What Happens to Your Land After You’re Gone Is a Choice
When you love a piece of land, you start to think about what happens to it long after it’s yours. The rolling meadow you walk every morning. The stand of old trees at the edge of the property. The stream that floods a little every spring. Those places don’t have to change hands and disappear. What happens to your land after you’re gone really is a choice.
Westchester Land Trust
Westchester Land Trust just celebrated 28 newly preserved acres in Katonah, and it’s a spectacular stretch of meadow and forest. Moments like this are a reminder of how much is possible when landowners decide to protect what they love.
Why Preserved Land Matters
Preserved land does far more than look beautiful. It protects wildlife habitat and biodiversity. It supports pollinators and native plants. It keeps our drinking water clean, helps manage flooding, and saves farmland for future generations. In other words, it protects the very things that make living in Northern Westchester so special.
A Remarkable Track Record
Westchester Land Trust has been busy. To date, they’ve protected 9,662 acres across Westchester and Putnam Counties. That includes 217 conservation easements covering 6,340 acres, plus 34 nature preserves they own and manage.
Right here in Bedford, 76 easements protect 1,561 acres. The town is also home to three of their preserves at Sugar Hill Farm, Tom Burke, and Guard Hill. And there’s more on the way. Two additional Bedford easements are in the works that will protect another 286 acres, along with a drinking water project that will add 13 acres to Buxton Gorge Park.
Why This Is Close to My Heart
I’ve had the honor of co-chairing with Westchester Land Trust two years in a row, and I’ve seen firsthand how much care goes into every acre they protect. Their work is a big part of why our towns still feel like home, with open space, quiet trails, and views that take your breath away.
If you own land here and have ever wondered what its future could look like, I’d encourage you to start a conversation with the team at Westchester Land Trust. A conservation easement can let you keep your property while protecting its character for generations to come.
Learn More
Visit Westchester Land Trust to explore their preserves, support their work, or learn how to protect your own land. Our community is better because of the people who chose to preserve it.
