$100,000 Received from the Conservation Partnership Program
May 20, 2022
Last month, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance awarded 80 grants to 51 NY land trusts through its Conservation Partnership Program (CPP). This included two grants to the Peconic Land Trust. The CPP is funded through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund.
Reese Preserve Trail: $75,000 was awarded to the Trust to extend the trail system of Wolf Preserve through the adjacent Reese Preserve in Southold. This will nearly double the length of the trail system. The new trail will provide access to the preserves from North Bayview Road.
As with the Wolf Preserve trails, the new trails will incorporate accessibility features. To accommodate wheelchairs and strollers, the trail will have a width of 6 feet and limited inclines. You can enjoy these new trails by the end of this year.
Beech Leaf Disease – Treatment and Monitoring: A Stewardship & Resource Management Grant of $25,000 was awarded to the Trust. This will be used to treat and study beech leaf disease on the Silver Beech and Quail Hill Farm preserves in Amagansett.
Very little is known about this fatal disease that infects the buds of beech trees. Working with certified arborists and foresters and Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Trust will test different treatment methods on trees in the preserves. Each Spring and Fall through 2023, we’ll revisit the trial sites to collect samples. Final reports will provide information as to possible management considerations and inform long-term stewardship needs for both the Trust and our partners.
With bud breaks starting now, it’s an important time to keep an eye out for banding in their leaves, as seen in these photos.
Do you want to help? The Trust is currently fundraising for the trail system at the Wolf and Reese Preserves. Visit PeconicLandTrust.org/Give to make your gift today.
Contact Matt Swain, Director of Stewardship and Geographic Information Systems for more information about both projects.