Did you know that about 12% of the Skaneateles Lake watershed is protected as state forests?
That number goes up to almost 25% when you include conservation easements and land trust preserves and parcels!
Check out the map of parcels below to learn more about protected land in the watershed.
And scroll down to view highlights from the work of Central New York Land Trust and Finger Lakes Land Trust to protect Skaneateles Lake!
Land Trust News!
New Preserve Coming to Skaneateles: Shotwell Brook Conservation Area!
The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has secured 101 acres of fields, wetlands, and woods adjacent to the Village of Skaneateles. Featuring prominent frontage on U.S. Route 20, and more than 1,000 feet of streambank on Shotwell Brook, the land will be protected as a nature preserve, to be opened after public access improvements are made.
Central New York Land Trust O’Neill Family Farm Preserve Tree Planting Event
On April 18th, more than 160 volunteers from 25 partner organizations joined the CNY Land Trust to plant 3,500 native trees on an old farm above Skaneateles Lake, the main drinking water source for 200,000 people in the Syracuse area. Native tree species included River Birches, Swamp White Oaks, Red Maples, Sugar Maples, Silver Maples, Sycamores, White Oaks, and Tulip Poplars. Trees were selected with help from @TheNatureConservancy and purchased through Onondaga County Soil and Water’s annual bare root tree sale, which offers an affordable and easy way for the public to order trees each year.
Partners included Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, New York State Senator Rachel May, and the following organizations: Waygate Technologies, Skaneateles Lake Association, Baltimore Woods Nature Center, Town of Skaneateles, Baxter Inc., Finger Lakes Land Trust, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, City of Syracuse, Rotary Club of Skaneateles, Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club, Tully Rotary Club, New York Agricultural Land Trust, Catholic Charities, Circle-K, Skaneateles Gardening Club, Friends of Pleasant Valley, GoNative! Perennials, Ecological Preservation Society at Colgate University, ReUnited of United Way, Southern Glaziers Wine & Spirits, Marywood University, Cornell Cooperative Extension — Onondaga County, Trout Unlimited Iroquois Chapter, The Nature Conservancy, and Plant Baby Plant!
Paul Porter, former Director of Stewardship with Central New York Land Trust, joined Spectrum News to talk about their work to repair steep bank erosion and safeguard Syracuse's drinking water. Click here to view the video interview.
Map of protected parcels updated February 2025.
Central New York Land Trust
Check out Central New York Land Trust’s website for more information on their preserves in the Skaneateles Lake watershed.
Contact Central New York Land Trust:
7 Fennell St (2nd floor)
Skaneateles, NY 13152
Email: info@cnylandtrust.org
Phone: (315) 575-8839
Website: cnylandtrust.org
Finger Lakes Land Trust
Check out Finger Lakes Land Trust’s Water Hub page with information on how they are working to protect water quality in the Finger Lakes region, including Skaneateles Lake.
Contact Finger Lakes Land Trust:
202 East Court Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Email: info@fllt.org
Phone: (607) 275-9487
Website: www.fllt.org
Stewardship in Skaneateles Webinar - September 29th, 2020
This virtual event organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County featured presentations from Finger Lakes Land Trust, CNY Land Trust and SUNY ESF related to conservation and stewardship in the Skaneateles Lake watershed.
Click here to view the presentations on Youtube!
Timestamps
4:40 - Conservation Easements and Finger Lakes Land Trust’s Skaneateles Projects (Max Heitner, Finger Lakes Land Trust)
52:00 - Central New York Land Trust’s Skaneateles Projects and Watershed Education Center (Central New York Land Trust)
1:35:08 - Lawn to Meadow Restoration Program (Sam Quinn, SUNY ESF)