In spring 2012, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) worked with the Town of Barre, the nonprofit Millstone Trails Association (MTA), and local community members to permanently protect a former quarry that has become the Barre Town Forest. An analysis conducted by the Gund Institute at the University of Vermont concluded that creating the Barre Town Forest would yield great return on investment: for every $1 spent by the town, the park would return $22 by 2015. (photo by Jerry & Marc Monkman)
Success Stories
Bethel, CT
In winter 2012, the town of Bethel, CT, approved a plan to purchase of 72 acres of land for conservation. The land is a key piece in a larger vision of conservation in Fairfield County, and the purchase of the property will result in 168 acres of contiguous open space. W&W Partner Highstead sent letters to the town in support of the purchase.
Wells, ME
In collaboration with the town of Wells, in winter 2012, Wells National Research Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm protected a 105-acre property that connects 540 acres of existing conservation land. Read more about the Tilton Parcel.
North Sutton, NH
In 2011, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests raised $1.2 million to conserve 1,025 acres in North Sutton. The Black Mountain property is adjacent to Mount Kearsarge State Park and is a key linkage to the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway (SRKG). The Forest Society worked with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the Quabbin-to-Cardigan (Q2C) Partnership, the town of Sutton, and nearly 500 private donors to make the purchase.
Read more in the NH Fish and Game newsletter.
Watchaug Pond, RI
The Charlestown Land Trust is working to preserve the largest parcel of privately owned, unprotected open space on the shores of Watchaug Pond. The pond is one of the state’s most treasured freshwater resources. In November, 2011, the Land Trust was awarded a matching grant of $367,000 by the Rhode Island Department of Environment Management to acquire and preserve the property.
100-mile Wilderness, ME
In an effort to help protect and enhance the integrity of the wild brook trout fishery on its Maine property, the Appalachian Mountain Club has been working with The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and Trout Unlimited to remove culverts or improve several stream crossings to enhance passage for wild brook trout in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region. This is a pilot project of the Keeping Maine's Forests initiative, of which AMC is a partner.
Salisbury, CT
In winter 2010, Twin Lakes Farm LLC donated a 100-acre conservation easement to the Salisbury Association Land Trust, conserving more than 4,000 feet of riverfront on the Housatonic River and creating nearly five miles of unbroken land protection along the river in Salisbury. To make the transaction possible, among other services, the Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative provided all the maps used and created the baseline documentation report.
Dixville Notch, NH
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has raised $850,000 through 1,500 private donations to protect working forest, wildlife habitat, and 30 miles of recreational trails around the historic BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel. The newly conserved land includes the popular vista Table Rock and a section of the Cohos Trail, which carries hikers and snowmobilers from the White Mountains to the Canadian border. To rally support, they created a video about the area's importance.
Waterford, VT
"We fell in love with the land the first time we walked it," says Cynthia Rankin. In winter 2012, in collaboration with the Vermont Land Trust, she and Geoffrey O'Brien donated a conservation easement on the 486 acres across from their home. Encompassing 50 acres of wetlands and nearly four miles of stream and brook frontage, the site supports many species of fish and contributes to the water quality of the Connecticut River. The land also encompasses the summit and slopes of Chamberlain Mountain.
West Fairlee, VT
The Brushwood Community Forest in West Fairlee, Vermont, recently doubled to more than 1,000 acres in size, thanks to a conservation deal completed by the Trust for Public Land, the Town of West Fairlee, and the State of Vermont. The majority of the funding came from the USDA Forest Legacy Program. Located within a 28,000-acre block of unbroken forest, Brushwood Community Forest will now support landscape-scale wildlife habitat, protect drinking water resources, and expand opportunities for sustainable forest management and recreation. (photo by Jerry & Marcy Monkman)