The Western New York Land Conservancy has announced that it has been awarded a $675,000 state grant toward the acquisition of the Bear Lake Preserve in the town of Stockton in Chautauqua County.
Bear Lake Preserve is part of a complex of wetlands and forested lands that make up the Western New York Wildway. It’s connected to the permanently protected College Lodge Forest and Floating Fen (owned by the Land Conservancy), as well as the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s recently acquired Looney property.
Together, these interconnected forests represent a significant, 900-acre swath of land in the Western New York Wildway. Multiple rare habitat types exist here and support a diversity of rare wildlife.
The grant was announced in late December by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) and is through the 2025 Regional Economic Development Council initiative, part of $25.4 million distributed through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to support 49 projects across New York.
The Land Conservancy must raise an additional $900,000 in 2026 to complete the project.
Once protected, the 311-acre Bear Lake Preserve is expected to be a publicly accessible nature preserve maintained by the Land Conservancy.
It will also include shoreline access to the NYS DEC water trail on the 114-acre lake, with connectivity to the existing public boat launch.
Since 2010, the Bear Lake Association has successfully undertaken an all-natural biocontrol program in Bear Lake to reduce invasive weeds and improve water quality in Bear Lake.
“The Bear Lake property is a rare opportunity to protect the entire southern shoreline of a remarkable inland lake,” says Marisa Riggi, Executive Director of the Western New York Land Conservancy. “The Bear Lake Complex, which includes the Bear Lake property, College Lodge Forest, Floating Fen, and Looney property, comprises some of the most ecologically important lands in Chautauqua County and Western New York.”
The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, a lead Western New York Wildway partner based in Lakewood, recently closed on the 133-acre Looney property adjacent to the Floating Fen Preserve.
The Western New York Land Conservancy is a regional, non-profit land trust that has protected more than 8,400 acres of land with significant conservation value in Western New York for the benefit of future generations.
For more information on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, or the mission of the Western New York Land Conservancy, call (716) 687-1225 or visit wnylc.org.
Source link
