In the town of Onondaga, off Pleasant Valley Road, you’ll find a patch of land untouched by development.
“This was our haven for being able to feel like we were in the country where we could walk in some pretty nice places,” said Barb Root.
What You Need To Know
- The Pleasant Valley preserve is in a two-year probationary period; at the end of year two, it will either become a permanent preserve or go back up for sale
- Christmas trees are still available from the preserve during the holidays
- The preserve is free to the public
Root and Harvey Nusbaum have walked through Pleasant Valley for more than 35 years. To them, it’s their little slice of paradise, and now they can share it with the world as the newest preserve owned by the Central New York Land Trust.
“In the town of Onondaga, there is not another park like this," Root says. "It’s not like a formal park with benches and mowed lawns; it’s a place you can experience nature.”
The land trust recently purchased Pleasant Valley, which means it’s on a two-year probationary period. It is open to the public for anyone to come and enjoy, but if enough money is not raised, after two years, the land goes back up for sale.
“Land preservation is a very important thing," said Nusbaum. "The more land gets gobbled up and turned into housing, the more important it is to have parks going along with it.“
Though it won’t be developed commercially or for residential use, the land will still be used for its original purposes. The Christmas tree farm will still offer pick-your-own trees for the holidays, and the maple trees will still be tapped for syrup. Money from those businesses paying rent helps to raise the money to secure the land trust’s purchase, but Barb says it’s going to take a community effort.
“I’m always especially grateful for when people in the area donate," Root says, “because it means they have skin in the game for keeping our area nice and less developed.