The Western New York Land Conservancy has announced that it has opened its newest preserve, a 185-acre forest in southwestern Cattaraugus County. The Janet Gallogly Allegany Wildlands, named after the co-founder of the Gallogly Family Foundation, is located on West Perimeter Road in the Town of South Valley and is home to a rich diversity of plants and animals. It also includes 2.1 miles of publicly accessible hiking trails.
In 2022, the WNYLC community and the Friends of the Allegany Wildlands successfully raised funds to purchase and steward the land, which had been in the same family since the early 1800s. The Sluga family chose to sell the property to WNYLC to ensure that it would be permanently protected and available for the public to enjoy.
WNYLC Executive Director Marisa Riggi says, "One of the best aspects of our land protection efforts is that we get to work with landowners, like the Slugas, who voluntarily choose to conserve their land for the betterment of every living thing in our region. Thanks to their love of nature, the Janet Gallogly Allegany Wildlands is now part of a broader network of forests that includes thousands of acres of protected state land. The protection of this property is a huge step forward for the Western New York Wildway."
Photo provided by the Western New York Land Conservancy
