The following conservation projects for the Central Vermont region are reported in VLT's Spring 2010 Newsletter:

George Dodge bought his farm in 1946 and for many years ran a dairy operation. George still lives on the property, though he sold it to Dodge Farm Community, LLC, subject to a life estate in 2006. Dodge Farm Community donated a conservation easement on 176 acres of agricultural and wooded land and then sold this land to Loren Thompson and Kristen Gallagher, who are bringing the farm back into operation. In addition to farmland, the conserved property has 10 acres of managed sugarbush and 100 acres of deer wintering habitat. Supported by the Freeman Foundation and the Berlin Conservation Commission. (July)

19. Land Conserved as Part of Orange County Headwaters Project
Corinth. Olivia Harding-Tillman and David Tillman. Conservation easement donation. 66 acres.

Olivia Harding-Tillman and her husband, David, conserved 66 acres in Corinth, adding to the conserved acreage that is part of the community-driven Orange County Headwaters Conservation Project. The property is a mix of hardwoods and softwoods, with a nine-acre sloping meadow. Olivia and David have recently planted 1,200 hardy grape vines with the hope of producing wine when the vines mature. Supported by the Freeman Foundation. (September)

20. Neighborhood Effort in Brookfield Gets Off to a Great Start
Brookfield. Diane Montie and A. Murray Evans. Conservation easement donation. 52 acres.
Diane “Dee” Montie and Murray Evans acquired their property in Brookfield 21 years ago and became summer residents in Vermont. Following Murray’s retirement as a botany professor at the University of Tennessee, they moved to Vermont full time. They have been working with several neighbors to create a block of conserved land in this part of Brookfield (see next story). Dee and Murray’s property has a variety of habitats, including open land, two small wetlands, and forestland. For many years, Murray served as a board member of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, a land trust that has been in business for more than 35 years. When asked how it felt to have conserved their land, Murray remarked: “It’s great. A couple of times we’ve found ourselves talking to people about having conserved our property and it chokes us both up.” (December)

Susan Banta and Michael Foran bought their Brookfield property to serve as a vacation home while they maintained a permanent residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their attachment to the Vermont property was deep and they made the trip north most weekends as well as for their vacations. With encouragement from their neighbors, Dee Montie and Murray Evans (see previous story), they decided to conserve their land to permanently protect it from development and in hopes of encouraging others to do the same. Their forest is a mix of northern hardwoods, hemlock, and pine. Supported by the Freeman Foundation. (December)

22. Family Conserves Corinth Forestland
Corinth. Katie Kramer, Mary Kramer, and George Bingham. Conservation easement donation. 115 acres.

Katie and Mary Kramer and George Bingham are co-owners of a primarily forested property in Corinth bought by their parents more than 50 years ago. The property is bounded on the north and east by two parcels of conserved land owned by the Trustees of Dartmouth College. The forest is predominantly hardwoods with red pine plantations that Katie, Mary, and George remember being planted by their father in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the property is now primarily forested, some of the open and regenerating areas have prime and statewide-rated agricultural soils, providing a clue to the property’s agricultural past. This project is part of the Orange County Headwaters Conservation Project. Supported by the Freeman Foundation. (December)

23. Expanding a Family’s Legacy in Hartland
Hartland. Charlie and Anne Sincerbeaux. Conservation easement donation add-on. 134 acres.

VLT Board of Trustees member Charlie Sincerbeaux and his wife, Anne, donated a conservation easement on 134 acres of family-held land. The newly conserved land adjoins 170 acres that was originally conserved by Charlie’s grandmother Marjorie Morley in 1980. The property has a well-managed forest, two vernal pools, and an array of trails. “This generous act by Charlie and Anne builds on a strong family conservation legacy,” said Gil Livingston, president of VLT. “Marjorie’s easement donation was the third such project completed by the VLT in its formative years. Charlie’s father, Bob, was a founding trustee of VLT and shaped our growth for many years.” (December)

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