SEMPRONIUS — The Finger Lakes Land Trust has bought 218 acres next to Bear Swamp State Forest in Sempronius for conservation and to protect Syracuse’s water supply.
The trust announced Tuesday that it plans to transfer 141 acres to the state to add to the state forest, connecting the eastern portion of the forest with anotehr 102 acres the trust acquired in 2021, which will also be donated to the state.
The remaining 77 acres, primarily agricultural land, will be protected by a perpetual conservation easement and sold to a private buyer. Proceeds would benefit the trust’s Opportunity Fund to help it make time-sensitive acquistions.
The property includes wetlands, upland forests and 1,755 feet of frontage on Bear Swamp Creek, the largest tributary to Skaneateles Lake, the unfiltered drinking water supply for the city of Syracuse.
“Protection of these properties will safeguard water quality in Skaneateles Lake, protect wildlife habitat and provide additional recreational opportunities,” the trust said in a release. “In addition to filtering water quality in the creek as it wends its way northward to the lake, Bear Swamp State Forest hosts a popular network of recreational trails — over 15 miles of multi-use trails and miles of quiet, unpaved roads.”
This acquistion marks the trust’s ninth conservation project near Bear Swamp, which thje state Open Space Plan names as a priority project. It is also part of an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area and features extensive pristine wetlands and rare flora. Other protected lands in the area include Carpenter Falls State Unique Area and the trust’s Bahar Nature Preserve.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected more than 34,000 acres of undeveloped lake shore, gorges, forest and farmland. It manates more than 45 nature preserves open to the public and holds conservation easements on 200 private properties.
