According to the Glens Falls Post Star, Jim Durller, of Fort Edward, has become one of the most recent landowners in New York State to sign up with the Department of Environmental Conservation's open space wildlife sanctuary initiative.

Instead of selling his land to developers, he has lent a 100-acre parcel of his land to the state for the purpose of habitat preservation for the state's many different bird species that are becoming increasingly threatened from habitat encroachment.

"At times, people have to do the right thing," Durller said. "Is this habitat (for birds) ever going to expand? No, it's going to contract," he said. "We got a developer that wants to build in this region, and we don't think that's a wise choice."

The Short-Eared Owl is one of many bird species being threatened by increasing human developmentThe state program has chosen a number of landowners to participate in the program, especially in Western New York, and has managed to preserve roughly 2100 acres under the sanctuary program so far. Landowners like Mr. Durller, are becoming increasingly concerned about the development in their towns that is destroying the unique character of where they live. In return the DEC is offering landowners a payment of $55 per acre lent to the state using money from federal grants.

Environmentalists are also quite excited about the program as it allows landowners and conservationists to work together.