Charitable Distribution from an IRA

A gift that keeps on giving.

If you have a traditional IRA, you know that once you are 72 or older you are required to make a minimum distribution from your IRA every year. That triggers taxes.

Yet there's another way. You can make a contribution directly from your traditional IRA to a qualified charity like Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, up to $100,000, without it being considered a taxable distribution.

This year-end is a great way to make a difference and increase the pace of conservation. For more information, please contact your financial advisor, call Mark Pacilio, Executive Director, at (315) 779-8240 or email him at mpacilio@tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org and he will be happy to help you.

Robyn's nest symbolizing growth

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Land for Sale: Osceola, NY

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Land for Sale: Osceola, NY

Conservation Property For Sale

Cabin with 261 acres of Hunting and Recreational Land w/ possible Owner Financing in Osceola NY, Lewis County. If you've ever wanted to get away from it all, this may be the spot for you. Located in the heart of Tug Hill, this property promises to provide plenty of peace and relaxation.

This property is located behind a locked gate which should minimize the risk of unwanted guests. The forest is a mix of hardwood, softwood, and evergreens. There are streams and beaver ponds on the property.

Great spots to develop those deep woods food plots, excellent habitat for big and small game. Perfect locations to hang your favorite tree stands. Trails throughout the property.

There is an easement on the property. Enrolled with the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. Owner financing w/ the right down payment.

For more information please contact the listing agency, New York Land Quest, LLC, Kurt Washo, kurt@nylandquest.com , 315-559-3070. For question regarding the conservation easement that is on this property you can contact Mark Pacilio, Executive Director, at 315-779-8240 or email him at mpacilio@tughilltomorrow.org.

Property Details

Price:	$189,900
Type:	Lots and Land
Location:	Osceola, NY 13437
County:	Lewis
School District:	Camden
Year Built:	-
Acres:	261.6
Lot Size:	X′ x X′

Woods
Wetlands
Trails
Cabin with wood stove.
Wood shed

This is a great opportunity to own a parcel that already has a "Conservation Easement" in place. As the owner of a conserved property you would qualify for a New York State annual income tax credit equal to 25% of the property taxes on the land.

Charitable Gift Annuities

We are pleased to partner with the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. to offer charitable gift annuities.

Many charitably-minded individuals may want to support Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust but are often concerned about having enough income in retirement. Some may worry about elderly parents or a loved one who many need their support. Fortunately, it is possible to make a gift that actually increases current or future income AND benefits our mission.

A charitable gift annuity is a simple way to generate income and support our long-term priorities. In exchange for a gift of cash, marketable securities or other assets, The Foundation will pay a fixed dollar amount, calculated as a percentage of your gift. The payment rate for a charitable gift annuity depends upon the beneficiary’s age; the older the beneficiary, the greater the payment rate and the greater the annual income.

You may be interested in a charitable gift annuity if…

You want to receive fixed payments for life
You want payments that will not fluctuate during your lifetime
You have assets that you are able to give away during your lifetime
You want to reduce your current income taxes with a charitable tax deduction

For more information, please contact your financial advisor or call Linda Garrett, Executive Director, at (315) 779-8240 or email her at lgarrett@tughilltomorrow.org and she will be happy to help you.

Charitable Gift Annuity — ©Pamela Underhill Karaz

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Land for Sale

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Land for Sale

You can donate your house, place of business or retirement home and likely qualify for State and Federal tax benefits

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust accepts gifts of real estate throughout our region as well as different areas of the country including, rural, suburban, urban and land parcels. Properties can include residential and businesses, specifically for the purpose of re-selling them and applying the funds to further our educational and conservation efforts.

These gifts can make a significant impact on our ability to serve our community. It could allow us to increase our free community programs for area schools and the public, it might enable us to restore and maintain a trail, or it could help provide critical outreach and support to area landowners who wish to conserve their land.

Prior to accepting such a generous gift, theTug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust’s staff would work with you to determine if the organization could accept it. If so, you would likely receive a tax deduction for the full value of your gift.

For more information please call Mark Pacilio, Executive Director, at 315-779-8240 or email him at mpacilio@tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org.

Conservation Property for Sale

Are you looking for a beautiful property to build your dream getaway to relax?

A place to go fishing, hiking, or hunting? A spot to unwind. Each of these properties have a conservation easement held by Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust.

Osceola, NY

Cabin with 261 acres of hunting and recreational land. The forest is a mix of hardwood, softwood, and evergreens. There are streams and beaver ponds on the property.

Learn more

News and Publications

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What's New

Tracks and Signs book and other guides are included in the Backpack

December 18, 2023

Education

Making outdoor learning fun and easy

With so many challenges facing families these days, getting outside for fun and learning shouldn’t be one of them. The…

Albert standing next to a field of rolled hale bales

December 11, 2023

Farmland Protection

Farming with the future in mind

When conservation is the right thing to do

The Desormeaux’s farm isn’t just rolling meadows with cows, vast fields that turn golden in the fall, and picturesque barns….

students developing self-esteem and team building

December 1, 2023

Education

Inspiring the love of the land

Welcoming experiences in nature last a lifetime

Thanks to partnerships with Verona Beach State Park, Delta Lake State Park, private landowners, Midtown Utica Community Center, and Young…

Read All News

PUBLICATIONS

Newsletter/Annual Report

2023 Highlights & 2022 Report »

All Newsletters

All Annual Reports

Strategic Plan

A booklet outlining the plan to conserve and celebrate the essence of Tug Hill

Download the Plan

Land Protection

ebook to help understand the conservation easement process

12 Steps to Conserving Your Land

FREE Download

Heart of Tug Hill

Download

See All of Our Publications

Discovering Our Habitat

Tug Hill: A Four Season Guide to the Natural Side

The guide features a sampling of the plants and animals of 10 of the major habitats that make up the Tug Hill, and includes a narrative of natural events, organized by season.

An easy-to-use source for the identification of a variety of species, the 288 pages include 64 color plates with beautiful full-color illustrations by McNamara.

$27.00 plus shipping

Check out the book

What We Are Doing

WHAT ARE WE DOING...

There are many ways that you can make a difference.

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What We Are Doing

Long-term land protection

Our conservation agreements are written to allow for renewable energy within the building envelopes that have been established to be compatible with the lands they are conserving.

Learning, adapting, providing information

We are also working with the national land trust alliance, and other conservation groups, to clarify siting practices for renewable energy. This is an evolving discussion as technology changes and the science becomes more expansive.

Habitat protection

Protecting critical wildlife habitat, including the “Core Forest” in the center of Tug Hill, to ensure that the species there have the best chance of survival as climate change accelerates.

This includes reducing out-side stressors such as roads and development that would increase invasives, erosion, or disruption.

Romote pond Remsen fall_Bruce-Phelps-September

Wildlife conservation corridors

Working with other conservation partnerships and landowners to create large areas of habitat to allow species to migrate and adapt to climate change.

Conserving farms with an eye towards climate change

Our conservation agreements with local farm families will allow for composting and soil enrichments to help with carbon farming. Depending on the farm, this also includes the ability to site methane gas digestors (methane is a very potent climate change pollutant), and sell that power back to the grid (generating income for the farmer, as they might by selling other crops such as milk or produce).

Working with landowners

We believe, as a science-based organization, that it’s important that landowners have access to relevant information.

We work to connect them to research and resources related to land management and climate information.

Creating local trails and conservation areas

The less you have to travel to experience nature and the out-of-doors, the better off you are in reducing your “carbon footprint.” It helps boost our quality of life, provides for educational experiences with schools and community groups, as well as for the supporting the tourism economy.

Examples include the Trenton Greenbelt in Oneida County and our Wildlife Sanctuary.

Staying abreast of the climate trends

We are learning like you as to the pace of climate change.

We follow the science, as we base our conservation work upon science and the belief that conservation can, and should, enhance the lives of those who live within our region.

Climate Change Overview

Impacts

What You Can Do

WHAT YOU CAN DO...

There are many ways that you can make a difference.

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What You Can Do

The impacts of climate change in New York are now increasingly documented, with erratic weather stressing communities and wildlife, agricultural stress due to extreme weather, and changes in our forests.

New York State has established a goal of 50% renewable energy by 2030 to help combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

This will also help increase our energy security and reduce the need for fracking for natural gas. Fracking is increasingly a concern related to water quality and health as discussed in this article in Forbes reviewing over 700 studies.

Compost, reduce food waste

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas (climate polluter); while short-lived in the atmosphere (about 12 years), it is up to 100 times more powerful than CO2.

A common source of methane is rotting food. By composting, or reducing the food you send to the landfill, you can help reduce the amount of methane production. This is an area of increasing interest because of climate change and the need to address hunger, costs of disposal and landfills, and impacts on our agricultural systems.

“According to the [U.S.] Agriculture Department, each year Americans toss more than 25 percent, of all domestically produced food. A 2009 study showed that a quarter of U.S. water and 4 percent of U.S. oil consumption annually go into producing and distributing food that ultimately ends up in landfills.”

Buy local

Reducing food transport helps reduce the amount of gas needed to deliver the food. By purchasing as locally grown/produced food you providing a boost to local farmers here in the North Country as well as reducing the amount of CO2 emitted in to transport.

There’s growing interest in the agricultural community about “carbon farming” too. Farmers/ranchers are using farming practices that help to capture additional carbon pollution from the atmosphere in the soils, thus helping to slow down climate change.

For more information on this, check out this article about “Six States Tapping into the Benefits of Carbon Farming.”

Support community and private solar

This is an evolving area in New York State. We know, given that urgency of climate change and the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels to save wildlife habitat and farms, that we will need to use more renewable energy. Community solar farms that are constructed to allow for agriculture or wildlife to be part of their design is something we think is important to explore.

New technology from Europe is also demonstrating that solar may be more compatible to large-scale agriculture than previously thought, actually increasing total revenue for the farmers with a modest reduction in productivity and soil impact.

Support wind power

Individuals and communities can install wind turbines that provide energy to their homes, farms, businesses or communities. These turbines are electric generators that convert wind energy into clean, emission free power.

There have been many large industrial wind farms developed or proposed for the Tug Hill region. For many farmers, the regular income from wind leases is providing a critical income stream while farming becomes more difficult due to national milk prices and climate change. Wind can be located in a compatible manner with many farms. Siting is a key consideration to ensure farming is viable after installation, with extensive research by scientists like those at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Concern about the impacts of windmills on bird life is often a consideration. New technology and research undertaken and reviewed by the scientific community is documenting that windmills are far less of an impact on birds than domesticated and feral cats, pesticides, oil spills and oil rigs, nuclear power, and window collisions. Sibley Guides for Birds has a nice graphic that shows the estimated annual mortality of birds by different causes.

Peer-reviewed scientific research is also documenting how new siting goals will help reduce impacts. Wind farms are working to be able to address migration periods to avoid significant bird casualties.

Unique in our region is the potential impact to Fort Drum’s military training by the conflict between radar and windmills. And the potential disruption to Doppler radar.

Energy conservation

If you can, increasing the energy efficiency of your home is a great way to save money and reduce the amount of oil/gas/energy you use.

New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) has a number of programs to help you identify cost-saving methods to insulate and weatherize your home. There may also be incentives or rebates for residential or commercial energy conservation.

Check out the NYSERDA website >>

Support local land conservation

Conserving the lands in the North Country will help make sure that we retain the farms, forests, waterways and habitat that will help absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.

There is growing research documenting the potential for agricultural soils to capture significant amounts of CO2 (up to 37%) from the atmosphere by 2030 if farms increase their carbon-farming practices (farming in a way that reduces climate change related gases like CO2 and methane). We need to encourage New York State, like California to invest in local farms to allow them to move more in this direction.”

Conserving wildlife habitat to allow for species to migrate to find more suitable locations to thrive is also important.

Local recreational opportunities is also an important way to reduce the need for extended travel as well as enhancing our communities quality of life.

You may want to follow, reliable sources...

- Cornell Climate Science Website: Up-to-date research on a wide variety of climate impacts and trends, including agriculture.
- Katharine Hayhoe: One of the world’s most respected climate scientists, an evangelical Christian, and highly regarded non-partisan climate communicator.
- The Nature Conservancy: Following, as well as creating, research on the impacts of wildlife.
- National Audubon: Following, as well as creating, research on the impacts on birds.
- Answers in Climate Science: A curated and supervised Facebook Page where new research related to climate change and climate impacts is posted regularly.
- Climate News Network: Non-partisan, objective, publishing related to climate and energy issues.
- Center for Climate and Energy Solutions: Providing a broad range of information from solutions to the basics.
- Land Trust Alliance climate website: Offers examples of how land trusts are working to adapt to, and/or slow down, climate change.

Climate Change Overview

Impacts

What We Are Doing

Impact

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT...

There are many ways that you can make a difference.

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Impact

Climate change is impacting our region, here in upstate New York, as well as our country and the world around us. With widespread agreement among climate scientists that humans are causing the acceleration of climate change, it is more important than ever to understand those impacts and identify ways we can slow it down as well as adapt to its impacts.

Studies referenced are highlighted so you can check out that information yourself.

The good news is that the conservation sector, and increasingly, the business sector, are taking action. You are an important part of that change too. At the end of this page you will see links to what you can do, or you can check it out now >>

Impact on birds

Climate change is predicted to cause thousands of species to go extinct within the next 80 years if left unchecked. In addition, significant loss of bird-life is occurring (see Scores of bird species could disappear due to climate change…), and expected to increase, given extreme weather and the lack of synchronization between fledging (hatching), migrations, and available food sources.

What we once considered “freak” storms are now becoming more common and are causing birds stress as they aren’t designed for extreme snow, rain, heat or droughts.

Many of the birds like the Scarlet tanager and nuthatches in the Tug Hill Region migrate from the south and are facing challenges due to climate change. National Audubon’s Climate Report, “314 Species on the Brink” >>

Impact on agriculture

Climate change is causing increased episodes of extreme weather throughout the world—and the Northeast and Tug Hill is no exception. Cornell University, as well as other agricultural research institutions like University of Wisconsin and the University of Massachusetts, are documenting the impacts of climate change as the level of CO2 rises.

This includes increased fungus and airborne pests, early warm/hot weather followed by cold weather in the springs cause plants to bloom too soon and then lose their blossoms causing loss of fruit crops, long periods of drought or prolonged wet weather cause stress on dairy and productions of crops, and hail and heavy rains damage crops.

Farming was already challenging; climate change is making it even more difficult.

Impact on wildlife

The wildlife in the North Country are not able to escape the impact of climate change as it increases in severity. Moose, for example, are being ravaged by ticks throughout the Northeast.

Globally, as many as 60% of the world’s plants and 50% of animals could cease to exist due to climate change, based upon a recent study by the World Wildlife Fund.

Butterflies and insects important for pollination are finding their habitats changing in response to increased climate change. The Monarch Butterfly, for example, is vulnerable to milkweed becoming poisonous to them due to it’s response to increased CO2.

Impact on fish and aquatic life

Increasing temperatures, as well as unpredictable and extreme precipitation, is having an impact on fish and other aquatic life in the country and well as the northeast.

The Great Lakes are facing increased episodes of warming temperatures which cause depletion of oxygen, and fish die-off; streams are more susceptible to high levels or prolonged erosion from heavy rainfalls that smother fish eggs or clog their gills; warmer water in streams also impacts the oxygen levels within the streams and the life it can support.

Impacts on forests/woodlands

The northeast’s forests are on track to lose our iconic woodland species such as the sugar maple and beech, as well as spruce-fir woodlands in the Adirondack areas. Hemlocks, ash, and even oaks are facing pests and diseases that are expanding due to both warmer overall temperatures and extreme weather that can blow/relocate/transport spores of fugus or pests such as the emerald ash borer or the hemlock woolly adelgid. If climate change continues on the current projection of increased CO2, the northern forest we know will change over to more southern species.

Early springs, or erratic springs with frost, also appear to be impacting natural ecosystems. Research by Dartmouth College in the journal of Global Change Biology state that “… climate change may constrain reproduction of early-flowering plants mostly through the direct impacts of extreme environmental conditions rather than disrupted plant-pollinator interactions."

This transition will cause disruption in our ecosystems, increase fire risk, and impact our forest economy. The Nature Conservancy’s publication on states:

“Tree species are expected to migrate north as temperatures increase causing important species such as sugar maple and paper birch to dwindle, eventually disappearing from New York permanently. With increased temperatures and changes in precipitation, New York and other states in the Northeast are projected to experience a 10-20% increase in the risk of forest fires.

Additional damage to the forests will likely occur due to the spread of pests and diseases. These impacts could cause severe damage to wildlife habitats, homes, and public health.”

Invasive species on the rise

The rate of invasive species is on the rise—displacing the plants and animals that historically have evolved in the northern part of the United States, including northern New York. Plants that conservation groups have long tried to control, like garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, Oriental bittersweet, and Japanese barberry are expanding their territories—impacting the native plants and animals there.

Elizabeth Wolkovich, and ecologist of the Biodiversity Research Centre at the University of British Columbia, is seeing the impacts, and it’s worrying scientists “…given that invasive plants already cost the United States around $30 billion per year in eradication efforts, not to mention the damage to biodiversity and natural habitats. Purple loosestrife, for instance, chokes wetland habitats by crowding out cattails and other marsh plants that serve as food, shelter and nesting material for wildlife.”

Impact on your health

You may not know it, but if your allergies seem to be getting worse, it might be part of the shifting of bloom times. Climate change is lengthening the pollen season of common allergens such as ragweed.

Health impacts of climate change vary depending on where you live, the exposure you have to environmental conditions (like extreme weather), and your underlying health.

Sometimes you can experience the impact of climate change with increasing intensity of poison ivy due to higher levels of CO2 in the air. Other times, it could be the number of high-heat days and the impacts of extreme heat (over 90 degrees), flooding, or unusually cold-snaps where the jet stream is “stuck” causing the weather to stay in a holding pattern for longer periods of time.

Research following these trends predicts that if left unchecked, climate change may result in a typical summer in upstate New York with temperatures and humidity more like present-day summer in South Carolina within the next 80 years, with most of the warming expected to occur in northern New York State.

In addition, warmer weather overall is extending the range of ticks carrying Lyme and other serious diseases. Warming waters now are susceptible to toxic algae blooms and harboring pathogens.

Impact on communities

Climate change impacts on our communities are increasingly described in loss of life and economic terms. Extreme weather damage, like that of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, have cost billions. Flooding along Lake Ontario is increasing; periods of heavy rain are causing rivers like the Black River and West Canada Creek to breach and flood communities. The resulting damage to roads, houses, businesses, and community lands (parks, trails, recreational areas) is rising.

For our agricultural communities, increased pests, heat-stress, drought, and out-of-sync pollination/bloom/freezes are making farming even more difficult (see impacts on agriculture, above).

High heat days put more stress on power infrastructure for air conditioning and droughts increase change of fire, water shortages. Insurance companies are now recognizing the need to factor in costs—and not just to coastal communities.

Interested in how you can help?

Check out some suggestions to get started >>

Wondering about how other land trusts working on climate change?

You can read about a few on the Land Trust Alliance’s Climate Change website >>
Or, sign up for a twice monthly e-News related to climate change and land trusts taking action from Judy Anderson at Community Consultants. Sign-up Now >>

Climate Change Overview

What You Can Do

What We Are Doing

Climate Change

CLIMATE CHANGE

There are many ways that you can make a difference.

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Climate Change

Climate change is something that for many seemed like a long way away. Yet is has been part of our lives for a long time. Indeed, scientists have known about climate change for over 100 years.

Research from over 97% of the world’s climate scientists have documented climate change is here, is increasing rapidly, and is human-caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas).

The challenge facing us is how to reduce the carbon pollution from burning fossil fuels in the next 10-20 years, while there is still a window to keep the global temperatures, ocean temperatures, and carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, to a level that won’t cause massive species extinction, increased episodes of extreme weather (which is also very hard on wildlife, farmers, and our communities), and warming temperatures that increase health issues such as asthma, tick-borne diseases, poisonous algae blooms.

We care, and we know you do too

Because of your interest in learning more about the impact of climate change, we thought you’d appreciate some additional information including respected sources that you can follow.

2014 Black River in Boonville by Mike Colangelo

Audubon's Bird Report

Birds are often an indicator of how climate change is impacting our region and the globe. Given the migratory nature of birds, they face increasing challenges.

National Audubon is tracking climate impacts and clarifying the threats to birds including habitat loss, fossil fuels, domestic cats, buildings and renewables. It might surprise you.

Learn more

You may want to follow...

Cornell Climate Science Website: Up-to-date research on a wide variety of climate impacts and trends, including agriculture.
Katharine Hayhoe: One of the world’s most respected climate scientists, an evangelical Christian, and highly regarded non-partisan climate communicator.
The Nature Conservancy: Following, as well as creating, research on the impacts on wildlife.

See more resources

Gifts of Insurance

A gift of life insurance can be a low-cost yet generous way to make a meaningful contribution to the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. You can name Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust as primary beneficiary of your life insurance policy or as contingent beneficiary should your other beneficiaries not survive you. You can also donate your paid-up life insurance policy.

Benefits to you

Reduction in your estate taxes, because the proceeds of the policy are no longer part of your estate.
A charitable deduction when you name Tug Hill Land Tomorrow Land Trust as a beneficiary or assign ownership to the land trust.

Designating Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust as a Beneficiary

When you designate Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, in part or in full, you still retain ownership of the policy and have the flexibility to make changes to the beneficiary designation later.

Any policy proceeds distributed to the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust will be exempt from estate tax calculations. As the beneficiary, we would receive the gift after your lifetime.

Donate Your Life Insurance Policy

If you no longer need your life insurance policy, and it is all paid up, you can donate it to Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. In return for donating a portion or the entirety of your life insurance policy, you can claim an income-tax deduction for either the tax basis or the fair market value of the policy, whichever is less, for the year of the donation. If you stare still paying premiums, in subsequent years, you may designate deductible cash gifts to the Land Trust, which you can use to make the premium payments.

Bluebird in Annsville near Fish Creek