More than 600 Acres Protected: GLRI Invests in the Thousand Islands

It's often said that in times of political and social unrest, the one thing that can bring us together is the environment. Our common ground, so to speak. Clean air. Clean water. Abundant wildlife. One would be hard pressed to argue against the value of these tenets. 

These pillars have driven and continue to drive TILT's land conservation program. The organization strives to strategically safeguard lands that hold critical habitats, that filter our waters, and that pull carbon from the atmosphere. 

This spring, TILT was able to acquire a sizable property in the heart of the Frontenac Arch Wildway, or Algonquin to Adirondack (A2A) Corridor, that fulfills each of these criteria. With the help of your membership contributions, TILT was able to secure a United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant to acquire and permanently protect the 217-acre RAPOM property near Grass Lake in the Town of Rossie. TILT was also able to use your support to leverage a Resilient and Connected Network conservation grant from The Nature Conservancy that provided funding for the property's long-term stewardship. 

The RAPOM property's varied terrain and diverse habitats host a number of rare and threatened species. Mature oak and hemlock ridges overlook emergent marshes and wet meadows, all of which provide sanctuary for countless waterfowl and migratory songbirds. Black bears and bobcats are known to frequent these woods along with many other mammals that depend on undeveloped open space. These forests also serve as a carbon sink, while the wetlands purify the waters entering from the nearby agricultural lands. 

In addition to these lands protected in the A2A, the GLRI grant that TILT secured also provides funding for a 450+ acre conservation easement near LaFargeville, as well as for the conservation of small islands and shoals that benefit a variety of shorebirds and waterfowl. 

It is your support that allows these conservation victories to happen. Your contributions are multiplied by the many private, State, and Federal conservation grants that TILT secures. 

Clean air, clean water, and abundant wildlife are worth our investment. Now is the time to make certain that these common grounds remain wild and whole, continuing to improve our quality of life, forever.