Cayuga County residents who want have a say in a state plan for protecting open spaces will have to travel to Binghamton or Syracuse to attend one of the public hearings.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation and Department of State have joined forces to produce a 2005 Draft New York State Open Space Conservation Plan. The report's purpose is identify open space property that warrants protections from the state.

The plan identifies a number of priority projects throughout the state, and several Cayuga County sites are named.

These projects are eligible for state, federal and local funding that could be used to acquire lands. In many cases, the priority project areas are adjacent to sites now protected, such as state parks and preserves.

The plan calls for increased water quality protection and scenic resources preservation at the Carpenter Falls/Bear Swamp Creek corridor in Niles and Sempronius. It also seeks to expand trails at the swamp.

At the other end of the county, the plan envisions adding more property to the Fair Haven Beach State Park in Sterling.

The Summerhill Fen and Forest Complex in Locke and Summerhill would be expanded to ensure more contiguous land protection in that area, and the development of the Northern Montezuma Wetlands complex are also part of the plan's priority projects. The report also seeks to further develop protections on the Great Lakes shorelines, which include the northern tip of Cayuga County in Sterling.

The first open space plan in New York was adopted in 1992, and it is updated every three years. Nine regional advisory committees assist the state agencies in preparing the draft.