Criteria
for Conservation Easement
Acquisition and Management
The geographic focus
of the Winnakee Land Trust (WLT) is lands within the Towns and Villages
of Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Hyde Park, Milan, Tivoli, and Clinton, though
other lands may be considered.
Winnakee understands
that each potential easement offers its own distinct merits, and the
board considers a variety of criteria in approving eligible properties.
The following general criteria are considered.
The Property is, contains, or is important for the protection of:
Public Recreation or Education
-
general public has
regular opportunity for access;
-
water access (for
boating, fishing, swimming, etc);
-
hunting access;
-
potential for
inclusion in federal, state, regional, or local parks system;
-
opportunity to
link with other recreational, open space, or greenway systems;
-
recreational
opportunities (e.g. pedestrian, equestrian, bicycling, cross country
skiing, or other recreational activities);
-
property
represents an important educational opportunity.
Significant Natural Habitat
-
relatively natural
state;
-
rare, endangered,
or threatened wildlife and plants;
-
representative,
threatened, or unique ecosystem;
-
floodplains;
-
watershed,
aquifer;
-
wetlands (whether
or not DEC-mapped);
-
prominent bluffs,
waterfalls, ridgelines, or other geologic features.
Open Space, including farmlands, forest lands, scenic lands, as follows:
Agricultural Land
-
prime and
statewide important agricultural land;
-
active
agricultural land;
-
adjacent to active
agricultural land.
Scenic Land
-
pastoral
countryside/ historic stone walls;
-
view from
designated scenic roads and other public roads;
-
view from/to
Hudson River
-
in viewshed of,
approaches to, or shares a boundary with a protected resource.
Historic Landscapes and Buildings
-
archeological
sites;
-
historic/cultural
landscapes (particularly those planned by famous landscape
architects);
-
properties
individually listed or located within federal, state, or local
historic or scenic districts;
-
properties
contributing to, adjacent to, or eligible for inclusion on the state
and/or national register of historic sites;
-
streetscapes and
buffers to them.
The Property is listed, included in , designated, or deemed significant
in one or more of the following governmental designations, inventories,
plans, or policies:
-
Local Waterfront
Revitalization Plan
-
Master Plan.
Zoning Ordinance
-
Open Space Index
-
Mid-Hudson
Shorelands Scenic District Management Plan
-
Dutchess County
Master Plan
-
Dutchess County
Natural Resource Inventory
-
Dutchess County
Open Space Plan
-
Dutchess County
Historic Inventory
-
National Register
Designation
-
National Register
District
-
National Landmark
District
-
Local Landmark
Designation
-
Designated
Critical Environmental Area
-
Hudson River
Valley Greenway Plan
-
Designated Scenic
Road
-
Scenic Area of
Statewide Significance
Management Criteria
Management responsibilities, legal and financial risks, and liabilities
will be thoroughly analyzed in connection with each potential WLT
project. A Stewardship Committee of the Board will make recommendations
to the full Board concerning the management costs, problems, and
possibilities for each project. Endowment donations may be requested by
WLT in connection with gifts of land or easements.
