Vermont Land Trust Press Release - Western Flank of the Pinnacle Added to Reserve

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 19, 2007

Western Flank of the Pinnacle Added to Reserve
Ribbon-cutting Ceremony Planned

For more information, please contact: Camilla Roberts, Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association, President, (802) 869-1388 or Joan Weir, Regional Director, Vermont Land Trust, (802) 251-6008

A local community group that has been working for years to conserve scenic and recreational land along Windmill Ridge is celebrating the latest addition to the Windmill Ridge Nature Reserve and Trail. The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association (WHPA) recently acquired 110 acres in Westminster and Brookline from Richard Cowan. The land was then conserved with the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Vermont Land Trust announced today.

Situated on the flanks of the Pinnacle, the highest point in the range, the property contains hardwood trees estimated to be 200 years old, deeryards, and several intermittent streams and seasonal waterfalls that empty into Grassy Brook. “The land is unique in that it provides public access to the northern section of the reserve and ridge for the town of Brookline,” said Camilla Roberts of the WHPA. Click here for map.

“Parting with the land wasn’t easy,” said Rick Cowen, the former landowner. “As time passed, I realized that it was the right thing to do — for me, my family and the land itself. And, who could imagine a better neighbor than the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association?”

Roger Albee, Secretary VAAFM,
at the ribbon cutting.

On Saturday, November 24, there will be a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the point where the new trail to Brookline diverges from the main ridgeline trail, just south of the Pinnacle itself. Roger Albee, the Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, who lives in Brookline, will do the honor of cutting the ribbon. Cider and donuts will be served in the lean-to on the Pinnacle peak. To join the event, meet at the Westminster West School at 11:00 a.m. or call 869-1388.

The land was conserved with a conservation easement, a legal tool that limits development and ensures this land will be protected for the native flora and fauna and will provide public access for recreation (such as hiking and hunting), education, and nature appreciation. The conservation easement is co-held by the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB). The purchase of the land was made possible through a grant from VHCB.

"It's indeed a pleasure to work with WHPA members — they're determined and great stewards of this 1513-acre reserve," said Joan Weir, Regional Director of Vermont Land Trust.

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About WHPA: Formed in 1992, the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association is a private, non-profit, volunteer organization whose primary objective is to acquire and protect lands on the Windmill Ridge for wildlife habitat and public recreation. In 1997 WHPA conserved the ±415 acre Pinnacle parcel, including a trail along the ridge leading to the Pinnacle. Over the next fifteen years, several more conservation projects were finalized creating the current WHPA Reserve. Today the WHPA Reserve contains approximately ±1513 acres in Athens, Brookline, Rockingham and Westminster on a portion of the 16-mile-long Windmill Ridge. The organization engages a significant number of volunteers who help develop and maintain the extensive trail system and informational kiosks. The WHPA Reserve serves as a destination for school field trips and as a site for ecological research.

About the Vermont Land Trust: 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.