RENSSELAERVILLE — In the hopes of preserving swaths of land in Rensselaerville from development, the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy and the Eldridge family closed on a conservation easement on Jan. 20, so that 218 acres of land may not be developed on the family’s property. The MHLC would like to create a “conservation corridor” made up of preserved land in the town.

The easement was purchased through funding from MHLC fundraising and support from the Open Space Institute, said Mark King, director of the MHLC, although the property remains private. King declined to name the amount.

A considerable amount of land in the town has already been preserved, said King. A 300-acre block of land across from the Eldridge property — the Conkling Farm — is under a conservation easement through the Open Space Institute, and the home on the property is on the national registry of historic places. The hamlet of Rensselaerville’s main street is on the registry. The Huyck Preserve, northwest of the Eldridge property, is also the product of a conservation easement. The land came from the Huycks, said Roswell Eldridge, whose mother was a Huyck.

“It’s a family tradition,” he said, of conserving land. His family also owned the house at Conkling farm during the mid-20th Century.

Eldridge’s ancestors came to the area in 1806. He said he appreciates the community and would like to keep the land in it preserved.

The MHLC hopes to establish a “contiguous conservation corridor,” where the historic areas of Rensselaerville can be preserved from development, which many small hamlets often fall victim to, said King.

“The hamlet sort of tends to lose its identity a bit as it spreads out,” he said.

King noted that certain species of wildlife also depend on large areas of land remaining undeveloped.

Rensselaerville’s 2007 comprehensive plan emphasized protecting natural features as well as preserving historic features and vistas in the town. The protection for scenic vistas did not stand up in a recent court case, challenging the process used to site a 180-foot tower on Edwards Hill.

Located in what the MHLC refers to as the “Helderberg Conservation Corridor,” the property is across the Ten Mile Creek valley from the Hilltown Café and post office. It consists of three tax map parcels on Medusa Road and Albany Hill Road.

“If you walk out of the post office, you’re looking at the property,” said King.

Although most of the land will not be developed, “the easement has some flexibility,” said King. Twenty acres along Medusa Road as well as by the owner’s home on Albany Hill Road will be allowed some development in order to build a new home if needed in the future, and the 218 acres set aside from development will allow “traditional” uses such as farming and forestry. King said that a balance has to be struck between planning for conservation and future needs.

“That’s one of the things that’s challenging in easements,” he said.