LEWISTON, N.Y. -- An area along the Niagara River in Lewiston is officially open for hiking, canoeing and fishing.

Niagara County officials, including Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster and those who helped buy the land presented the Stella Niagara Preserve to the public Tuesday. The Western New York Land Conservancy bought the 29-acre property in May after a campaign that raised more than $3 million for the project.

The Land Conservancy hired a landscape architect to improve access to the preserve and restore wildlife habitat.

"We're hiring one of the nation's most extraordinary landscape architects," said Nancy Smith, Western New York Land Conservancy Executive Director. "He specializes in ecological restoration, his name is Darrel Morrison. He's going to be visiting Buffalo. We're engaging the public with a series of stakeholder meetings and public meetings to find out what the community wants to have happen on the preserve."

With a quarter mile of shoreline, the Stella Niagara Preserve is now the largest privately-owned, undeveloped property along the entire Niagara River.