On the Hill
When her husband, Bill Karl, a doctor at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, needed time to get away and relax, he would tell his family that he would be “on the hill”. His wife Marion remembers these words fondly, as her dog Leila zigzags with abandon across the meadow she recently protected with Otsego Land Trust.
The 172 acres of meadow, forests, and a pond are full of memories: the pines and spruces her daughter Annie planted—with some help from the family, the lean-to her son David built at age 16, family gatherings, swimming in the pond, and relaxing walks through the woods. A springtime stroll across the park-like property reveals an old house foundation with a hand-dug stone lined well, a vernal pool with a multitude of salamanders, trailing arbutus and lowbush blueberries, and an abundance of wildfl owers. Nesting bluebirds and tree swallows can be seen along the “Bluebird Trail”, thanks to the numerous bluebird houses erected by the family over the years. Marion always knew she would do something to preserve the property, recalling the 1967 purchase from Madeline de Berg, who confi ded to Marion “I would like you to have this land because I know you will take care of it”. In 2008 Marion followed up her pledge to Mrs. de Berg by procuring a conservation easement through Otsego Land Trust. The children may be grown now—and the grandchildren, too—but thanks to their mother’s foresight, the property they love will be protected in perpetuity, this cherished sanctuary “On the Hill”.
Along with Marion Karl, two other landowners have recently developed conservation easements on their properties with Otsego Land Trust. These three properties add another 316 acres of private land in conservation in the Red Creek area. Nearby, at the site of another easement, one can see the village of Cooperstown from its hilltop vantage. The Sahler family also wanted to keep their property near Cooperstown protected for future generations, land his father, a doctor at Bassett Hospital, had purchased in 1961, and land the family has treasured in succeeding generations. From the road, a small stream drains down to a wetland where beaver and ducks flourish— just minutes from the fl agpole in Cooperstown. A world apart, their easement protects woodlands and wetlands, where Paul returns to hunt each fall. “I wanted to join others in the Red Creek watershed that have developed conservation easements” Paul says of his decision to work with Otsego Land Trust. He adds proudly “Now a large portion of property around Cooperstown is protected”.
These three recent easements join several others in the Red Creek area that now protect over 1,500 acres of land near Cooperstown and the vital upper Susquehanna watershed. Conservation easements preserve working farms and forests, sensitive natural communities, important animal and plant habitats, and signifi cant historic and cultural sites. Conservation easements help to maintain the timeless character of rural communities. Everyone benefi ts thanks to the foresight of these Red Creek landowners and their partnerships with Otsego Land Trust. Call us today if you or a friend are interested in learning more about conservation easements or other innovative land protection tools.
