SOUTH VALLEY — The Western New York Land Conservancy is planning fundraising to permanently protect six properties totaling 732 acres.

One of the properties (193 acres) is land that is adjacent to the existing Janet Gallogly Allegany Wildlands in Cattaraugus County. The conservancy says permanently protecting this property will more than double the size of that preserve to 377.5 acres.

All six properties are located within core areas of the WNY Wildway, the land conservancy’s landscape-scale conservation initiative that seeks to protect and connect some of the largest remaining forests in the region.

The other five properties (539 acres) are critical wetlands and their surrounding forests in the Black Creek watershed in Allegany County.

In 2022, the conservancy purchased the Janet Gallogly Allegany Wildlands in South Valley, Cattaraugus County, a publicly accessible nature preserve with hiking trails overlooking the Allegheny Reservoir. This year, the conservancy plans to purchase and protect the adjacent 193-acre property, more than doubling the Allegany Wildlands’ size and footprint to 377.5 acres.

Nestled between Allegany State Park and South Valley State Forest, the Gallogly Allegany Wildlands is part of one of the most significant cores in the Western New York Wildway, the conservancy stated.

During the last ice age, the glaciers never reached this location. Meltwater from the glaciers immediately north of the region cut deep valleys among the surrounding hillsides, creating the panoramic landscape seen today. The tract hosts a rare S2-ranked Allegheny oak forest, one of fewer than 10 documented occurrences statewide.

Conservation will safeguard this critical ecological wonder for generations to come, the conservancy stated.

This property supports a range of plant species, including native orchids, and provides habitat for northern long-eared bats, bald eagles and native trout. Its ecological diversity and intact forest also contribute to regional climate resilience, serving as a carbon sink and habitat for climate-adaptable species. Black bear, bobcat, and fisher roam the ridges and ravines, while colorful songbirds nest in trees.

The Allegany Wildlands Expansion has a total project cost of $631,000 — thanks to two donors, the conservancy has already raised $282,000 toward this project. Once it is protected, the conservancy will extend the publicly-accessible trail system already in place at the Allegany Wildlands into this section of the forest.

The conservancy encourages donations to these projects via wnylc.org/donate (select “Land Acquisition Fund” in the dropdown menu) or via check made payable to “Western New York Land Conservancy” to P.O. Box 471, East Aurora, N.Y., 14052. For more information email info@wnylc.org or call (716) 687-1225.

The Western New York Land Conservancy is a regional, non-profit land trust that has protected more than 8,000 acres of land with significant conservation value in the region. Supporters envision a future in which forests, farms, meadows and waterways are “connected, cherished and protected in Western New York.”

The conservancy is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.