The Western New York Land Conservancy has protected an additional 38.3 acres on Grand Island. Grand Island is the largest island in the Niagara River and the third largest in New York State.
In recent years, Grand Island has fielded a number of development requests. This property will be maintained by the Land Conservancy and be known as the Jim and Edna Braddell Preserve.
Since 2018, thanks to funding from the Greenway Ecological Standing Committee (GESC), the Land Conservancy has protected more than 300 acres in the Erie County town — a figure that includes the Margery Gallogly (gal-a-glee) Nature Sanctuary, the Alt Preserve, the Funk Preserve, and the Love Road Preserve.
The property was identified as a conservation priority due to its importance as grassland habitat for birds. A portion of the land abuts the Alt Preserve, which the Land Conservancy protected with a conservation easement in 2022. The Land Conservancy is seeking additional funding to initiate ecological restoration efforts.
“My parents would be thrilled to know this land is protected and that nothing will ever be built on it,” says Nancy Gorrell, who grew up on the property with her nine siblings. The Land Conservancy purchased this property from her family. “My father loved that land more than you could imagine, and it’s a dream come true for our family to have it protected.”
The Western New York Land Conservancy is a regional, non-profit land trust that has protected more than 8,000 acres of land with significant conservation value in our region. They are accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
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