Diane Valden is reporting for The Columbia Paper on the opening, earlier this month, of the Columbia Land Conservancy's 11th public conservation area in Columbia County. The Overmountain Public Conservation Area in located in southeastern Ancram and covers 1,700 acres. It is the largest conservation area in the county. Founded in 1986, the non-profit CLC works with the community to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat and rural character of Columbia County. Overmountain consists of three areas: Round Ball Mountain, Fox Hill and Kite Hill. The property was acquired by CLC through purchase and donation over several years in three phases. The property with 10 trails follows the ridgeline above the Harlem Valley, offers views of the Taconic Range to the east and Catskill Mountains to the west, with the entire Hudson Valley in between. The conservation area also includes several hundred acres of grassy fields, a habitat for grassland birds. The site is home to the Savannah sparrow, bobolink, monarch butterfly, black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, two-lined salamander, wood turtle and wood frog. Overmountain is now open to the public, dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. The Kite Hill entrance is located at 138 Catalano Road. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.