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-For Immediate Release- January 12, 2012
Genesee Land Trust Is Given 71 Acres In Webster
Genesee Land Trust has announced that it has acquired 71 acres on the south side of Old Ridge Road in Webster, close to the Wayne County line. The property, which is mostly old field and mature woods, was donated to the local non-profit by Laurel Braman Bruns and her brother, Gary Braman. These 71 acres abut over 300 acres of protected land held by the Town of Webster and has mowed trails through its field. As a preserve of Genesee Land Trust, it will be open to the public. The property had been in Braman family for more than 100 years and was originally orchards and dairy farmland. Bruns says that she didn’t want the land, which ended up in her hands, to be disturbed by earth movers and bulldozers and has enjoyed the sounds and sights of nature coming from its creek and woods. She says the idea that “once it’s gone, you can never get it back” was what spurred her to find a solution to protect the land forever. She called Genesee Land Trust, the Rochester area’s local land preservation organization, and talked to Gay Mills, executive director, and the two began finding a good solution that would preserve the parcel’s natural habitat and give Laurel Bruns a great sense of relief that she had done the right thing for the land, the wildlife, and the memory of her grandfather, Harlan Braman, who worked and loved the land so much. Gay Mills, who has directed the non-profit for more than a decade, instantly saw the potential in protecting the 71-acre parcel noting that it already has really wonderful trails. “It comes down from Ridge Road to Four Mile Creek, and it has a gentle rise to the south, so it’s a big expanse. It hasn’t been mowed for quite a number of years, so the field has started to grow into red osier dogwood and ash,” Mills noted. “You get in there with the tall plants and shrubs, and you can’t see anything else…you’re in the environment.” “It backs up to the D&M Farm, a piece of property that the town of Webster has already protected,” Mills said. “From Genesee Land Trust’s point of view, it’s really exciting to protect a piece of property that’s so close to and part of a protected landscape.” The acquisition of this 71 acres means that Genesee Land Trust now protects 4,085 of acres in the greater Rochester area – from as far west as Parma to as far east as Sodus. Gay Mills reiterates that not only is it a great joy to be able give a private landowner the peace of mind regarding the future of her family legacy but also it is an added benefit that this parcel is adjacent to other protected land, thus enlarging the quilt of land protection in Monroe County which benefits all. For more information on how you can protect your land for future generations call Genesee Land Trust at (585) 256-2130 or email Gay Mills at gmills@geneseelandtrust.org.
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Contact: Margaret Potter, director of development &c communications Genesee Land Trust 46 Prince Street, Suite LL005 Rochester, NY 14607 (585) 256-2139 info@geneseelandtrust.org
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