81 Acres of Forestland in Moreau Permanently Protected

MOREAU — Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature), a local land trust, recently announced the permanent protection of 81 acres of forestland in the Town of Moreau through a conservation easement with private landowners Jan Kropp and Chuck Rowson.

The property serves as a wooded and scenic buffer to Moreau Lake State Park. Its protection expands connected forestland in the area to 5,445 acres, supporting rare and endangered species, wildlife corridors, clean water, and scenic views.

Jan and her husband Chuck both grew up in the Midwest and later met while living in Florida. During a visit to the Hialeah Racetrack, a friend suggested they visit Saratoga Springs. They quickly fell in love with the region and discovered the property on Old Saratoga Road while taking a scenic drive through Moreau.

“It didn’t take us 20 minutes to know this was where we wanted to be,” Jan recalled. “Chuck and I had 27 good years here, and we wanted the land to always be as good as it can be. Knowing it will be protected feels great.”

The couple had long discussed the idea of conserving their land but found that larger national organizations were not focused on smaller parcels. A referral from Retirement Planning Group in Malta led them to Saratoga PLAN. “PLAN was the only group that really took the time to talk with us about protecting our land,” Jan said. “They understood what mattered to us.”

The project is part of a larger effort to protect the remaining forestland in the Southern Palmertown Range area, a prioritized conservation area spanning 40,500 acres within the Southern Adirondack Foothills in Saratoga County. The area encompasses more than 9,000 acres of already-protected land, including key recreational hubs like Moreau Lake State Park, Lincoln Mountain and Daniels Road State Forests, and Graphite Range Community Forest. Portions of eight watersheds, including the headwaters of several rivers, are located within the Southern Palmertown Range.

One of the project’s central goals is to identify ecologically important areas that can better adapt to a changing climate, and work with municipalities and landowners like Jan and Chuck to ensure their permanent protection.

“Every property we help conserve is a piece of a larger picture,” said PLAN’s Executive Director Robert K. Davies. “Thanks to Jan and Chuck’s foresight, that picture comes more in focus as this land will continue to provide clean water, crucial wildlife habitat, and forest connectivity forever.”