Thank you for visiting a Land Conservancy preserve! The community came together to save this special place so that future generations of every living thing can enjoy this space. The rules in place are to protect sensitive wildlife. 

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No Dogs Allowed 

We love dogs at the Western New York Land Conservancy! In fact, many of our staff own dogs themselves.  However, domestic dogs have been proven to have a significant impact on natural areas. The obvious reasons include pollution from abandoned waste, and harassment of wildlife from small mammals like squirrels and fishers, to large animals like coyotes, deer, and black bear. This can be a problem, especially during times of the year when animals are especially vulnerable such as winter and breeding seasons.  Dogs have also been shown in scientific studies to significantly impact ground-nesting birds. Oftentimes, what appears to us as harmless sniffing alongside the trail actually causes many species of birds to abandon their nests permanently. 

Fortunately, there is an abundance of parks and other protected areas where you can walk your dog. On the other hand, there are very few places in our region that are sanctuaries for wildlife and plants. Additionally, many funders that helped save Land Conservancy preserves require that we don’t allow dogs. The National Park Service has similar rules to the Land Conservancy on nearly all of their 85-million acres. 

No ATVs allowed 

Offroad vehicles have negative impacts on conserved areas. In many of our preserves, the pools that form in trails are places where salamanders and frogs breed. ATVs would ruin these sensitive amphibians. The noise of these vehicles is harmful to wildlife as well. There are few places in our area that are not polluted by the noise of motors. We want wildlife and hikers to be able to enjoy the sounds of nature. These vehicles also damage rare vegetation and increase soil runoff and erosion leading to the degradation of water quality.

No Bikes Allowed 

Preserves like these are protected by the community because they are home to sensitive plants and animals. Bikes can disrupt delicate ecosystems and ruin vegetation. Because of the heavier impact on trails, bikes create a wider path, leaving less room for wildlife. Thank you for slowing down and enjoying this preserve on foot.