The Orange County Land Trust announces the protection of 99 acres of forest located within the Neversink River Watershed in the Town of Thompson.
The property is located in the Lower Neversink River Valley, a “Priority Project Area” identified in the 2016 NYS Open Space Plan, as well as a “Significant Biodiversity Area” according to the NYSDEC. The land is comprised of hemlock northern hardwood forest and contains two streams, including a tributary of the Fowlwood Brook.
“Protecting this property was an easy decision to make, said Executive Director James Delaune. “This project presented us with an opportunity to both help maintain the water quality of the Neversink River Watershed and safeguard habitat for those species of wildlife that require unfragmented tracts of forest in order to thrive.”
The project was the vision of landowner, Toby Boritz, who initially contacted the Land Trust about the possibility of protecting her land in perpetuity through a conservation easement.
Her property, which she calls “Glen Wild,” has been in her family since 1911. What started as a 50-acre working farm run by her grandparents, later became a summer gathering place for her extended family. “I have fond memories of blueberry picking on the hill, swimming in the pond with my cousins, and taking long walks along country roads,” stated Boritz. “I am grateful to OCLT for protecting the place that has meant so much to me and my family.”
The Glen Wild-Boritz project was supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
