Thanks to a conservation easement, the Saratoga Sod Farm, which overlooks the Hudson River and Saratoga Battlefield, will not be developed. (Open Space Institute)

As sprawl encroaches on national parks like Gettysburg and subdivisions are built on other battlefields, the outskirts of one Revolutionary War battlefield will be preserved for years to come.

For the past 10 years, a conservation group has been working to protect 560 acres of farmland adjacent to the Saratoga Battlefield in Stillwater, N.Y., 40 miles north of Albany.

In January, the group, the Manhattan-based Open Space Institute, announced that it had secured a conservation easement on the 380-acre privately owned Saratoga Sod Farm, which abuts the park on three sides. The group also bought 182 acres of undeveloped land outside the park, which it plans to donate to the National Park Service.

"This is one of the most historic actions to occur since the Saratoga National Historical Park was established," said Frank Dean, park superintendent, in a statement. "Preserving this huge swath of private land within the park from large scale development will provide a real legacy for the American public."

Overlooking the Hudson River, Saratoga National Historic Park is the site of the 1777 Battles of Saratoga, the first significant American military victory during the Revolutionary War.

The group bought the 182 acres from owners Phil and Linda Griffen at a bargain price of $635,000. "My decision to restrict future development on this farm was based on my strong feelings about the need to preserve agricultural land," Phil Griffen said in a statement. "This is especially important here, due to our proximity to the park."

The 40-year-old Open Space Institute has protected more than 90,000 acres in New York State.

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