Staff Report / February 19, 2026
The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) is celebrating a series of important conservation milestones and regional efforts highlighted in its “The Living Land: Monthly News for February 2026” newsletter, released February 16, 2026.
Gorge Land Protected at Kashong Glen
In a major land protection effort, FLLT partnered with the Town of Geneva to purchase 74 acres in and around the heart of Kashong Glen, a scenic Finger Lakes gorge located in both Geneva (Ontario County) and Benton (Yates County).
The property includes more than 5,500 feet of frontage along Kashong Creek, features multiple waterfalls and wildlife habitat, and plays a critical role in protecting water quality for Seneca Lake. Funding for the purchase was provided primarily through a New York State Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant, which covered 85% of project costs. The FLLT and Town of Geneva are raising additional matching funds to complete the acquisition.
Geneva Town Supervisor Mark Venuti emphasized the urgency of conserving the land to keep it undeveloped and open for public benefit.
Conservation Easements Safeguard Keuka Lake Watershed
Another significant conservation achievement reported for the region involves the protection of 283 acres of family land in the Keuka Lake watershed in Hammondsport, Steuben County.
Sisters Yolanda Adrean and Dolores Wheeler donated three conservation easements on their family property off Winding Stair Road. These easements permanently limit future development while allowing the land to remain in private ownership and in traditional uses such as farming and recreation.
Situated entirely within the watershed that feeds Keuka Lake, the conserved land includes open fields, steep woods, tributaries and portions of the Finger Lakes Trail system. The easements will help protect water quality, expand connections between existing protected areas, and maintain habitat corridors for wildlife.
Advocacy and Policy Engagement in Albany
In early February, FLLT joined with other conservation organizations for the first-ever Finger Lakes Advocacy Day in Albany, where representatives from more than a dozen regional and watershed groups met with state lawmakers.
Participants urged sustained investment in environmental programs aimed at reducing nutrient pollution, protecting drinking water supplies and managing natural systems that filter runoff. A key focus was on addressing harmful algal blooms that regularly impact all 11 Finger Lakes — a threat to public health, local water systems and the tourism economy.
These stories reflect ongoing collaboration between nonprofit organizations, local governments, and private landowners to conserve critical landscapes and water resources in the Finger Lakes, underscoring the Trust’s mission to protect land and water “forever” for current and future generations.
Learn More at: https://www.fllt.org/the-living-land-monthly-news-for-february-2026/
