An approximately 4-acre Butterfly Management Area comprising 3 acres of butterfly habitat and 1-acre buffer between the butterfly habitat and residential lots as well as a 154-acre open space parcel were placed into conservation easements with NALT. In order to assure that this small parcel continues to provide habitat for those species well into the future, an Open Space Management Plan for the Karner Blue Butterfly Management Area was prepared and recorded as an attachment to the Conservation Easement. The prime focus of the management plan is to ensure the continued existence of wild lupine (Lupinus perennis), which is the sole food source of the larvae of the Karner Blue Butterfly, and which serves essentially the same role for the frosted elfin butterfly caterpillars in this region. A secondary focus will be to provide for continued availability of food sources for the adult stages of these insects. Goals included identifying the sensitive wetland and wildlife habitats on the larger open space property and providing short-and long-term management techniques to minimize/avoid impacts and insure the necessary protection of the property’s natural resources.
Fast Facts
State: New York
Acres Protected: 158
Open To Public? No
Stories from the Land: Saving the Karner Blue Butterfly
