetlands, and stream into a conservation easement for many reasons. The primary one is that we want to preserve this beautiful land for the enjoyment of generations to come as well as the benefit of the diverse wildlife whose habitat is continuously threatened by development and the resulting destruction of the natural world,” Anne said.

Anne and Robert purchased their property when they were living in New Jersey as part of a larger family project to find property in Upstate New York. Anne’s brother owns the neighboring farm, and the family has spent many years recreating on these adjoining lands. Anne and Robert feel very strongly about protecting this land for future generations and hope that if they complete a conservation easement, neighbors will be inspired to conserve their land as well.

Their property is a beautiful mix of woodlands, boulders, and rocky outcroppings, as well as intermittent springs and wet areas, OLT officials said. Along with the woods, the Stack property boasts 42 acres of prime agricultural soils and upland tributaries that feed into Upper Ouleout Creek.

Otsego Land Trust is a local nonprofit partnering with private landowners to protect local fields, forests and waters in perpetuity. To learn more about their local conservation work, visit otsegolandtrust.org.