Winnakee awarded $90,000 Grant from The Open Space Institute to Advance Appalachian Landscapes Conservation
Winnakee Land Trust has been awarded a competitive $90,000 capital grant from the Open Space Institute (OSI)’s Appalachian Landscapes Project (ALP). This critical funding will help close a remaining budget gap for the acquisition of an ecologically invaluable forest property in Columbia County that is highly vulnerable to development. Once protected, the forestland will become a permanent addition to Winnakee’s regional conservation network.
When people think about the Appalachians, the Hudson Valley doesn’t typically come to mind—but ecologically, this landscape is a critical part of keeping that natural system connected. This project will help preserve one of the nation’s great wildlife migration corridors while creating new public recreational access to nature in a region facing intense development pressure. It’s exactly the kind of locally led conservation we designed the Appalachian Landscapes Project to support.
—Bill Rawlyk, OSI’s Senior Project Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region.
OSI’s ALP advances conservation across the Appalachian Mountain region, which is the longest intact north-south wildlife migration corridor in the eastern United States and a globally significant climate refuge. Protecting lands within this corridor safeguards biodiversity, strengthens climate resilience, and maintains essential landscape connectivity across state lines. The ALP is made possible with support from The Great Island Foundation and anonymous foundations, as well as other individuals.
The grant will support the direct acquisition of the property and leverages additional funding from the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation, Scenic Hudson, and generous private donors.
“We are deeply grateful to the Open Space Institute for their vision and generosity in helping protect irreplaceable lands. This forest will play a vital role in protecting biodiversity, enhancing climate resilience, strengthening landscape connectivity, and securing long-term forest carbon storage. OSI’s partnership strengthens our collective ability to conserve regionally significant forest corridors for future generations.”
—Bob Davis, Winnakee’s CEO
Additional generous funding for this project was provided by Scenic Hudson (read more) and The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation (read more)
If you’re interested in learning more about what conservation options may be a good fit for your situation, reach out to Todd Waldron, Winnakee’s Senior Program Director at thwaldron@winnakee.org.
