FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Moreau Property Permanently Conserved, Expanding Protected Forestland Around Moreau Lake State Park
MOREAU, NY, August 28, 2025 – Local land trust Saratoga PLAN is thrilled to share the permanent protection of 81 acres of forestland in the Town of Moreau through a conservation easement with private landowners Jan Kropp and Chuck Rowson.
The property serves as an important wooded and scenic buffer to Moreau Lake State Park. Its protection expands connected forestland in the area to 5,445 acres, supporting rare and endangered species, wildlife corridors, clean water, and scenic views.
Jan and her husband Chuck both grew up in the Midwest and later met while living in Florida. During a visit to the Hialeah Racetrack, a friend suggested they visit Saratoga Springs. They quickly fell in love with the region and discovered the property on Old Saratoga Road while taking a scenic drive through Moreau.
“It didn’t take us 20 minutes to know this was where we wanted to be,” Jan recalled. “Chuck and I had 27 good years here, and we wanted the land to always be as good as it can be. Knowing it will be protected feels great.”
The couple had long discussed the idea of conserving their land but found that larger national organizations were not focused on smaller parcels. A referral from Retirement Planning Group in Malta led them to Saratoga PLAN. “PLAN was the only group that really took the time to talk with us about protecting our land,” Jan said. “They understood what mattered to us.”
This project is part of a much larger effort to protect the remaining forestland in the Southern Palmertown Range area, a prioritized conservation area spanning 40,500 acres within the Southern Adirondack Foothills located in Saratoga County. The area encompasses more than 9,000 acres of already-protected land, including key recreational hubs like Moreau Lake State Park, Lincoln Mountain and Daniels Road State Forests, and Graphite Range Community Forest. Portions of eight watersheds, including the headwaters of several rivers, are located within the Southern Palmertown Range.
One of the project’s central goals is to identify ecologically important areas that can better adapt to a changing climate, and work with municipalities and landowners like Jan and Chuck to ensure their permanent protection.
By choosing to conserve their land, Jan and Chuck have left a lasting legacy for wildlife and the wider community.
“Every property we help conserve is a piece of a larger picture,” said PLAN’s Executive Director Robert K. Davies. “Thanks to Jan and Chuck’s foresight, that picture comes more in focus as this land will continue to provide clean water, crucial wildlife habitat, and forest connectivity forever.”
This project was made possible by the Saratoga County Farmland and Open Space Program, private donations to Saratoga PLAN’s Stewardship Fund, and the generous conservation easement donation from Jan Kropp and Chuck Rowson.
About Saratoga PLAN
Saratoga PLAN stewards and protects farms, forests, and waters of the Saratoga region and the southern Adirondack foothills – now and forever.
Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) has helped conserve over 14,000 acres of land in Saratoga County. PLAN helps landowners conserve farmland, woodlands, and natural habitats, and connects people to nature through an extensive trail network, including 13 public nature preserves open for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and nature study. Saratoga PLAN helps communities create plans that balance growth with conservation to sustain the Saratoga Region as a great place to live, work, visit, play and farm. PLAN facilitates community-based conservation by partnering with municipalities to help them accomplish their community’s conservation goals.
For more information, call 518-587-5554, or visit www.saratogaplan.org.