Through the acquisition in fee of a remarkable 1,410-acre property in russell, NY, northeast wilderness trust (newt) will create the grasse river wilderness preserve

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 9 Headquarters awarded a $200,000 Project Grant to the Northeast Wilderness Trust Corporation (aka Northeast Wilderness Trust) under the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.623) program. The funding will support the acquisition and permanent protection of a 1,410-acre property in Russell, NY as the Grasse River Wilderness Preserve. The property will be placed under a forever-wild conservation easement held by the St. Lawrence Land Trust. This will restore and protect the property's wetland, stream, and forest habitats, leading to increased biodiversity, carbon sequestration, water quality improvements, and expanded connectivity with adjacent protected lands including the Adirondack Park. The project is expected to be completed by July 7, 2025.

Newt is contracted to purchase the property at the end of august 2022, at which point IT will be placed under a forever-wild conservation easement held by the ST. Lawrence land trust to ensure the property s permanent protection as wilderness. The creation of the grasse river wilderness preserve will allow this property s wetland and other habitats to recover from past disturbances, rewild, and mature, resulting in numerous ecological benefits, the most notable of which will include: habitat restoration and protection for the property s wetland and stream ecosystems, buffering forest, and other habitats, resulting in increased biodiversity prevention of soil erosion and improvement of water quality in the grasse river and its tributaries increased potential carbon sequestration in the property s forest permanent protection of one of the few stable populations of the eastern pearlshell mussel in new york state and the expansion of a local network of protected lands, which will promote landscape connectedness across the region. More specifically, this property shares a 1.5-mile boundary with adirondack park, the largest single protected region found in the lower 48 states at 6.1 million acres. Approximately half of the land within the park is state-owned, while the rest is privately owned but subject to such regulations as to maintain the integrity and condition of the region as a generally wild state. The property also adjoins downerville and degrasse state forests to the north and south, which together comprise over 2,5000 acres of GAP 3 protected land. Within this already well-connected landscape, the addition of a 1,410-acre core wilderness area will be of significant benefit for many migratory species.