The Nature Conservancy to Protect 600 Acres in Zoar Valley

Rochester, NY—March 14, 2006—The Central and Western New York Chapter of The Nature Conservancy recently reached agreement to purchase more than 600 acres of land – four separate properties – with a total of nearly four miles of frontage on the mainstem of Cattaraugus Creek and its major tributary, the South Branch of Cattaraugus Creek. All the parcels are heavily forested and within a 29,000-acre block of intact forestland. Ecologists have identified the Zoar Valley gorge as the most outstanding example of 14 gorges in New York’s Lake Erie watershed.

“These important acquisitions are the first step in the Central and Western New York Chapter’s multi-year action plan to protect the Zoar Valley,” says Jim Howe, the Chapter’s Executive Director.

The South Branch of Cattaraugus Creek
© Patrick McGlew / The Nature Conservancy

The Zoar Valley, carved by Cattaraugus Creek, harbors darters and mussels that have disappeared from other parts of the Great Lakes Basin; rare plants that reach the northern limit of their range in New York; breeding occurrences of federally threatened species like the bald eagle; imperiled insects like tiger beetles that colonize exposed cobbles along streambanks; and terrestrial natural communities such as shale cliffs, fens, talus slopes, and beech-maple and hemlock-hardwood forests. The Zoar Valley includes significant expanses of old growth forest, and has some of the biggest trees in the entire Northeast, including a 128-foot-tall basswood that is the tallest of its species in the world.

“The Nature Conservancy’s top priority at the Zoar Valley is to conserve this sensitive landscape by expanding our Deer Lick Conservation Area; establishing other Nature Conservancy preserves in the Zoar Valley; and helping the NYS DEC add to its Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area and East Otto State Forest,” says the Conservancy’s Cattaraugus-based Project Director, Patrick McGlew.

Of the four properties to be acquired, two are located within Erie County and two within Cattaraugus County. The parcels are adjacent to existing state land and a preserve owned by the Nature Sanctuary Society of Western New York.

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan said, "The Zoar Valley is among the most unique areas of our State and it is vital that we protect the diverse natural resources there. The Nature Conservancy continues to be a valuable partner in conservation and we look forward to continuing to work together on projects in Western New York and throughout the State. "

The Conservancy will protect 3.75 miles of frontage along the creeks. In total, the properties will be purchased for approximately $567,000.

Just this month, The Nature Conservancy received a $250,000 grant from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation to help with the acquisitions. The Conservancy needs to raise another $230,000 to complete the acquisitions.

The Chapter’s acquisitions align with local plans to craft economic development strategies that build on the recreational amenities of the Zoar Valley. Cattaraugus County in particular hopes to use its abundant outdoor opportunities and natural lands, including the Zoar Valley, to attract people and new businesses. “These acquisitions will promote healthy forests, streams, and fish and wildlife in the Zoar Valley; enhance public recreational opportunities in Western New York; and assist local communities in achieving their aspirations of fashioning economic development strategies that build on their scenic resources, outdoor opportunities, and quality of life,” says McGlew. In an era where people can telecommute to their workplace, more and more communities are finding that natural lands can be powerful economic assets.

Every year, thousands of people visit Zoar to hike, swim, birdwatch, hunt, fish, and to canoe, kayak, and raft the rapids of Cattaraugus Creek. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation manages nearly 4,000 acres at Zoar that provide relatively easy access for the public. The Nature Conservancy already owns and manages 400 publicly accessible acres in the Zoar Valley. Our Deer Lick Conservation Area features several thousand feet of frontage on the South Branch of Cattaraugus Creek, numerous stands of mature forest, a 50-foot waterfall, and an 11-mile trail system that is open to the public year-round. The Nature Conservancy recently constructed a new kiosk and parking lot to provide better access for the public, and completed a new trail guide that helps visitors interpret Deer Lick.

The growing popularity of Zoar Valley as a recreational destination and the potential increase in demand for housing in the area due to the extension of NYS Route 219 make conservation of the area critical. The Conservancy’s acquisitions will help to prevent inappropriate development and subdivision and curtail logging activities that could lead to sedimentation or erosion of sensitive gorge lands. In addition, our purchase of these seven properties safeguards the viewshed of the gorge, which boaters and fishermen see from the interior of the Zoar Valley and which hikers enjoy from a variety of trails and vantage points along the gorge walls.