DUTCHESS COUNTY – The Dutchess Land Conservancy (DLC) has created the Jesse and Gayle Bontecou Wildlife Conservation Preserve after 1,258 acres of land owned by the Bontecou family was donated to the DLC. The donation consists of more than 1,000 acres of land in central Dutchess County.
In a statement, the DLC said, “Generous landowners Gayle and the late Jesse Bontecou donated more than 1,250 acres of critical wetland and forest habitat, open fields, wooded hillsides, streams, and Bontecou Lake to the Dutchess Land Conservancy.” The land consists of property of the former Rally Farm, known for Angus cattle, which lies in both the Town of Stanford and the Town of Washington.
The property, according to the conservancy, will be “Forever safeguarded and held in ownership by the DLC, with perpetual protection through a conservation easement that the family also donated to Scenic Hudson. This donation increases an impressive band of over 12,000 acres of contiguous properties protected by the DLC.”
The Jesse and Gayle Bontecou Wildlife Conservation Preserve has a number of water resources, including Bontecou Lake, one of the largest in the county. The lake and surrounding wetlands are considered vital to migratory waterfowl and nesting birds including bald eagles, great blue herons, osprey, Canada geese, mallards, and wood ducks. sparrows, and eastern bluebirds.
“It was so important to Jesse and me that this land be permanently preserved as a conservation refuge where animals can peacefully live in their natural habitat,” said Gayle Bontecou. Gayle’s late husband, Jesse, was a founding member of the DLC and Gayle serves on the conservancy Advisory Council. “We also wanted to conserve the existing farm uses and natural resources on the property. We can think of no greater stewards of this land than the Dutchess Land Conservancy and Scenic Hudson together.”
DLC President Becky Thornton was overwhelmed by the substantial donation. “This gift makes my eyes water with tears of immeasurable joy,” she said. “Jesse and Gayle so loved this land and its countless special and unique qualities. It is truly iconic and so well-known to people throughout this area. I cannot thank Gayle enough for her commitment to seeing through their desire to donate and protect this land as a forever Preserve. This is a gift that is unmatched by any we have seen before.”
