CPF Wins Grant to Address Gaps in Trail Network

It has long  been CPF's vision to create an interconnected 18-mile trail network for the recreational benefit of Cazenovia locals and tourists.

Currently, CPF manages and maintains 13.5 miles of public access trails (in four separate areas) for the use and enjoyment of Cazenovia area residents and visitors: the Gorge Trail, the South Trail, the Willow Patch and Carpenter’s Pond trails, and the Burlingame-Fairchild trail system.

Many of these trails follow the former routes of the two railroads, the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Chenango Valley Railroad, that once ran through Cazenovia and crossed at Rippleton Cross Road. 

It has long been CPF’s vision to link these sections at a hub, in or near the village, to create an interconnected 18-mile trail network for the recreational benefit of Cazenovia locals and tourists.

In May 2024, CPF won a capacity grant from the New York State (NYS) Conservation Partnership Program and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to identify how best to close some of the existing gaps in this trail network.*

To create a connected trail network, a variety of tasks need to be completed, including creating landscape conceptual designs, obtaining land appraisals, seeking legal review of trail use agreements or easements, and engaging with municipal boards and regulatory agencies about the preliminary designs.

The goal of the study, which will be completed in June of 2025, is to identify one or more trail projects that are ready to advance to the final design phase. CPF will then seek funding to implement the projects, which would begin in 2026.

* The New York State Conservation Partnership Program is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.