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From The Ithaca Journal, January 29, 2013
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Boardwalk takes shape in Ithaca-area wetlands
Project part of trail that offers scenery, wildlife
ITHACA — Among wetlands flooded by beaver dams and partially submerged trees that harbor a heron rookery, the Finger Lakes Land Trust is building a 500-foot boardwalk.
The boardwalk is being constructed on the 169-acre Berntsson-Millier tract in the Town of Dryden, which abuts the Yellow Barn and Hammond Hill state forests. The land serves to connect the two forests with the Roy H. Park Preserve and a Cornell Plantations natural area — creating an 8,000-acre block of public open space.
When work is done, the boardwalk, which includes a bridge over Six Mile Creek, will be part of a handicapped-accessible path that offers scenic overlooks for birders and photographers. Also, a kiosk will have trail maps and information on the area.
Along with the boardwalk, a new trail is in the works that will connect the Berntsson-Millier tract directly to Hammond Hill State Forest. Other plans look toward building a connection between the tract and Yellow Barn State Forest, too.
Construction on the parking lot started in the fall, and work is slated to finish by June, when the boardwalk will open to the public. A handicapped-accessible, crushed-stone pathway will be installed from the parking lot to the boardwalk.
Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Zepp said boardwalk construction started in December.
“It’s a great time to work there because it’s frozen,” he said. “We have to work with sensitivity to not destroy what we’re trying to protect, and when it’s frozen solid, they can work out on the site and have the least impact.”
The project cost is estimated at $115,000. Two-thirds of the project is being funded by private donations, with one-third coming from Tompkins County municipalities, Zepp said. The boardwalk is estimated to last for 30 to 40 years, and the land trust is still raising money for continued maintenance of the facilities.
Zepp said it’s important to preserve land along the waterway, which is Ithaca’s drinking water supply. Getting people outside to experience the area’s beauty and ecosystem could keep them motivated to preserve it, he said.
Beavers have long lived at the site, and they boost biological diversity, Zepp said. There’s habitat for wood ducks and mallards, and open meadows on the wetlands make for a long range of sight.
“And it’s a significant habitat for a variety of wildlife species, so by channeling usage on the boardwalk, we’ll provide access without resulting in erosion and turbidity of the waters, as well as minimizing disturbance of wildlife habitat,” Zepp said.
The boardwalk and trail will make the land accessible to more of the community.
“That’s one of the reasons why we committed to make this a handicapped-accessible site. … There are many folks who appreciate nature and the outdoors who, just for physical reasons, may not be able to go out for a hike on a typical stretch of the Finger Lakes Trail,” he said.
After the boardwalk opens, there will be a series of free tours led by naturalists, but a schedule for the walks hasn’t yet been set.
The land trust bought the land in 2011, and it was the first link in the Emerald Necklace — a proposed greenbelt that aims to link more than 50,000 acres of existing public open space. The necklace spans an east-west arc around Ithaca.
Zepp expects the trail to get a lot of traffic thanks to views from the trail, the heron nesting grounds and diverse ecosystem.
“People are interested in this, and feedback gives us confidence that people will get out and enjoy this,” he said.
Tompkins County Commissioner of Planning Ed Marx said the trail could bolster tourism and serve as a focal point for environmental conservation in the county.
“This offers, both for residents and to visitors, an opportunity to access some of the natural beauty in the county that sometimes only a few people ever manage to find and experience,” Marx said.