The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) and the Village of Aurora, NY announced the future creation of a new park featuring 1,100 feet of Cayuga Lake shoreline along with four acres of adjacent upland. Previously part of the now closed Wells College, this land was acquired by FLLT member Grace Bates with the intent of creating the park for public enjoyment.
Before donating the property to the Village, Bates donated a conservation easement to the FLLT, which includes provisions for public access, as well as the protection of scenic views and wildlife habitat. The property borders State Route 90, a segment of the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway, and is located at the south end of Aurora in the town of Ledyard, Cayuga County.
It features a mix of wooded and open frontage on a scenic cove that hosts concentrations of waterfowl in the winter and Bald Eagles year-round.
With the completion of this project, the Land Trust has worked with partners to conserve nearly three miles of shoreline on Cayuga Lake. Other protected lands nearby include the VanRiper Conservation Area and Whitlock Nature Preserve, the Cayuga Shores Wildlife Management Area, Camp Barton, and other lands secured through the use of conservation easements.
Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming and hunting.
Photo of location of future Aurora NY lake shore park with Wells College in background, 2025 (courtesy Chris Ray, provided by FLLT).
Source link
