Located an hour from Buffalo, in Chautauqua County (town of Stockton), is the 311-acre Bear Lake Preserve, considered a critical part of the WNY Wildway.
The Wildway is a series of interlinked natural thruways that allow animals, birds, insects, etc., to have the unfettered ability to travel from place to place, while accessing food and shelter. Once complete, the WNY Wildway will be an extensive series of protected lands that connect the vast forests of northern Pennsylvania to the Great Lakes. It will also critically link up with the Eastern Wildway, creating an even broader protected area for nature to run its course.
The Land Conservancy is currently in the midst of attempting to procure Bear Lake Preserve, which, according to the Conservancy, is part of a complex of high-quality wetlands and forested lands that are connected to the now-permanently protected College Lodge Forest and Floating Fen – both owned and managed by the Land Conservancy.
Adding to all of these successes, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy – a lead WNY Wildway partner based in Lakewood – recently closed on the 133-acre Looney property adjacent to the Floating Fen Preserve.
Altogether, with the possible inclusion of Bear Lake Preserve, we’re looking at a potential 900-acre swath of land along the WNY Wildway.
In order to successfully secure Bear Lake Preserve, the Conservancy has been awarded a $675,000 state grant that requires an additional $900,000 to be raised in 2026. The grant (EPF 251076) by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) through the 2025 Regional Economic Development Council initiative, is part of $25.4 million distributed through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to support 49 projects across New York. As for the Bear Lake Preserve, if the additional mandated funding is reached, the protected lands will yield shoreline access to the NYSDEC water trail on the 114-acre lake, with connectivity to the existing public boat launch.
Since 2010, critical preservation efforts have been underway thanks to the work of the Bear Lake Association, which has been attempting to eradicate invasive weeds that have become problematic in many of the region’s waterways. The Association has used an all-natural biocontrol program to combat the invasive weeds, making the lake more productive on numerous fronts. Ultimately, these success stories will ensure the survival of rare habitat, and equally rare wildlife.
“The Bear Lake property is a rare opportunity to protect the entire southern shoreline of a remarkable inland lake,” says Marisa Riggi, Executive Director of the Western New York Land Conservancy. “The Bear Lake Complex, which includes the Bear Lake property, College Lodge Forest, Floating Fen, and Looney property, comprises some of the most ecologically important lands in Chautauqua County and Western New York. Every visit underscores how important these lands are to the wildlife of our region. The diverse range of habitats here are home to some of the rarest plant and animal communities in our region, and we are thrilled to receive this generous support from the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) to help protect this amazing place. New York’s Environmental Protection Fund is a deeply impactful program that, over many years, has helped to permanently protect hundreds of thousands of acres across the state for the benefit of New Yorkers from all walks of life. We are grateful to New York State and OPRHP for recognizing the importance of the Bear Lake Preserve this year.”
“Supporting the Western New York Land Conservancy’s acquisition and protection of these lands and vulnerable natural communities around Bear Lake in Chautauqua County, while also providing for public access for outdoor recreation, is a great example of how effective the Environmental Protection Fund can be,” adds Jay Bailey, Regional Director for the Allegany Region of Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation. “Protecting habitats and water quality, enhancing physical connectivity between natural areas, protecting and enhancing biodiversity, and providing places for the public to experience and learn about the natural world—or just escape the everyday rigors of modern life—is a benefit to us all, and dovetails nicely with the mission of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.”
“This beautiful lake is very important to us and many others in Western New York,” notes Bob and Anne Deming, who have been summer residents on the lake for 48 years, as well as authors of three books on the history of Bear Lake. “As the only lake in the region to have its invasive weed growth controlled exclusively by natural biocontrols, creating the Bear Lake Preserve will help support the continuance of that 15-year old project and ensure the health of the lake for the future.”
“The Bear Lake watershed is a rare, sensitive landscape that supports unique hydrology, wetlands, and species you simply can’t replace once they’re lost,” says Whitney Gleason, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s Executive Director. “Over the past two years, as a lead partner in the WNY Wildway Partner Network, we’ve discussed opportunities to protect even more land in Chautauqua County. Acquisitions such as Looney and Bear Lake move us closer to a resilient, intact conservation corridor that will benefit wildlife, water quality, and our community for generations to come. We are so glad to team with the Western New York Land Conservancy. “
Get connected: www.wnylc.org/current-projects