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WESTERN NEW YORK LAND CONSERVANCY INC
EAST AURORA, NY · EIN 223160426 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C340 · Environment · Medium ($1M-$10M) · wnylc.org
revenue
$2.9M
expenses
$2.7M
net assets
$10.7M
employees
22
volunteers
70
program ratio
78%
mission · from form 990

TO PROTECT LAND WITH SIGNIFICANT CONSERVATION VALUES FOR THE BENEFIT OF FUTURE GENERATIONS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Western New York Land Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to permanently protecting forests, farms, meadows, and waterways across eight counties in Western New York. Using tools like conservation easements, land acquisitions, and assisted transactions, the organization works with landowners and communities to conserve ecologically significant lands. It focuses on landscape-scale initiatives such as the WNY Wildway to combat biodiversity loss and climate change impacts.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $153K
    WESTERN NEW YORK WILDWAY - THE LAND CONSERVANCY'S LANDSCAPE-SCALE CONSERVATION PROJECT WORKING TO CONNECT AND PROTECT THE LARGEST REMAINING FORESTS AND HABITATS IN THE WESTERN NEW YORK REGION. THE WNY WILDWAY FOCUSES ON CONSERVING AND CONNECTING CORE HABITATS AND LINKAGES TO ALLOW PLANTS AND ANIMALS TO ROAM ACROSS THE LAND AS THEY ONCE DID, TO MOVE AS CLIMATE CHANGES, AND TO EXPAND THEIR RANGES AND ENSURE THEIR SURVIVAL.
  2. #2 $339K
    THE LAND CONSERVANCY WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL DESIGN CONSULTANTS TO CREATE A CONCEPT PLAN FOR THE RIVERLINE. THE CONCEPT PLAN CALLS FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE FORMER DL&W RAIL CORRIDOR INTO A 1.5 MILE MULTI-USE NATURE TRAIL AND GREENWAY. THE RIVERLINE WILL BE AN INSPIRING GATHERING PLACE THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE TO WATER, NATURE, AND ONE ANOTHER, AND IT WILL HELP BUILD A HEALTHY, INCLUSIVE AND OPPORTUNITY-RICH CITY . THE CONCEPT PLANS; THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, COMPLETED IN 2020 WITH INPUT FROM HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS; AND CONTINUED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, WILL GUIDE FUTURE DECISIONS FOR TAKING THE RIVERLINE FROM IDEA TO REALITY. THE LAND CONSERVANCY OFFICIALLY FORMED THE RIVERLINE LLC, A SOLE MEMBER MANAGED ENTITY ON 5/11/21. THE OPERATING AGREEMENT FOR THE RIVERLINE LLC WAS AMENDED TO CHANGE THE RIVERLINE LLC FROM SOLE MEMBER TO MANAGER MANAGED IN JUNE 2022.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Conservation Easements
Legal agreements with private landowners to permanently limit land use in order to protect its conservation values while allowing continued ownership and use.
Niagara Gorge Project
Ecological restoration effort that removed invasive plants and installed native species in the Niagara River Gorge between the Gorge Discovery Center and Devil’s Hole State Park.
Riverline
Urban greenway project transforming a 1.5-mile abandoned rail corridor in Buffalo into a multi-use nature trail and community gathering space connecting people to water and nature.
Western New York Wildway
Landscape-scale conservation initiative connecting core forests and habitats across Western New York to support biodiversity and species movement in response to climate change.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Land Acquisition and Conservation Easements 4 activities
    • Facilitation of land protection transactions
      Facilitates assisted transactions by helping public agencies and nonprofits acquire land or hold conservation easements, expanding regional conservation impact through collaborative partnerships.
    • Implementation of the WNY Wildway initiative
      Implements the Western New York Wildway, a landscape-scale conservation project launched in 2020 to connect protected lands from northern Pennsylvania to the Great Lakes, enabling species movement and climate adaptation. Includes projects like the 226-acre Black Creek Preserve acquisition to enhance connectivity.
    • Land conservation through acquisition and easements
      Acquires land via purchase, donation, or combination for permanent conservation and holds conservation easements that restrict land use to protect natural resources. The organization has protected over 8,400 acres across eight counties in Western New York since 1991.
    • Stewardship of conserved lands
      Stewards over 5,200 acres under conservation easements and 1,167 acres of fee-owned preserves, including active management of invasive species and native plant restoration, such as in the 2023 Niagara Gorge Project.
  • Local Land Conservation Advocacy 1 activity
    • Community conservation planning support
      Supports community conservation planning through open space mapping and land-use planning to guide strategic land protection efforts.
  • Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
    • Community engagement and volunteer coordination
      Organizes volunteer activities for ecological restoration and administrative support, and hosts public events—including community celebrations and author-led events—to promote awareness of natural areas and conservation efforts in counties such as Wyoming and Allegany.
  • Recreational Trail Development and Maintenance 1 activity
    • Development of The Riverline greenway project
      Developed a concept plan for The Riverline, transforming a 1.5-mile abandoned rail corridor into a multi-use nature trail and greenway through community and consultant collaboration, and established The Riverline LLC as a sole-member managed entity in 2021 with an updated operating agreement in 2022.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Accreditation and compliance with national land trust standards
      Has maintained accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance since 2015 and undergoes re-accreditation every five years, with the next cycle scheduled for 2026, ensuring compliance with national standards for land conservation and organizational practices.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.88M
Contributions & grants$2.34M81%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$373K13%
Other revenue$162K
expenses
Total expenses$2.71M
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$1.39M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$12.62M
Cash$3.21M
Investments$2.45M
Liabilities$1.87M
Net assets$10.75M
Liquid reserves25.1 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +35.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MARISA RIGGI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 38 $148K
board members · 17
  • ADAM FRANCIS — DIRECTOR
  • BETH CURTIS — TREASURER
  • DEBORAH FENN — DIRECTOR
  • ED HUTTON — DIRECTOR
  • EMMA SMALLEY — DIRECTOR
  • GAIL WELLS THRU JUNE — VICE PRESIDENT
  • JIM CLARK VP BEG AUGUST — DIRECTOR/VICE PRESIDENT
  • JOHN OWEN JR — DIRECTOR
  • JUSTIN ROGERS — DIRECTOR
  • KATHY BIELER — PRESIDENT
  • KATIE COSTANZO — DIRECTOR
  • KAYLA STOCKING — DIRECTOR
  • LARAINE KELLEY THRU JUNE — DIRECTOR
  • LAUREN SCHULTZ — DIRECTOR
  • ROBERT TOWNSLEY — DIRECTOR
  • STEVE BLABAC BEG JUNE — DIRECTOR
  • THERESA GAGLIONE — SECRETARY
relationships · 21

Who they work with

  • Conservation Celebration 2025 Sponsors Partner — Sponsors supported fundraising event that raised over $100,000 for land protection.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County Partner — Partnership to deliver education and training on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid to prevent the spread of the invasive pest in Western New York forests.
  • Counties Partner — Works with counties to facilitate land protection via ownership or easement holding.
  • Farmcraft Brewery Partner — Hosted the Conservation Celebration event on its property in Wyoming County.
  • Haudenosaunee Government — Works in alignment with Haudenosaunee stewardship principles, including the Seventh Generation Principle.
  • Land Trust Alliance Partner — Accrediting body that evaluates the Western New York Land Conservancy against national standards for land conservation and nonprofit operations.
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Provides grant funding through the Water Quality Improvement Program to support land protection in the Black Creek watershed.
  • New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Government — Administers Environmental Protection Fund grants, including a $675,000 award to support the acquisition of Bear Lake Preserve.
  • Not-for-profits Partner — Collaborates with nonprofit organizations to transfer land ownership or conservation easements.
  • Other agencies Partner — Partners with government and public agencies to protect land through assisted transactions.
  • Riverline LLC Partner — Formed and managed by Western New York Land Conservancy Inc. to develop and implement The Riverline greenway project.
  • Seneca Nation Government — Recognizes the Seneca Nation as traditional stewards of the land and affirms commitment to the Seventh Generation Principle in partnership with Haudenosaunee communities.
  • The Nature Conservancy in New York Partner — Collaborates with the Land Conservancy on land protection efforts in the Black Creek watershed, including funding and strategic support.
  • Tonawanda Seneca Nation Government — Recognizes the Tonawanda Seneca Nation as traditional stewards of the land.
  • Tough Old Bird Partner — Provided live musical entertainment at the Conservation Celebration event.
  • Towns Partner — Collaborates with towns to protect land through ownership or conservation easements.
  • Tuscarora Nation Government — Recognizes the Tuscarora Nation as traditional stewards of the land.
  • United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Funder — Provides grant funding that supports a partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension to deliver Hemlock Woolly Adelgid education and training.
  • landowners Partner — Collaborates with landowners to conserve natural areas and working farms
  • local government Partner — Collaborates with local governments to protect land through conservation tools such as easements.
  • municipalities Partner — Works with municipalities to conserve natural areas and working farms
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.

  • Community-Driven Conservation Planning
    methodology: community-driven conservation planning
    By using inclusive public input and equitable development frameworks to guide conservation projects, we ensure that urban greenways and conservation initiatives reflect local needs and values, because community ownership increases project legitimacy, sustainability, and long-term stewardship.
  • Conservation Easement with Tailored Stewardship
    methodology: conservation_easement
    By placing conservation easements on properties that permanently restrict development while allowing sustainable land uses like farming or forestry, we protect ecological values because landowners remain engaged stewards when their rights and property-specific values are respected.
  • Evidence-Based and Best-Practices Conservation
    methodology: evidence-based conservation
    By applying the best available science and national best practices to land conservation decisions, we ensure long-term ecological integrity and community benefit, because rigorous standards increase the permanence, accountability, and effectiveness of conservation outcomes.
  • Landscape-Scale Habitat Connectivity
    methodology: landscape-scale habitat connectivity
    By protecting core habitats and ecological linkages across broad regions, we enable species movement and adaptation, because maintaining connectivity at a landscape scale increases ecosystem resilience to climate change and habitat fragmentation.
  • Seventh-Generation Stewardship Principle
    methodology: seventh-generation stewardship
    By applying the Haudenosaunee Seventh Generation Principle, we guide land stewardship decisions to consider impacts seven generations ahead, because embedding intergenerational responsibility into conservation fosters sustainable, ethically grounded long-term planning.