The Buffalo Niagara River Land Trust (BNRLT) is a local federal 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to acquire, remediate, and steward lands along Western New York’s waterfronts prioritizing public access. Shaped by our region’s industrial past, many waterfront sites are brownfields—properties burdened by contamination that limits safe use and redevelopment. BNRLT actively identifies and restores these sites, protecting them in trust to ensure safe, permanent community access for generations to come. To advance this mission, the BNRLT has received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency specifically to inventory and assess brownfield sites throughout all of Western New York. This work will guide future remediation efforts and expand opportunities for the public to connect with our waterfronts. Today, BNRLT manages more than 62 acres of waterfront property, including 1660 Niagara Street, the Houghton Conservation Area in Kaisertown, and Cayuga Creek in the Town of Niagara. In the near future, that will increase to 116 acres, as we will also be stewarding the City Ship Canal and Concrete Central. In 2024, BNRLT was awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance, a distinction given only to land trusts that meet “the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence.”
We are proud of the work led by our dedicated board of directors–not only in land remediation and conservation, but also in fostering meaningful community engagement at every step of our projects.
