Open Space Institute Buys More Of Great Swamp In Putnam To Protect HV, NYC Drinking Water

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Nearly 90 more acres of the Great Swamp will be protected under a new acquisition by The Open Space Institute, which purchased the property for $385,000 from the Bayme family.

"I congratulate and thank our friends at Open Space Institute and the Bayme family for negotiating protection of a biologically diverse 87-acre parcel," said Dr. Jim Utter on behalf of the Friends of the Great Swamp (FrOGS).

The land slopes east from Couch Road down to the East Branch Croton River, Utter said. "Development would have led to soil erosion and other pollutants impacting the river which is an important source of public drinking water."

OSI announced Monday that its 87-acre acquisition is adjacent to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s 444-acre Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area, which is one of the larger publicly protected areas within the Great Swamp.

The Great Swamp encompasses more than 6,000 acres and forms one of the largest freshwater wetlands in New York State.

The fragile swamp is an hour north of New York City within the Croton Reservoir system watershed, which provides 10 percent of the city’s daily water supply as well as clean water for many Westchester County residents. Putnam County residents, farms and businesses nearby depend on the groundwater for clean drinking water.

OSI’s acquisition will help secure long-term access to clean water for millions of New Yorkers, officials there said.

The forested tract includes extensive wetlands and nearly 1,000 feet of riverfront along the East Branch of the Croton River.

The parcel provides wildlife habitat for breeding wood ducks and migrating waterfowl. The New England cottontail rabbit, which is a "vulnerable" species in the northeastern United States because of the loss of suitable habitat, is known to occur in the vicinity of the property. The newly protected property’s location between parallel north-south Highland ridges also makes it an ideal stopover for migratory birds.

“OSI’s protection of the Great Swamp property is a huge win for both humans and wildlife,” said Tom Gravel, senior land project manager at OSI. “The acquisition safeguards precious wildlife habitat and wetlands that naturally recharge the area’s aquifers, which are essential to the health of our communities and planet. Strategic land conservation goes hand-in-hand with providing safe, reliable access to drinking water and protection for the places that our most vulnerable species call home.”

OSI intends to transfer the Great Swamp property to DEC as an expansion to the Great Swamp WMA. The 87-acre Great Swamp property had been listed in New York State’s Open Space Plan as a high conservation priority, said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos.

The property was also recognized by New York’s Natural Heritage Program as important to protect because of its connection to other protected lands. The Great Swamp has also been designated by the USDA Forest Service as a Highlands Conservation Focal Area, named by the Department of Interior as a National Historic Landmark, and declared a Critical Environmental Area by Dutchess and Putnam counties.

"This parcel is now the center of a protected, 444-acre diverse wildlife habitat block," Utter said. "We celebrate this noteworthy achievement."