Press Release
October 22, 2024
Contact: Andrew Zepp (607) 275-9487
Finger Lakes Land Trust
Public-Private Partnership Celebrates Opening of New Trails on Land to be Added to Robert H. Treman State Park
Ithaca, NY—The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation today announced the formal opening of a 140-acre property adjacent to Robert H. Treman State Park in the town of Enfield, Tompkins County. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, October 18, to celebrate the opening of the property, known as Margaret's Woods, for public access.The parcel was donated to the FLLT in
2022 by the late Margaret Bald, a Tompkins County resident whose family owned
the property since 1950. The addition of these acres also supports the state's
goal to conserve 30 percent of its lands and waters by 2030, in line with the
global 30x30
initiative to protect the world's lands
and waters.
To honor Margaret's wishes for her
land to be conserved, the FLLT will donate the property to the New York State
Office of Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation as an addition to Robert
H. Treman State Park. This generous gift follows a tradition of philanthropy started
by Mr. Treman who donated hundreds of acres to establish the park, originally
known as Enfield Glen State Park. 2024 marks the centennial of the
establishment of New York State Parks as a statewide system and the 100th
anniversary of the opening of Robert H. Treman State Park.
Margaret's Woods features a mix of
fields and forest which contain many high-quality sugar maples and hickories.
Over the course of the summer, FLLT staff and volunteers installed a 1.4-mile
trail system on the parcel which now connects to the Finger Lakes Trail within
the state park.
State Parks Commissioner Pro
Tempore Randy Simons said, "As we continue celebrating the
Centennial of the state park system, we are thrilled to see this future
expansion of Robert H. Treman State Park. In the philanthropic spirit of the
Treman Family, we are grateful for the generosity of Margaret Bald and her
family and to the Finger Lakes Land Trust for their continued partnership and
conservation efforts so that future generations can continue to benefit from
these natural resources and recreational opportunities."
"This is truly an incredible gift,"
said Finger Lakes Land Trust President Andrew Zepp. "Margaret's
land is a wonderful addition to the Emerald Necklace—a growing network of
conserved land that extends in an arc around Ithaca. We are honored to have a
role in helping to continue her tradition of stewardship."
For close to thirty years, local
forester Mike DeMunn, who was a friend of Margaret's, was the caretaker and
forest manager of her woodlands. "These woods are very special to me, and I put
so much care into the health of the trees," Mike said. "Now I can rest
easy that they will remain into old age. I'm so thankful that it will be
protected."
"The Finger Lakes Land Trust
continues to partner with other conservation groups to add to our rich local
natural landscape," said Cayuga Trails Club President Polley McClure.
"This addition of 140 acres with nearly 1.5 miles of trails to be part of
Robert H. Treman State Park is wonderful! The trail connects to the Finger
Lakes Trail and is accessible from the road. I am sure our hikers will be out
exploring as soon as it is open."
Margaret's Woods can now be
accessed from a trailhead on Stonehouse Road in Enfield and is open year-round
from dawn to dusk for low-impact recreational activities such as walking,
hiking, and nature observation.
By working cooperatively with landowners and
local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected over 33,000 acres
of the region's undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and
scenic farmland. The FLLT owns and manages a network of over 45 nature
preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation
easements on 200 properties that remain in private ownership.
The FLLT focuses on protecting critical
habitat for fish and wildlife, conserving lands that are important for water
quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping prime farmland in
agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local
governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region's
unique natural resources.
Information on the region's premier
destinations for outdoor recreation, including Robert H. Treman State Park, may
be found at www.gofingerlakes.org, a resource created by the FLLT to encourage
people to get outdoors. Additional information about the Finger Lakes Land
Trust may be found at www.fllt.org.