In addition to the permanent protection of Maple Bank Farm in Roxbury, NCLC completed four additional conservation projects, protecting a total of 350 acres in 2020. Land conservation is about the relationships and connections that we have with the land. NCLC is grateful to the people who made these projects possible.
Nickoll Preserve, Salisbury, 109 acres
Longtime NCLC supporters Chrissy Armstrong and Ben Nickoll donated 109 acres of forested land that expands the protected area in the Moore Brook corridor of Salisbury. This new preserve lies adjacent to 233 acres of land previously protected by The Nature Conservancy. Moore Brook is a class A stream and a State-designated Critical Habitat Area, home to rare species of plants and animals. The underlying geology creates rich soils and a diverse and unique community of plants and animals thrive in these calcium-rich (“calcareous”) groundwater seeps and soils. NCLC thanks Chrissy and Ben for protecting this special place for future generations.
Peterson Easement, New Milford, 16 Acres
Guy Peterson’s donation of this conservation easement is in honor of his late wife Mary Jane. Guy is a former board president of NCLC and this easement is adjacent to other lands that he was instrumental in protecting. This parcel expands the protected land around Bear Hill, New Milford’s highest point, and the location of CT DEEP’s
bobcat population study. His gift improves the connectivity of Northern New Milford’s conserved lands and protects a long stretch of Denman Brook, a tributary to the West Aspetuck River, a class AA waterway. Guy is a true conservation leader in Northwest Connecticut. We are grateful for the legacy of conservation that he has made possible.
Osborn Conservation Easement, Salisbury, 54 acres
Brothers Nic and Eliot Osborn protected about 54 acres of sensitive wetlands, uplands, and roadside farm fields. This easement will connect to conserved land, including extensive endangered reptile habitat protected by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) north of the Osborn lands in Massachusetts. The TNC land is one of the most important sites for endangered reptiles in the Northeast. The Osborn easement expands the wildlife corridor that animals rely on for migration across state lines. Thank you Nic and Eliot for creating connections between critical habitats.
Stoney Batter Pond, West Cornwall, 125 acres
Hamilton South IV and Manuel Bellod’s Stony Batter Farm conservation easement is an important addition to a swath of protected lands in the Housatonic River corridor. Protecting forested lands limits soil erosion and runoff that can carry pollution to water. This easement also enhances a wildlife corridor connection between state lands, including Wyantenock State Forest, NCLC protected lands, and conservation easements held by Warren Land Trust and Cornwall Conservation Trust. We are grateful to Hamilton and Manuel for their long-term commitment to conservation.
