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Hudson Taconic Lands Inc
Averill Park, NY · EIN 943444825 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C36 · Environment · Medium ($1M-$10M) · hudsontaconic.org
revenue
$2.5M
expenses
$1.1M
net assets
$7.1M
employees
12
volunteers
153
program ratio
73%
mission · from form 990

Conservation of forests and other ecologically important areas in Rensselaer County and beyond.To promote and facilitate the conservation of forests and other important areas in Rensselaer County and beyond.

profile · synthesized from sources

Hudson Taconic Lands Inc conserves forests and ecologically important areas in Rensselaer County, NY, and surrounding regions. The organization engages in land preservation, trail development, and environmental education, with a focus on climate resilience and public access to nature. It operates through direct stewardship, volunteer programs, and regional partnerships across state lines.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $0
    In 2024, 60 local teens participated in the Forest Conservation Corps work and career training program at six different natural area sites in Rensselaer County.
  2. #2 $0
    Volunteers logged 7,098 hours building trails and teaching workshops. A highlight of this work was the construction of the 56-foot-long pedestrian bridge that spans the Quacken Kill at the Boehme Legacy Forest and allows access to the rocky summit of Bunker Hill that boasts more than 50 mile views of surrounding lands, including the Catskill Mountains.
named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Amphibian Migrations and Road Crossings Assistant
Community science initiative where volunteers assist amphibians during migration and collect data for conservation planning
Forest Conservation Corps
Youth work and career training program engaging local teens in conservation activities across six natural area sites in Rensselaer County
Invasive Species Monitor
Volunteer program using iMapInvasives Mobile app to monitor and report invasive species on HTL properties
Uplands to Lowlands Climate-Resilient Cores and Connectors Project
Regional conservation initiative funded by USDA-NRCS RCPP to protect watersheds, restore riparian buffers, and enhance climate resilience across multiple states
Volunteer Trail Stewards
Program enabling individuals or families to independently monitor and maintain designated trails on HTL preserves
Wednesday Trail Crew
Volunteer-led trail maintenance and construction crew operating from March through November on HTL properties and public trails in Rensselaer County
Weekend Trail Crew
Volunteer trail work group for individuals unavailable on weekdays, focusing on trail maintenance across HTL properties
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Local Land Conservation Advocacy 2 activities
    • Builds regional conservation capacity through partnership networks
      Acts as a founding and active member of the Berkshire-Taconic Regional Conservation Partnership (BTRCP), advancing coordinated land conservation efforts across the region.
    • Supports regional conservation partnerships
      Co-leads the Tomhannock Rural Land Campaign to protect natural areas and farms around the Tomhannock Reservoir, which supplies water to over half the population of Rensselaer County, and partners with regional organizations to conserve land across county and state lines.
  • Recreational Trail Development and Maintenance 2 activities
    • Develops and maintains accessible trail systems
      Constructs and maintains trails that meet ADA standards, including a quarter-mile ADA-compliant trail in the Poestenkill Community Forest and a 56-foot pedestrian bridge at Boehme Legacy Forest, to ensure access for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility.
    • Organizes volunteer trail maintenance programs
      Hosts weekly and weekend trail maintenance workdays from March through November and offers a self-directed Trail Steward program for individuals or groups to monitor and maintain designated trails on Hudson Taconic Lands preserves.
  • Land Acquisition and Conservation Easements 1 activity
    • Conserves and stewards land and water in Rensselaer County
      Acquires and protects natural lands, including forests and wetlands, for conservation purposes, such as the 65-acre donated forest parcel in Stephentown. Manages these lands to protect water quality, air, and biodiversity across Rensselaer County.
  • Watershed Conservation & Stewardship 1 activity
    • Develops conservation infrastructure and demonstration projects
      Designs and implements environmental demonstration projects, such as a wetland outlet control structure on a 7-acre wetland tributary of Poesten Kill Creek, to support flood mitigation and watershed resilience.
  • Wildlife Monitoring and Field Research 1 activity
    • Engages volunteers in ecological monitoring and conservation research
      Runs volunteer programs for amphibian migration monitoring and road crossing assistance, and operates an invasive species monitoring program using the iMapInvasives Mobile app; data collected is used by NYSDEC and Cornell University for conservation planning.
  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
    • Implements the Learning Landscapes initiative
      Conserves nature areas adjacent to schools in Rensselaer County and supports environmental education through teacher trainings and loanable Schoolyard Naturalist Teacher Kits with lesson plans and supplies for K–8 educators and youth groups.
  • Specialized Research Library Access 1 activity
    • Maintains a specialized library on regional conservation
      Assembles and maintains a public and interlibrary loan-accessible library collection focused on the natural and social history, conservation, and recreation of the Rensselaer Plateau.
  • Youth Workforce Development in Food & Environment 1 activity
    • Operates the Forest Conservation Corps youth program
      Runs a summer work and career training program for youth aged 14–16 in Rensselaer County, providing stipend-supported conservation work, outdoor skill-building, and mentorship from environmental professionals; served 60 teens in 2024 and 125 in 2023 at six natural area sites.
  • Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
    • Provides public access to nature through recreation and exploration resources
      Operates conserved forests and community preserves that allow regulated big game hunting and fishing in accordance with state laws, and maintains accessible nature preserves in Troy for local residents. Also provides the RensCo Outdoors interactive map to help the public explore parks, forests, and trails in Rensselaer County.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.49M
Contributions & grants$2.38M95%
Program service revenue$6K0%
Investment income$46K2%
Other revenue$64K
expenses
Total expenses$1.15M
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$643K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$8.06M
Cash$946K
Investments$405K
Liabilities$1.01M
Net assets$7.05M
Liquid reserves14.1 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +5.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JAMES BONESTEEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $114K
board members · 13
  • BOB CROWLEY — DIRECTOR
  • DAVID FARREN — DIRECTOR
  • DAVID GASKELL — DIRECTOR
  • HANNS MEISSNER — DIRECTOR
  • JEFF BRIGGS — SECRETARY
  • JIM DE WAAL MALEFYT — DIRECTOR
  • JIM SLAVIN — DIRECTOR
  • LAWRENCE HOWARD — DIRECTOR
  • MICHELLE LECLAIR — DIRECTOR
  • RAMA HAMARNEH — DIRECTOR
  • SOPHIE SCHWARZ-EISE — DIRECTOR
  • TANJA EISE — DIRECTOR
  • TOM PHILLIPS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 24

Who they work with

  • Agricultural Stewardship Association Partner — Co-leads the Tomhannock Rural Land Campaign to preserve natural areas and farms around the Tomhannock Reservoir.
  • Berkshire-Taconic Regional Conservation Partnership Partner — Founding and active member of the partnership.
  • CLYNK Partner — Partnership enabling supporters to donate proceeds from bottle and can returns to Hudson Taconic Lands.
  • Cornell University Partner — Partners with HTL to use volunteer-collected amphibian migration data for research and conservation strategy development.
  • Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program Government — Provided funding for the development of a flood mitigation plan in the Poesten Kill watershed.
  • Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center Partner — Co-hosts the Forest Conservation Corps youth program with Hudson Taconic Lands.
  • Feather River Land Trust Network — Developed the original Learning Landscapes Program model adopted by Hudson Taconic Lands.
  • Grafton Lakes State Park Partner — Co-hosts the Forest Conservation Corps youth program with Hudson Taconic Lands.
  • Hudson to Housatonic Regional Conservation Partnership Partner — Collaborates within the Uplands to Lowlands Climate-Resilient Cores and Connectors project.
  • LaBella Associates Partner — Collaborating on the design of a wetland outlet control demonstration project.
  • Land Trust Alliance Network — Directs landowners to local land trusts through the Land Trust Alliance network.
  • Lanford Fund Funder — Administers the Lanford Fund Bequest Challenge, which incentivizes planned giving to Hudson Taconic Lands.
  • Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative Partner — Collaborates within the Uplands to Lowlands Climate-Resilient Cores and Connectors project.
  • NYSDEC Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program Partner — Collaborates with HTL on amphibian migration monitoring and conservation planning.
  • New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Government — Co-funded the flood mitigation planning project in the Poesten Kill watershed.
  • Outdoor Afro Partner — Collaborates to host hikes and outdoor programs for Black community members.
  • Realty Gift Fund Partner — Partner organization providing support and information for donors interested in gifting real estate.
  • Rensselaer Land Trust Partner — Predecessor organization merged into Hudson Taconic Lands Inc in 2024
  • Rensselaer Plateau Alliance Partner — Predecessor organization merged into Hudson Taconic Lands Inc in 2024
  • Sand Lake Town Library Partner — Hosts the Rensselaer Plateau Library Collection for public access and interlibrary loan.
  • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Partner — Engages in dialogue with tribal representatives to inform conservation projects and community engagement practices.
  • The Nature Conservancy Partner — Collaborates by aligning conservation efforts with The Nature Conservancy's identification of the Rensselaer Plateau as a climate-resilient landscape.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Government — Collaborates through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) on land conservation and restoration projects.
  • Upper Hudson Library System Partner — Facilitates interlibrary loan access to the Rensselaer Plateau Library Collection.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Climate-Resilient Landscape Conservation with Connectivity
    methodology: climate_resilient_conservation
    By focusing conservation on climate-resilient landscapes and enhancing ecological connectivity, HTL protects biodiversity under climate change, ensuring species can migrate and ecosystems adapt, thereby increasing long-term ecological viability.
  • Community-Based Conservation with Indigenous Collaboration
    methodology: community_based_conservation
    By collaborating with local and Indigenous communities, particularly the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, HTL strengthens public connections to nature and ensures conservation aligns with the values and stewardship of original land caretakers, leading to more culturally grounded and sustainable outcomes.
  • Permanent Land Conservation via Flexible Legal Tools
    methodology: permanent_land_conservation
    By using conservation easements, life estates, and direct donations, HTL secures permanent protection of ecologically significant lands while respecting landowner needs, ensuring long-term ecological integrity without compromising private stewardship.
  • Regional Collaboration for Landscape-Scale Conservation
    methodology: regional_conservation_partnership
    By partnering across jurisdictions and organizations, HTL amplifies conservation impact beyond individual parcels, enabling coordinated protection of entire ecosystems and migration corridors that single entities could not achieve alone.
  • Youth and Community Science Engagement for Stewardship
    methodology: community_science
    By involving youth and volunteers in hands-on conservation and community science, HTL builds public ownership of natural spaces, develops future conservation leaders, and generates actionable ecological data, enhancing both social and environmental outcomes.