Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization committed to conserving open space in Ulster County, New York.
To protect and preserve natural resources and open space while sustaining the scenic beauty and rural character in the Rondout and Esopus watersheds and adjacent areas.
Through our efforts, approximately 4,500 acres have already been conserved. By preserving land in and around watersheds, RELC easements maintain the integrity of important ecosystems, protecting biodiversity and ultimately helping to keep our waterways clean.
Conservation easements also help preserve the historic character of Ulster County by protecting land that has been farmed for generations, ensuring that land remains in productive agricultural use.
Some of the ways RELC fulfills its mission:
Educating the public about land conservation
Working with private landowners who want to protect their land through a conservation easement
Accepting conservation easements for stewardship
Monitoring protected properties
Maintaining and defending easements
RELC’s work relies on the support of our community. Learn about volunteering opportunities or make a donation today.
Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy was founded in 1987 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust committed to preserving in perpetuity open space and protecting the natural resources of the Rondout and Esopus Creek corridors.
RELC is a member of the Land Trust Alliance, a nationwide group of 1,700 land trusts that protect 37 million acres of land. We have adopted and follow LTA’s National Standards and Practices and are one of the first all-volunteer land trusts to receive national accreditation.
Consortium of Local Land Trusts of Ulster County
Open Space Institute
Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Local municipalities
Lower Rondout Watershed Council
RELC is entirely volunteer-run. We depend on the participation and financial support of our community to continue with this conservation work. If you would like to support our mission, we invite you to volunteer or make a donation.
As of 2023, Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy holds easements on 55 properties comprising nearly 4,500 acres of forests, farmland, and waterways in Ulster County.
We are grateful to all of the grantors who have contributed perpetual conservation easements to Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy.
Below is a map of protected lands and priority conservation areas.
(click on a town name below to view its PDF map)
We are grateful to Josh Clague for preparing these maps.
We are grateful to the individuals and businesses who have partnered with us to preserve their land forever. Donors in our region are part of a nationwide conservation effort that has protected 37 million acres of land.
Our board of directors is made up of local volunteers and easement holders committed to the conservation of open space in our region.
If you are interested in joining the board, please contact us at info@relandconservancy.org or call (845) 626-3285.
Keith & Cathy Abell
Tim Allred, HRVR
Appledoorn Farm LLC
Arrowhead Farm
Barbara Arum
Ashokan Foundation, Inc.
Neeraj Bewtra & Barbara Deli
John & Jane Bierhorst
Elizabeth Bradow
Oscar Christensen
Jean Churchill & Elizabeth Smith
Isobel Contento & Robert Clark
Nancy Copley
Sharron Lee Crocker
Walter & Lila Croen
Domino Farm
Alice Dunbar and Family
James & Marjorie Dunbar
Keith Eddleman & Frank Macagnone
James S. Eddy, Barbara E. Hart, Joanne Click
Junius Eddy
Farm 1745 LLC
Hans Fetscherin & Lexanne Hamilton
Floyd & Phyllis Glinert
Eugene & Rose Gorton
Paul Greengard & Ursula Von Rydingsvard
Maureen & Peter Hales
Clarence & Jane Hansen
Harry Hansen
Dewitt & Marjorie Hasbrouck
Eric Hertz
Michele Hertz & Lawrence Friedman
Martin Hird
Robert Houtenbos
Erik Hunter
Glory Jasper & Hiroshi Hasiguchi
Nicholas & Mia Kaizer
John Kander
Kenoza Lake Real Estate
Caroline Kim & David Lawrence
Zachary Kleinhandles
Lois Langthorn, in memory of Charles Weidner
David Lawrence
Janis Leas & Leslie Mather
Nadine Lemmon & Philip Underdown
Stefan Lisowski
Joel & Ruth Mandelbaum
Jonathan Marshall
Barry Mayo
Gene Moncrief & Walter Levy
Eduardo Moretti
Anstiss Morrill
Paul Mullen & Sara Buckley
Barbara Noble & Elizabath McNamara
Bowen Northrup
NYC Dept of Environmental Protection
Osterhoudt Farm
Ann & David Phillips
Max & Melissa Polaner
Rochester Gorge Limited Partnership/ Renee L. Hertz
Michael Ruger
Charles & Nancy Sass
Ronald & Barbara Schade
Virginia Boyce Schoonmaker
Tyler & Max Schulter
Seeds for the Future LLC
Muriel Smolen
Ira Stern & Franny Hertz
Mark Stern & Robin Holland
Whitley & Anne Strieber
Gertrude Suepfle
SUNY New Paltz
Genevieve Switz
Edward Thompson
Gary Tinterow & James Joseph
Robert & Vivian Toan
Andrea Travaglia
Ulster County Construction Company, Inc. Williams Lake Resort, Anita Peck
Susun Weed
Arthur Weyhe
Ed Wong & Sarah Brettschneider/ Pine Cone Road Properties LLC
Robert Anderberg
Accord, NY
Roscoe Betsill
Olivebridge, NY
Steven Asher Cohen
Olivebridge, NY
Jac Conaway, Vice President
Olivebridge, NY
Hans Fetscherin
Accord, NY
Brenda Hof
Kerhonkson, NY
Sydney Ganon
Accord, NY
Gloria Mirsky, Vice President
Kerhonkson, NY
Peter Nelson
Accord, NY
Zali Win, Secretary/Treasurer
Accord, NY
Want to help protect land in your area? Learn more about Easements.
