Vermont Land Trust Press Release - Farm Overlooking Lake Willoughby Conserved

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 12, 2007

Farm Overlooking Lake Willoughby Conserved

David and Juliette Stevens will keep their highly productive and scenic farmland in agricultural use in perpetuity with the conservation of 463 acres in Westmore overlooking Lake Willoughby, the Vermont Land Trust announced today.

Both David and Juliette individually had strong ties to their land even before they met. Portions of the farm have been in Juliette’s family, the Veins, for generations, and David grew up on another part of the farm. Now they are joined by both land and marriage. “We are blessed to live in such a unique, beautiful place,” said Juliette. “This property joins the Stevens and Viens’ family farms. The Vermont Land Trust has helped us to conserve both this beauty and history.”

The Stevens milk more than 100 Holsteins with their son Matthew on their dairy farm, which is known for its quality cows and high production. This farm contains 130 acres of open land with good quality agricultural soils and over 400 acres of woodland, including 66 acres of managed sugarbush.

The Stevens conserved their farm using a conservation easement. Landowners use easements to voluntarily limit development on productive farmland and forestland, and other meaningful natural and community places. Landowners continue to own, manage, and pay taxes on the land and can sell their land; however, the conservation easement permanently remains on the property.

The sale of a conservation easement was an important step in planning for the future of the farm. “Conservation easements are often used as a tool for farm business and estate planning,” said Tracy Zschau, VLT Regional Director. “Conservation provides farmers with the capital necessary to invest in facilities, reduce debt and to pass on a viable business to the next generation.” The farm is also adjacent to other lands conserved by VLT and the Wildlife Land Trust. Together, the block of conserved land will total over 7,400 contiguous acres.

In addition to its agricultural and timber value, the Stevens farm has several important natural features. The farm abuts Willoughby State Forest on two sides and has scenic value because of its high visibility from the popular Wheeler Mountain trail and Lake Willoughby. The open and wooded land extends along 4.5 miles of road frontage in Westmore and a portion of the land at the base of Wheeler Mountain includes a significant Boreal Talus Woodland community. This uncommon northern forest formation, often comprising birch, mountain ash, and red spruce, is found at higher elevations in areas containing large boulders.

“The Stevens family recognized not only the agricultural value of their farm, but also the other important features of the farm when they decided to protect it,” said Tracy Zschau. “This farm is guaranteed to be a treasure in the area and the Stevens family’s commitment to conservation is a real gift.”

The Vermont Land Trust is a statewide, member-supported, nonprofit land conservation organization. Since 1977, the Vermont Land Trust has permanently conserved more than 1,400 parcels of land covering 470,000 acres, or about eight percent of the private, undeveloped land in the state. The conserved land includes more than 630 working farms, hundreds of thousands of acres of productive forestland, and numerous parcels of community lands. This conservation work changes the lives of families, invigorates farms, launches new businesses, maintains scenic vistas, encourages recreational opportunity, and fosters a renewed sense of community. For more information or to become a member, contact: Vermont Land Trust, 8 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 223-5234.

For more information, please contact: Elise Annes, Vice President for Community Relations, Vermont Land Trust (802) 262-1206; or Tracy Zschau, Regional Director, Northeast Kingdom (802) 748-6089