Ithaca, NY— The Finger Lakes Land Trust announced that it has formally opened a new biking and hiking trail at its Bishop Nature Preserve in the town of Fayette, Seneca County. The newly improved path wends its way through the preserve and provides a connection to the adjacent Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail for people looking to extend their outdoor adventure. Improvements to the preserve include a stone-dusted path, two interpretive kiosks, and a safer, expanded parking area on West River Road.
The 30-acre Bishop Nature Preserve features woodlands that provide habitat for a variety of songbirds and other wildlife. The site also serves as an access point for the Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail, a 4-mile multi-purpose recreational trail that currently extends from nearby State Route 96A to the village of Waterloo.
Funding for this project came from an anonymous donor and the New York State Conservation Partnership Program, which is funded through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund and administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
“We’re grateful for the financial support which made this project possible,” said Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Zepp. “Both the Bishop Preserve and the Canal Trail are now much more accessible to people of all ages and abilities.”
More information about the Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail can be found on the Land Trust’s new web site—gofingerlakes.org. “Go Finger Lakes” features over 55 locations and 650 miles of trails across the 12-county Finger Lakes region and serves as a guide for residents and visitors to discover the best locations for hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor activities.
By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected more than 20,000 acres of our region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The Land Trust owns and manages a network of nature preserves that are open to the public and holds conservation easements that protect lands remaining in private ownership.
The Land Trust focuses on protecting critical habitat and lands that are important for water quality, connecting conserved lands, and keeping prime farmland in agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and local residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.
The Land Trust works across 12 counties that include all 11 Finger Lakes and a significant portion of the Southern Tier. Additional information on the Land Trust may be found at www.fllt.org.
