The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Dutchess Land Conservancy December 15, announced the purchase of a conservation easement on a parcel in the town of Pine Plains that will help protect public water supplies in the Hudson Valley. The Conservancy acquired the Jordan Lane Farm easement with New York State Water Quality Improvement Project funding that provides resources to protect source waters, according to a press release from the DEC. Becky Thornton, Dutchess Land Conservancy’s President, said, “...Our heartfelt thanks go to Ms. Speeter who has safeguarded water resources for the area, protected a portion of the viewshed from Stissing Mountain, and ensured that her family’s land will remain open and viable for agricultural use long into the future. ...” The Jordan Lane Farm has been owned by the Jordan family for almost 200 years. The farm was most recently used as support lands for local farm operations and has an exceptional amount of soils that meet U.S.D.A.’s Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance designations. Jordan Lane Farm is located along Route 82 and Route 83 in the town of Pine Plains. The easement is located within the Wappinger Creek watershed, and contains approximately 40 acres of wetlands that will continue to play a crucial role in water quality protection. Read the full press release online at dec [dot] ny [dot] gov.