ULYSSES, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) announced it purchased 23 acres in the town of Ulysses in Tompkins County from the Cayuga Nature Center. The property, which is a mix of meadows and woodlands, is located along the Black Diamond Trail at the Houghton Road crossing.

The FLLT intends to transfer the parcel to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), which owns and manages the Black Diamond Trail. The property provides a buffer to the trail and the state office is interested in creating a mid-way access point on the property with parking, restroom facilities, and a water fountain.

“Again, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has stepped up to support state parks,” Fred Bonn, regional director of Finger Lakes State Parks, said in a press release. “In this instance, their efforts will enable us to address a critical need for the Black Diamond Trail, namely a midpoint parking lot and bathroom facility like the one currently being constructed at Taughannock Falls. Parks looks forward to acquiring this parcel from the FLLT and then moving into design and construction in the next few years.”

The Black Diamond Trail is an 8.4 mile multi-use trail network that connects Taughannock Falls State Park in Trumansburg and Cass Park in Ithaca. The FLLT previously transferred 12 acres in the town of Ulysses to the OPRHP.

“This is a terrific addition to the Black Diamond,” Andrew Zepp, president of FLLT, said in the announcement. “With each passing year, more and more people are getting out to enjoy this multi-use trail. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with our partners at state parks to continue to enhance this outstanding resource.”

The Finger Lakes Land Trust — which focuses on critical habitat for fish and wildlife, conserving lands important for water quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping farmland in agriculture — has protected more than 33,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped land. It owns and manages a network of over 45 nature preserves open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 200 properties that remain in private ownership.