PRESS RELEASE

Conservation Area Protects Farmland and Provides Public Access to Creek

On Friday, November 20, the Columbia Land Conservancy and officials from the Town of Ghent opened the Siegel-Kline Kill Conservation Area in Ghent. The opening of the trails at this 54.6-acre stream-side property marks the first phase of implementing public access improvements to the site.

"Opening this site to the public is important to the community, so we decided to go with a soft opening, rather than waiting until all of the improvements have been completed," explained Joyce Carroll, Public Lands Coordinator. "Despite the abundance of open space in the county, there actually are not very many places that people can go for a hike or get to a creek for fishing."

The initial improvements to the site include a loop trail around the edge of the property with two side trails leading to the Kline Kill. In the future, as funding permits, CLC will install a more formal parking area with an informational kiosk and interpretive signage. Other plans include creation of a ¼-mile fitness trail that would be accessible to all and a sledding hill. The central field will continue to be used for agriculture under guidelines set forth by the master plan for the site.

"Given the high quality of the soils, we felt strongly that it should remain in active agriculture," noted project manager Ellen Jouret-Epstein. "We are aware of many farmers who are looking for land to farm, and in this case it's a perfect fit with our long-term management goals."

The Siegel-Kline Kill Conservation Area was made possible by the support of numerous individuals and local foundations. The property was acquired via a bargain sale from Bob and Susan Siegel. More than 100 community members participated in a challenge grant to help raise money for the acquisition, with additional support from the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation and Wellspring Foundation.

This the eighth public conservation area CLC has opened in Columbia County. These properties are open year-round, free of charge to the public for outdoor recreation and education. A list of all of the properties as well as trail maps can be found at the conservancy's website, clctrust.org.