Dave, The state has a strong farmland trust which greatly benefit the owner in cash which is in exchange for keeping it farmland. I have no further detail/ John
On Sat, Jan 9, 2021 at 8:17 PM Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com> wrote: > As many of you know, the private Lott Farm, located on the NE corner of > NYS-414 and Martin Rd on the south border of the Town of Seneca Falls, has > long been the site for the August farm equipment fair called Empire Farm > Days. Therefore it has fortuitously been managed as an extensive grassland. > It is the only remaining breeding site in the Cayuga Lake Basin for Upland > Sandpipers (They bred between Wood Rd & Caswell Rd in Dryden years ago, > before a few houses went in there.) as well as a great place for many other > breeding grassland birds, the occasional rare Dickcissel, plus fairly > regular Snowy Owls in winter. Furthermore, the owner has been gracious in > granting access, without charging any fee, to birders who simply request > permission, describe their vehicle, and agree to remain on the gravel > roads. > > In talking to Reuben Stoltzfus this evening I learned that we cannot take > for granted the situation which had simply been the result of good luck and > generosity. This past year, the Empire State Farm Days event did not take > place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But also the event is now under new > management who have chosen a different site for the future. This means that > whatever profit and benefit which the Lott Farm gained from that event is > gone. And they never got any benefit except good will from us birders. > > While Reuben has not talked to the farm owner and did not know of any > plans for this land which had been managed as grassland, I think it’s safe > to assume that there is a strong incentive for the owner to find some use > which will pay the taxes or turn a profit, and that grassland bird habitat > may not be in the picture unless action is taken quickly to encourage > future management to allow these birds to continue, before decisions are > made - if they have not been finalized already - for the plowing or > construction season this spring. > > Is this something about which local bird clubs would want to work with the > owner of Lott farm? Are there DEC programs which can reimburse landowners > for maintaining such habitat? Would bird clubs want to help more directly? > Would birders be willing to pay a small fee for the privilege of birding > there or to become members of some organization for the pride of knowing > they are helping some regionally rare birds survive where we can sometimes > see them? > > These are just some ideas based on very limited information. I know there > are people reading this who are far better than I am at organizing, > networking, researching, and promoting these things. Please think about it, > discuss it, and help ensure that come mid-April the Upland Sandpipers have > a home to return to. Thanks. > > - - Dave Nutter > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
