WILLSBORO, N.Y. – The Adirondack Land Trust recently purchased 68 acres on Willsboro Point for ecological conservation and community benefit. The parcel features 950 feet of natural shoreline on Lake Champlain’s Willsboro Bay, open fields, and shrublands. American kestrel, indigo bunting, great crested flycatcher, and long-eared owl are among 136 bird species observed in the immediate area.
The land trust acquired the parcel for a fair market price of $840,000 as a first step toward protecting it as municipal parkland. The next step will be for the town to purchase the parcel from the land trust.
“We are delighted to be partnering with the town of Willsboro on this exciting opportunity. They have a long-range community vision for this land, and we have land transaction and conservation expertise to help them work toward that vision,” said Adirondack Land Trust Executive Director Mike Carr.
“As parkland, this property will be of great value to the quality of life in our town. We will use grant funding to purchase all 68 acres. Opportunities like this – particularly lakefront access – are few and far between,” said Willsboro Town Supervisor Shaun Gillilland.
Willsboro Point is the most densely populated area in the town and yet it has the least amount of public access to the lake. And even though Willsboro has more Lake Champlain shoreline than any other town in Essex County, there are few public locations from which to view or access the lake.
The conservation and community benefits of protecting the 68-acre parcel include:
- Safeguarding a drinking water source by preventing harmful run-off into Lake Champlain
- Securing opportunities for waterfront access and community walking trails with scenic views to foster health and wellness
- Preserving grassland and shoreline habitat for birds
- Maintaining the scenic character of Willsboro Point
The town was recently awarded a Lake Champlain Basin Program grant for Land Acquisition and Conservation for Clean Water and Healthy Ecosystems that will enable them to purchase the parcel and begin a community planning process.
Image: This image from above Willsboro Bay on Lake Champlain shows in context the 68-acre parcel that the Adirondack Land Trust and the Town of Willsboro are working together to conserve, by Eric Adsit. Map shows the 68-acre parcel, a nearby state boat launch, and privately owned protected lands to the south.