The Westchester Land Trust (WLT) announced the permanent protection of a 174-acre property in Patterson, New York, that contains Browns Mountain, a rare floating bog and several species of distinctive plants. The land is located within a regionally significant forest and expands on an existing corridor of protected open space.
“Protecting this property expands and connects a vast network of conserved land while preventing forest fragmentation and ensuring the highly visible ridgeline of Browns Mountain is preserved forever,” said Kara Whelan, president of Westchester Land Trust.
Located 52 miles north of New York City, the land buffers the 6,000-acre Great Swamp, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the state. The Great Swamp is designated by the USDA Forest Service as a Highlands Conservation Focal Area and cited by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) in a 2009 report for its unique habitat, diverse wildlife and scenic value. The Great Swamp functions as an aquifer recharge area and important headwaters for New York City”™s water supply as part of the East Branch of the Croton Watershed, a priority drinking water supply protected by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
“The ecological value of this land cannot be overstated,” said Gentian Falstrom, land project manager at WLT. “Protecting this land within the surrounding conservation corridor ensures that wildlife and plants have access to the critical and unfragmented habitat they need to migrate and adapt to changing climate patterns.”
Additionally, the property has been identified as an area of “highest conservation value” on the Hudson to Housatonic (H2H) Regional Conservation Partnership”™s Strategic Conservation Map.
Among its distinctive natural features, the land contains the 991-foot Browns Mountain and Little Pond, a 16-acre glacial spring-fed kettle pond, as well as a unique floating bog that contains rare and potentially endangered species. Together, the kettle pond and floating bog are part of an approximately 30-acre NYSDEC regulated wetland.
The property is currently not open to the public. A public access plan, including trail linkage opportunities, is being assessed with the ultimate goal of allowing the community to appreciate the unique ecological features of the land, while protecting the rare natural resources.
Westchester Land Trust works with public and private partners to preserve land in perpetuity and to enhance the natural resources in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties ”” a densely populated region under persistent threat from the pressures of development. Founded in 1988, WLT was one of the first land trusts in the nation to receive accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
