Date: 1/15/26 2:02 pm From: AB Clark <anneb.clark...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] [External Email] UNAs threatened
HI Bob et al.
Glad you found these and I apologize for not answering yesterday. I was in
fact en route back from Seattle, much of the time in the air or
skibbling to the next plane.
Just to answer a few other questions--yes, FLT is very aware and was
working with the county EMC to identify how the plans were impacting known
UNAs--the Trillium Woods itself and the Freeville Fir Swamp. In fact, the
plans do include a donation of part of the swamp area to the Wetland Trust,
which holds the areas of swamp N of the road as well as contiguous swamp on
the S (same) side. But they leave portions of the UNA designated area and
its buffer.
One of our CB members has talked with the developers themselves and it
appears that they simply were not aware of the UNA designations. This might
be come a pre-meeting...we will see. In any case, I wanted to contact you
all as people interested in speaking about related ecological
issues--breeding birds (who are not always present--including rails,
gallinule, etc), migration stopovers, roosting areas for many species--plus
step stone links as foraging for herons, etc. Breeding bobcats, red and
gray fox in the acres East of the swamp, etc.
best,
anne
On Wed, Jan 14, 2026 at 11:40 AM bob mcguire <bmcguire...>
wrote:
> Thanks, Anne, for posting this. Here is the proposal (or set of maps, at
> least).
> https://www.townofdrydenny.gov/projects-under-review/page/172-ed-hill-road-conservation-subdivision-query >
> I look forward to commenting ops the proposal!
>
> Bob
>
> On Jan 13, 2026, at 3:28 PM, AB Clark <anneb.clark...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> To all local birders,
>
> The article attached below is worth noting and turning out to the Jan 22
> meeting for if you value the Hile School Road Wetland, of which the
> Freeville Fir Swamp UNA is part. There are many other potential impacts of
> this proposed development. I am speaking to you all as a concerned nearby
> resident of the property, but the impacts on Dryden Township and the county
> go beyond this.
>
> Happy to answer more questions insofar as I can,
>
> Anne
>
> Anne B. Clark, Ph.D.
> Biological Sciences, Emeritus
> Binghamton University
> Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
> (607) 222-0905 (cell)
> (607) 777-2438 (Biol Sci office)
> *Power concedes nothing without a demand. *
> *It never did and it never will.* Frederick Douglass
>
>
>
>
> This from the Jan 11 issue, Tompkins Green Scene:
>
> *Two of Tompkins County’s Unique Natural Areas in Dryden Threatened by
> Potential Development*
>
> Two of Tompkins County’s Unique Natural Areas (UNA) would be threatened by
> a proposed residential subdivision development that seeks to carve up all
> of the Trillium Woods (UNA-73) and a large portion of the Freeville Fir
> Tree Swamp (UNA-74) into units for sale. Trillium Woods contains one of the
> densest collections of breathtakingly beautiful spring wildflowers in the
> County. The Freeville Fir Tree Swamp is an extensive wetland environment,
> and the only one of its type in the County, that supports mammoth hemlock
> trees and species that can only be found elsewhere hundreds of miles north
> of Ithaca. It also includes a population of the rare and endangered
> globeflower.
>
> The county’s Environmental Management Council’s designation of a land
> parcel as a Unique Natural Area does not in itself convey any legal
> protections. It provides a planning tool so that landowners
> and municipalities will be made aware of the special, sometimes
> irreplaceable, qualities of these areas so that they will be protected and
> any disruption of them can be avoided before approval for land development
> is granted.
>
> In this case, it will be up to the Dryden Planning Board to require these
> areas be protected as part of the development plan. The Dryden Planning
> Board’s next meeting is Thursday, January 22 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, in
> the Town Public Meeting Room, 93 East Main Street, Dryden, NY 13053, or via
> Hybrid tools, and the current owner’s development proposal is expected to
> be formally introduced at that meeting.
>
> For the Planning Board to resolve to defend the UNAs, it is
> vitally important that the public let the Board know how important
> protecting these sites is to them, by attending the Board meeting and/or
> sending letters. Together we can make the Board aware that protecting these
> rare, beautiful, environmentally sensitive, and special places is the only
> correct decision.
>
> --
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