Organizational Timeline
Saratoga PLAN
The 105.22 acre Whitesell property in the Town of Galway falls within a Natural Systems area identified in Saratoga County’s Green Infrastructure Plan and is also located within a corridor for the proposed eventual Long Path trail extension. The preserve combines a rich agricultural history with a recovering forest consisting of a mix of wet woods, hemlock forests, and an upland deciduous and pine forest. A 2-acre pond area located in the northeastern section of the Property appears to be a result of beaver activity and contains significant wildlife including many birds, dragonflies, and frogs.
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PLAN submitted extensive documentation and applied for accreditation to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. After a rigorous, year-long review processes, on December 17, 2014, PLAN was awarded accreditation by the Commission, one of only 285 land trusts (out of 1,700) from across the country that has been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008.
This recognition was the culmination of many years of striving for and upholding the highest standards of excellence in order to best serve the conservation needs of the Saratoga County region.
In the Town of Ballston, the Sacco Family permanently protected the 252 acre Wm. H. Buckley Farm via a conservation easement. Purchased in 2013 by Mark and Elizabeth Sacco, the former Cappiello Dairy and Lake Ridge Farm have a long standing agricultural history for the community of Ballston. The conservation of this farm guarantees that the farm’s livestock operation, onsite farm store, café, butcher shop and agri-tourism efforts remain an active part of the community.
In the Town of Stillwater, the Cocozzo Family protected 264 acres of land that borders the Saratoga National Historic Park and a portion of the Old Champlain Canal. The conservation of the Cocozzo Family’s property ensures the continued agricultural production of the land that is currently leased for crops by Welcome Stock Farm.
After nearly a decade of planning, Saratoga PLAN and the Town of Malta opened the Round Lake Preserve, located off of Route 67 in Malta. This land, bursting with a diverse ecosystem of wetlands and farm fields has been drawing people for thousands of years. Now with public access guaranteed, this new preserve will continue to draw people to the site, to fish and paddle; to view wildlife and study the natural world; and to get lost in the beauty that this special place still offers, now more than 6,000 years after its first discovery.
This ~1.2 mile trail crosses properties owned by NYS, Saratoga PLAN, and Lyme Timber. PLAN acquired its 100 acre block in 2004 because the organization knew back then that the property was going to be a critical piece of the puzzle in maintaining public access up the mountain. The views of the county from atop this fire tower just can’t be beat, so for PLAN this project was especially significant; it was more than just about opening land up to the public, it was also an opportunity to save one of the only places where people can see the greater landscape and take in just how beautiful and special our county truly is.
Saratoga County received a tremendous gift in its northern reaches when New York State made the decision to transfer 709 acres of the 1,600 acres shuttered McGregor Prison property to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as an addition to Moreau Lake State Park. Saratoga PLAN, NY Audubon, Open Space Institute, and local and state officials banded together to encourage the Governor’s office and the four state agencies involved to transfer the land to the park. The property, located in the Palmertown Range Conservation Area, includes the Grant’s Cottage Historic site and Lake Bonita and is a critical link for the trail planned from Moreau to Saratoga Springs.
PLAN worked with the Taylor family to place a conservation easement on the 250 acre former Hawkwood Estate, which was then transferred to the Town of Ballston as a “forever wild” park. Frank W. Schidzick, Jr. left a bequest in his will to create this public amenity, for which the people of Ballston will forever be grateful to him.
Saratoga PLAN was awarded a multi-year grant of $125,000 for the stewardship of conserved lands within the Galway Central School District from the Dockstader Charitable Trust. The Galway Central School District covers a large portion of Saratoga County, and includes 40% of PLAN’s protected lands. This support will be critical in ensuring that Saratoga PLAN has the proper resources to care for our conserved lands in perpetuity. PLAN is both humbled by the trust’s generosity, and proud to have a mission that benefits the greater Galway community, and all Saratoga County communities.
Saratoga PLAN was the recipient of $3.1M in grant awards from the state Farmland Protection Implementation Program for the conservation of seven farm operations on six properties encompassing 961 acres of prime farmland in Saratoga County. The awards, announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo, will be used to purchase and permanently retire development rights on the six farms, ensuring that their fertile fields will be available for farming for future generations.