Area property marked for permanent preservation – www.warwickadvertiser.com

Land Preservation Initiative in Orange County Aligns with Sustainable Development Goals

A report on the recommendation to permanently preserve two properties in Orange County, New York, through the county’s Open Space Fund. This initiative demonstrates a strong commitment to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning sustainable agriculture, community development, and environmental protection.

Project Analysis and SDG Contribution

H3: Tice-Shepard Lavender Farm, Town of Warwick

• Property: 62.6 acres of agricultural land located at 147 Jessup Road.
• Designation: Part of the Orange County Agricultural District, featuring prime agricultural soils.
• Action: Recommended for permanent preservation for farming and open space use.

H3: Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By preserving 62.6 acres of prime agricultural soils, the project directly supports sustainable agriculture and secures land for future food production, enhancing local food security.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The preservation of this farmland acts as a buffer against overdevelopment, protecting the rural character of the community and ensuring the availability of green, open spaces.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): Maintaining the property as active farmland and open space contributes to the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems and prevents land degradation associated with urban sprawl.

H3: Undeveloped Lots, Village of Chester

• Property: Two lots totaling approximately 2.10 acres.
• Action: Recommended for preservation as undeveloped, protected open space.

H3: Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): This action secures vital green space within a village setting, improving the quality of life for residents and protecting natural heritage from development.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The protection of these lots ensures the conservation of a small but important local habitat, contributing to the broader goal of halting biodiversity loss.

Collaborative Framework and Strategic Funding

H3: The Role of the Orange County Open Space Fund

The initiative is facilitated by the Orange County Open Space Fund, established to protect key environmental, agricultural, and recreational lands. The fund’s strategy focuses on creating lasting environmental and community benefits, directly supporting a sustainable future for the county.

H3: SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

The success of this preservation effort is a direct result of effective multi-stakeholder partnerships. This collaborative approach is essential for achieving complex sustainability objectives. Key partners include:

1. Orange County Government, led by County Executive Steven Neuhaus
2. The Town of Warwick Community Preservation Fund
3. The Orange County Land Trust
4. Local Stakeholders and Applicants

As noted by Jim Delaune, Executive Director of the Orange County Land Trust, the Town of Warwick has a 20-year history of preserving farmland, highlighting a long-term commitment to sustaining agriculture and supporting farmers through such partnerships.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The article focuses on the preservation of a 62.6-acre property of “agricultural land” with “prime agricultural soils.” This action directly supports the goal of ending hunger by ensuring land remains available for farming and food production, contributing to sustainable agriculture.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The preservation of “open space” in both the Town of Warwick and the Village of Chester is a key component of this goal. By protecting these lands “from overdevelopment,” the initiative helps safeguard the region’s natural heritage and ensures communities have access to green spaces, making them more sustainable and resilient.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The core theme of the article is the permanent preservation of land. This directly contributes to protecting terrestrial ecosystems. The effort to keep the land undeveloped ensures the conservation of local biodiversity and prevents land degradation associated with development.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article explicitly highlights the collaborative nature of the preservation efforts. The success of the “Orange County Open Space Fund” is attributed to “strategic partnerships with municipalities, the Orange County Land Trust, and local stakeholders.” This multi-stakeholder approach, involving county government, town government, and a non-profit land trust, exemplifies the partnerships needed to achieve sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices… that progressively improve land and soil quality. The article’s emphasis on preserving “62.6 acres of agricultural land” featuring “prime agricultural soils” and ensuring it “remains dedicated to farming” directly aligns with maintaining the land and soil quality necessary for sustainable food production.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. The preservation of the lavender farm and the undeveloped lots in Chester are actions to protect the region’s natural heritage and landscape from development, which is a direct application of this target.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services. The initiative to “preserve open space in perpetuity and protect these lands from overdevelopment” is a direct measure to conserve terrestrial ecosystems and the services they provide.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article describes a successful partnership between Orange County (public), the Town of Warwick (public), and the Orange County Land Trust (civil society) to achieve a common preservation goal, perfectly illustrating this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Area of land preserved

• The article provides specific quantitative data that can be used as an indicator. It mentions the preservation of “62.6 acres” in Warwick and “2.10 acres” in Chester. It also notes that the fund has helped preserve “thousands of acres” in total, indicating a cumulative measure of progress.

Number of properties protected

• The article identifies “two in the region” as the most recent properties recommended for preservation. The number of individual parcels or farms protected can serve as a straightforward indicator of the program’s activity and success.

Existence and use of dedicated funding mechanisms

• The “Orange County’s Open Space Fund” is the financial tool enabling these preservation efforts. The establishment and continued legislative support for this fund is an indicator of the institutional and financial commitment to achieving open space and farmland preservation goals.

Number of multi-stakeholder partnerships

• The article explicitly mentions the partnership between the “County Executive Steven Neuhaus,” the “County Legislature,” the “Town of Warwick Community Preservation Fund,” and the “Orange County Land Trust.” The formation and successful operation of such partnerships is a key indicator of progress towards Target 17.17.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

Source: warwickadvertiser.com