LANSING, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) says it has acquired the Bell Station property in Lansing in Tompkins County, which FLLT says was the largest privately owned parcel of shoreline remaining in the Finger Lakes region.

FLLT bought the 480-acre parcel from New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), per its May 24 announcement. NYSEG originally acquired the property for a nuclear-power plant “that was never built,” per the FLLT website.

Located on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, the Bell Station property has wooded hillsides overlooking the lake, extensive fields, and several small streams with cascading waterfalls, FLLT noted. It includes 3,400 feet of Cayuga Lake shoreline.

FLLT used a $2 million loan from the Park Foundation, $500,000 raised from individual donations, and an internal loan from the FLLT’s Opportunity Fund to pay for the land purchase. The organization’s announcement didn’t include a specific dollar figure for the purchase price. 

The FLLT plans to sell the lakeshore portion of the property to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which will manage the property for recreational uses. Those could include hiking, cross-country skiing, wildlife watching, hunting, and fishing. 

In partnership with the Town of Lansing, the FLLT is also exploring the feasibility of utilizing 200 acres of the property for solar-energy production.

“This is a tremendous win for the region and everyone who loves the Finger Lakes,” Andrew Zepp, executive director of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, said. “The Bell Station project will help maintain Cayuga Lake’s water quality while providing new opportunities for outdoor recreation and the generation of renewable energy. We are grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and all of our elected officials and community members who acted together to make this possible.”

The FLLT will formally open the Bell Station property to the public on an interim basis for low-impact recreation on June 10. The public is invited to attend an open house from 2-4 p.m. The event will include refreshments and guided hikes. Those interested can visit fllt.org/events for directions and more information, FLLT said.

Purpose of purchase

Acquisition of the site for conservation will “greatly enhance” public access to the east side of Cayuga Lake, which is 90 percent privately owned, FLLT contends. Permanent conservation will also prevent residential development on the steep hillsides bordering the lake, “helping to safeguard” the lake’s water quality and “prevent future harmful algal blooms,” per the FLLT announcement.

For these reasons, the FLLT has been pursuing the conservation of the Bell Station property for “a number of years.” The New York State DEC, Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Town of Lansing, Tompkins County, and other key stakeholders supported the FLLT effort, the organization said. 

FLLT cites the efforts of Gov. Hochul, concerned citizens, and other support for NYSEG agreeing to cancel a public auction that was scheduled for October 2021 and enter into a purchase agreement with the FLLT.