Governor Signs Tedisco & Walsh Bill into Law to Protect Woods Hollow Nature Preserve in Ballston Spa and Milton

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C-Ballston Lake) and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C-Ballston)  today announced that the Governor has signed into law new legislation they sponsored and passed in the legislature to benefit residents in the Village of Ballston Spa and Town of Milton by forever protecting the Woods Hollow Nature Preserve, a vital natural resource.

Located on Rowland Street, just north of the Village, Woods Hollow is a 130-acre passive recreation park to be enjoyed for fishing, hiking, jogging, skiing, and nature trails.

The bill sponsored and passed by Senator Tedisco and Assemblywoman Walsh is for a conservation easement land transfer of the Woods Hollow Nature Preserve from the Village of Ballston Spa to the Town of Milton (S.9269A). The Woods Hollow Nature Preserve will continue to remain protected and forever undeveloped. The land will now be owned by the Town of Milton.  

“As Ranking Member of the Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism and Parks and Recreation Committee, I know how important it is for our area’s quality of life to preserve our parkland and nature preserves.  Beautiful, natural areas such as Woods Hollow Nature Preserve give residents opportunities to recreate, exercise and enjoy the splendor of the great outdoors. I’m proud to have sponsored and passed this legislation in the Senate to forever protect the Woods Hollow Nature Preserve for the residents of Ballston Spa and Milton for generations to come and thrilled that the Governor has signed this important parkland and environmentally friendly legislation into law,” said Senator Jim Tedisco.

“I’m pleased the Governor recognized a need and signed this law to assist the Ballston Spa and Milton communities. This law was critical to both localities in the purchase of the Woods Hollow Nature Preserve, and the future use of the land. With the conservation easement included, the land will continue to be green space, shielded from any development. Assisting our municipalities and the people who reside in them is one of the most rewarding privileges I have as a member of the NYS Assembly; I’m proud to have played a role in the protection of the preserve for generations to come, so everyone in these communities and beyond can enjoy the expansive acreage for all their outdoor entertainment,” said Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh. 

“I would like to express my gratitude to Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, our state district leaders for the town of Milton. These two legislators went above and beyond to get this law passed with the state Senate and Assembly Majority for the sale of the Woods Hollow Preserve from the Village of Ballston Spa to the Town of Milton and advocate for the Governor to sign it. It’s leadership like this in our state that represents our town that makes a difference and makes Milton such a wonderful place to live and raise a family,” said Milton Town Supervisor Scott Ostrander.

“We truly appreciate the hard work of Senator Tedisco and Assemblywoman Walsh and their staffs in helping to get their legislation passed and signed into law by the Governor for the Village of Ballston Spa’s sale of Woods Hollow Nature Preserve to the Town of Milton unanimously approved by both houses of our New York State Legislature. The sale is critical to the future of Woods Hollow, as it will require the addition of a conservation easement that will ensure it remains forever undeveloped, and it makes future maintenance of the large parcel more certain as it is likely to be better maintained by the Town in which it resides moving forward,” said Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi, Jr.