New York is the largest city in the United States, with the city proper's population more than double the next largest city, Los Angeles (or roughly equivalent to the combined populations of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston, the United States' second, third, and fourth most populous cities respectively).
Comprised of 2.6 million acres in the Adirondack Forest Preserve and 286,000 acres within the Catskill Forest Preserve, these lands represent a majority of all state owned property within the Adirondack and Catskill Parks.
The decision to place a conservation easement on a property is strictly a voluntary one whether the easement is sold or donated. The restrictions of the easement, once set in place, are perpetual (and potentially reduce the resale value of the associated property).