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187 acres preserved along trail

| 11 Dec 2012 | 12:35
    A view of the meadows and woodlands seen from the Heritage Trail in Chester, part of a 187-acre property the Land Trust recently acquired and will protect as a nature preserve with trails, educational signage and a trailside kiosk accessible from the recreational path.
    A view of the meadows and woodlands seen from the Heritage Trail in Chester, part of a 187-acre property the Land Trust recently acquired and will protect as a nature preserve with trails, educational signage and a trailside kiosk accessible from the recreational path.
    A view of the meadows and woodlands seen from the Heritage Trail in Chester, part of a 187-acre property the Land Trust recently acquired and will protect as a nature preserve with trails, educational signage and a trailside kiosk accessible from the Pictured at the closing are (standing, from left): John Wood of Hill-N-Dale Abstracters of Goshen, Orange County Land Trust Executive Director Jim Delaune, Land Trsut President Marlena Lange, President, Attorney Richard Hoyt, and Land Trust board member Mary Yrizarry. Seated are Attorney Michael Birnberg and Jeffrey Birnberg.
    A view of the meadows and woodlands seen from the Heritage Trail in Chester, part of a 187-acre property the Land Trust recently acquired and will protect as a nature preserve with trails, educational signage and a trailside kiosk accessible from the Pictured at the closing are (standing, from left): John Wood of Hill-N-Dale Abstracters of Goshen, Orange County Land Trust Executive Director Jim Delaune, Land Trsut President Marlena Lange, President, Attorney Richard Hoyt, and Land Trust board member Mary Yrizarry. Seated are Attorney Michael Birnberg and Jeffrey Birnberg.

CHESTER — The Orange County Land Trust recently acquired two adjacent parcels of land in the towns of Chester and Blooming Grove. The properties, totaling 187 acres, were a gift from the Birnberg family, who live in New Jersey.

Previously slated for development, the Land Trust will make these lands available to the public, creating a nature preserve named after the donor family, with trails, an information kiosk and educational signs. The land is located along the Heritage Trail and will be accessible to the public via the recreational path beginning in the summer.

This gift from the Birnberg family — including Jack and Louise Birnberg, Jeffrey Birnberg, and Michael Birnberg — is valued at more than $1.3 million. To complete the transaction, the Land Trust financed about $70,000.

The Trust plans to launch its first-ever capital campaign next year with fundraisers and other events to pay off the balance of the loan specific to this land acquisition.

"This donation was an opportunity for us to protect a piece of land with amazing conservation value and an important wildlife habitat," said Executive Director Jim Delaune.

About 3,000 feet of the Youngs Brook flows through the property, he said.

"The Land Trust has never assumed an ongoing obligation on a project prior to this one, but our board of directors agreed on its importance for Orange County," said President Marlena Lange.

She said the land will not only be a protected habitat and site for nature study and recreation, but will remain a scenic gateway to Orange County for those traveling along Route 17.

The new nature preserve will be called The Jack and Louise Birnberg Nature Preserve in honor of the Birnberg family gift.

"Conservation and the protection of our environment are more important today than ever before," Jeffrey Birnberg said. "We encourage others to further this cause.”

Michael Birnberg said this effort to help the environment and conservation needs has always been supported by the family.

“The Birnberg family is very proud to be one of the many individuals and companies donating to this cause,” he said.

Since 1993, the Orange County Land Trust has helped preserve nearly 4,700 acres of land in communities throughout Orange County and one in Sullivan County. These lands include working farms, ecologically important wetlands, old growth woodlands, scenic ridgelines and wildlife corridors. The Land Trust owns and stewards over 1,000 acres of land that is open to the public for hiking and other forms of passive recreation. For more information about Orange County Land Trust and for volunteer opportunities and ways of giving, call 845-343-0840 or visit online at www.oclt.org.