After Decades of Helping Others Conserve Land, the Bradleys Conserve Their Own

Calais. Liisa and Darby Bradley. Conservation easement donation. 63 acres.

Darby Bradley, the former President of the Vermont Land Trust, and his wife, Liisa, were thrilled to be able to donate a conservation easement on their own land: 63 acres of primarily forested land that surrounds their home in Calais. The donation is the first of what is hoped will be several others from nearby property owners who collectively want to protect the character of their neighborhood. “Some of our neighbors have already protected or are in the process of protecting their land, so we are adding just one small piece to a much larger conservation effort,” said Darby. “Having spent years negotiating conservation agreements with other landowners, I found it interesting—and appropriate—to be on the other side of the table.” Calais is in the process of establishing a local trails network. In addition to conserving their property, the Bradleys will convey a trail easement that will ensure that a trail passing through their property will always be available for public use. (May 2011)

Stretch of the White River Protected

Granville. Eugene Bagley, and Gordon and Charlene Waite. River corridor easement sale.

The Bagley Farm was one of the last remaining dairies in Granville when it was conserved in 1990. It has since transitioned to beef and hogs. The farm is traversed by the White River and is often seasonally flooded. The White River Partnership, a group focused on improving the health of the river and its tributaries, identified the stretch of river that goes though the Bagley Farm as a priority for further protection. The farm’s owners, Eugene Bagley and Charlene and Gordon Waite, agreed to work with VLT and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to sell a river corridor easement on a portion of the farm. The easement establishes a 50-foot vegetated buffer along the river and designates a larger area where the river will be allowed to meander and flood. Funded by the White River Partnership through a grant from the Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund. (June 2011)