Land donation results in new lake shore park in Aurora

AURORA — A piece of land that was once part of Wells College, which closed in 2024, is now a new park in the village of Aurora The land includes 1,100 feet of scenic frontage on the Cayuga Lake shoreline along with four acres of adjacent upland. The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) of Ithaca and the Village of Aurora on May 19 announced the creation of the new park. FLLT member Grace Bates acquired the land with the intent of creating the park for public enjoyment, per the FLLT announcement. “We are very pleased and grateful to partner with Grace Bates and the Finger Lakes Land Trust to revitalize the Village of Aurora,” Aurora Mayor James Orman said in the announcement. “This will now provide the Village with public access to the lake for families to gather safely.” Before donating the property to the village, Bates donated a conservation easement to the FLLT. It includes provisions for public access, as well as the protection of scenic views and wildlife habitat. “There is no doubt in my mind that this is the most exciting thing I have ever been a part of,” Bates said. “With the help of villagers and friends, we have created a park in Aurora along the shore at the south end of the village. This park will protect wildlife habitat, preserve scenic views, and provide village and visitor access to Cayuga Lake forever.” The property borders State Route 90, a segment of the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway, and is located at the south end of Aurora. It features a mix of wooded and open frontage on a scenic cove that hosts concentrations of waterfowl in the winter and bald eagles year-round. “This is a tremendous gift, and we are grateful to Grace for her commitment to the community of Aurora and the future of Cayuga Lake,” Andrew Zepp, president of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, said. “We also applaud the leadership of the Village for accepting this gift and ensuring public access to this scenic stretch of shoreline.” With the completion of this project, FLLT has worked with partners to conserve nearly three miles of shoreline on Cayuga Lake. Other protected lands nearby include the VanRiper Conservation Area and Whitlock Nature Preserve, the Cayuga Shores Wildlife Management Area, Camp Barton, and other lands secured through the use of conservation easements, FLLT said. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming and hunting, the organization noted.

About FLLT

By working with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected more than 34,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The FLLT owns and manages a network of more than 45 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 200 properties that remain in private ownership. The FLLT says it focuses on protecting critical habitat for fish and wildlife; conserving lands that are important for water quality; connecting existing conservation lands; and keeping prime farmland in agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.