3 LI nonprofit land trusts receive grants

Three Long Island nonprofit land trusts were among 53 statewide awarded a total of $1.4 million in grants to boost local land conservation, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Land Trust Alliance has announced.

The purpose of the grants is to increase the pace, improve the quality and ensure the permanence of voluntary conservation of private lands, which will aid in environmental and economic benefits for communities throughout New York.

The grants, which were announced last week, will also advance stewardship and education programs and regional economic development goals, as well as create land trust jobs, strengthen partnerships with local and state governments, and help preserve farmland, municipal watersheds and green infrastructure around the state.

Peconic Land Trust was awarded $15,000 for a two-year project to expand its Farms for the Future initiative. Nassau Land Trust received $10,000 for educational, volunteer and community programs at Crossroads Farm at Grossman’s in Malverne. And North Shore Land Alliance was given $20,000 for appraisals and surveys required to convey 65 acres in four preserves from The Nature Conservancy to the land alliance “for use as nature preserves and public recreation areas.”

Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee, said in a statement, “This is a challenging time for homeowners, charities, and businesses across New York State. Empowering local communities through the Conservation Partnership Program is one proven way to give New York’s citizens a voice in their future. It is also an effective way for New York to get the most out of the Environmental Protection Fund. We applaud the work land trusts do on Long Island and across the state and look forward to supporting the program in the coming years.”

The grants, funded through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund, will be matched by $1.2 million in private and local funding.