WARWICK – The Orange County Land Trust announced protection of 116 acres of land in the Town of Warwick in the “Highlands” Significant Biodiversity Area. The land is comprised of Hemlock-northern hardwood forest, a significant natural community identified by the New York National heritage Program.
The property also contains the headwaters of the Trout Brook, a key tributary of the Moodna Creek, and provides a buffer to the Doris Duke Wildlife Sanctuary section of Sterling Forest State Park.
“The protection of his land supports habitat connectivity and clean water and helps maintain the ecological integrity of the surrounding state park,” said Jeremy Schneider, the land trust’s communications coordinator. “As growth and development in Orange County continue to rise, protecting important lands like these becomes more and more crucial.”
In addition to its ecological value, the property boasts scenic, landscape-scale views that are now accessible to the public through the Doris Duke Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as the Appalachian Trial.
The project also received support from the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation.
