Contact: Michael Hagerty, Executive Director, Winnakee Land Trust, (845) 876-4213

Winnakee Land Trust to preserve Clinton's Schoolhouse Ridge

The Winnakee Land Trust is pleased to announce the donation of a new conservation easement on a 42-acre woodland ridge (formerly called Woodland Hollow) on Schoolhouse Road in the Town of Clinton. The land was recently purchased and saved from development by Town of Clinton residents Bruce Joel Rubin and his wife Blanche Rubin, John B. Heist III, Michael Neumann, and Vasant Dhar. The owners donated a conservation easement to the Winnakee Land Trust on Oct. 22, 2006. This is a significant donation to Winnakee, because the landowners had organized themselves to oppose a residential development on the ridge and invested a significant sum of money to eventually purchase the property, insuring that the land will remain forever open and in a natural state.

The Clinton Planning Board was reviewing a 10-lot subdivision plan for the property and notified the local residents of a public hearing in April 2005. The neighbors quickly mobilized into action and hired an environmental expert, an engineer, and a lawyer to review the proposed development. Numerous concerns were identified, including several species that either existed in the area or could exist there, which are listed in New York State as "endangered," "threatened," or of "special concern." Detailed reports to the Clinton Planning Board were prepared, scrutinizing the developers' plans and indicating many issues and concerns.

After numerous public hearings on the proposal, there was a happy ending. The core group of neighbors offered to buy the 42 acres on Schoolhouse Road, and successfully convinced the developers to sell. And the new landowners all agreed that the land should be placed under a conservation easement to remain forever "green". This grassroots success story came about as the result of hard work, effective strategy, organization, persistence, and sound advice. Mrs. Rubin emphasized, "Maintaining this beautiful property in its natural state, protecting the hillside from erosion, and preventing damage to the adjoining wetlands and nearby streams was one of our top priorities. We were successful because so many people were unified in working toward this goal."

"We are honored to be chosen as the recipient of this great conservation easement," said Winnakee Land Trust Executive Director Michael Hagerty. "We hope that this easement will act as a catalyst for us to carry out our mission further by engaging landowners regarding the importance of open space and maintaining rural character." The mission of the Winnakee Land Trust is to protect and preserve the natural, agricultural, recreational, architectural, cultural, scenic, historic, and open space resources of northern Dutchess County, including farmlands, viewsheds, wetlands, wildlife habitats, and undisturbed natural areas.