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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2008 | |||
| Norwich Farm and Forest Land Conserved NORWICH – The richest farmland of Charlotte Metcalf’s 178 acres of land in Norwich produces vegetables sold at a roadside stand. Charlotte’s more rugged pasture is grazed by Belted Galloway cattle and Tamworth pigs. Her forestland is managed to be productive but also to provide habitat for wildlife that live on the property or use the land as a connector to other land and riparian areas. Because of these many resources and the simple beauty of her land, Charlotte Metcalf made the decision this month to donate a conservation easement to the Vermont Land Trust. “It’s a wonderfully diverse piece of land,” commented Mark McEathron, Central Vermont Director of the Vermont Land Trust (VLT). “It has some terrific agricultural soils and managed forest land, 1,000 feet of frontage on the Ompompanoosuc River, three-quarters of a mile of scenic undeveloped road frontage, and a broad array of wildlife habitats.” A conservation easement is a legal tool that prohibits or carefully limits future development while allowing for farming, forestry, and recreational uses to continue. Conserved land remains in private ownership, can be purchased and sold just like other land, and remains on the tax rolls; however, the easement is permanently in place regardless of who owns the land in the future. Charlotte retained the right to build two houses on small building lots, both located in a designated wooded section of the property whose development would minimize the scenic, agricultural, or wildlife habitat impact of the houses. The Ompompanoosuc River forms the eastern boundary of the property. From there, the land rises through a narrow band of floodplain forest, before transitioning into pasture land. Beyond the pastures are farm fields, more pasture, and upland forest. The forest is heavily used by diverse wildlife, including various mammals, birds and amphibians, both resident populations as well as by animals that move through the area. Two rich fens, an unusual type of wetland community, are found on the property as well. Before conserving the property, Charlotte took the unusual step of hiring a biologist to inventory the natural communities and species found on her property, to determine if there were features that warranted special protection. “From rich forests to vernal pools and shrublands, Charlotte Metcalf’s property boasts a wide array of critical habitats for diverse species, including many of conservation concern,” said Jeff Littleton of Moosewood Ecological Services. “Protection of these wildlife habitats, as well as the rare rich fen and sensitive floodplain along the Ompompanoosuc River, is a fine example of biological conservation for Vermont.” While there has been substantial land conservation in the southern half of Norwich, including lands abutting the Appalachian Trail corridor, northern Norwich has had less land conserved. Nonetheless, the conservation has started to add up. Charlotte previously conserved 30 acres with the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) in 2006, and between VLT and UVLT, there is an additional 780 acres of easement-protected land whose borders lie within a mile of the recently conserved 178 Metcalf acres. “In the summer of 2005, my neighbor, Judy Bowen conserved 100 acres of her beautiful farm,” said Charlotte. “The road we share is undoubtedly one of the most scenic in Norwich, and her actions inspired me to get on with the conservation I had been talking about doing. The next year I did a small piece, and am thrilled to have now restricted this much larger parcel. After Judy conserved her land, she commented that it made her feel terrific. I could not agree more. Keeping our local farms productive makes more sense every day so I feel as if injecting new life into a 19th century farm is a very contemporary thing to do. Over time, I hope the land trusts will continue to see more Norwich acres designated to remain open forever.” ]
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