2023 Report to The Community

You can count on Otsego 2000 to be at the front lines of protecting our lakes, historic landscapes, farms, and communities. We, in turn, count on you for ideas, encouragement, feedback, and steadfast support as we monitor and respond to potential threats to our environment while continuing to grow our programs that enrich our community. The Report to the Community details these programs and efforts, which are thriving thanks to our supporters, volunteers, and participants.

The biggest challenge our environment and community continue to face is that of climate change. Warmer winters and drier weather contribute to warming waters, which this past summer triggered troubling harmful algal blooms on our lakes and ponds. Potential loss of productive farmland to renewable energy utilities is another concern posed by climate change. While Otsego 2000 supports renewable energy development to eliminate fossil fuel use, we believe it is critical that projects are sited intelligently to protect prime farmland for future food production, while also emphasizing meaningful energy conservation measures for both individuals and organizations. We continue to work closely with our environmental ‘sister’ organizations to convene environmental stakeholders and to educate our community on current environmental challenges. We cannot do this work without the support of good friends like you.

Your gifts also help us to continue programs critical to the community’s quality of life and well-being, like the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Glimmerglass Film Days, Historic Preservation, and Otsego Outdoors. These programs are investments in our community that reflect our mission to protect our environment, its landscapes, villages, and productive farmland, and to develop a local economy based on heritage tourism, schools, hospitals, agriculture, and recreational land uses—not on industrial development. At the same time, your generous donation also gives us the flexibility to quickly address threats, whether they be to our water and climate, or our community health and cohesion, as soon as they arise. Please give to Otsego 2000 today. We are deeply committed to enhancing our community and protecting it, but we will not be successful without your help.