Buying Land to Protect Land: Success in Oneonta

Linda Wilcox donated a conservation easement on 133 acres of beautiful forests, hills, farmland, and wetlands, a piece of land she’s fondly named Hilltop Woods, located in the Town of Oneonta.

Protection of this property will help reduce land fragmentation in this rural area near the City of Oneonta. 

Seeing that there was a very clear present development threat in the area, Wilcox chose to purchase and protect the property in order to conserve its farmland, forests, diverse wildlife habitats, stream and wetland buffers, and natural area corridors. 

Future generations will benefit from the protection of land that impacts drinking water for both the Town and City of Oneonta. 

The conservation easement also protects important soils suitable for future agricultural endeavors and nearly 60 acres of forest land, which may help reduce erosion, improve water quality, and mitigate the effects of climate change through carbon sequestration and sound management of working lands.

“We are encouraged by Linda's commitment to conservation and congratulate her for permanently protecting land to limit sprawl. There is slow but continuing development in this area, as the property is in close proximity to the City of Oneonta. Increased development could threaten the quality of the drinking water supply of the City and other municipalities.”
– Patricia Szarpa, Executive Director of OLT