For immediate release: June 15, 2011

Plymouth – The Vermont Land Trust announced the conservation of two properties encompassing several hundred acres of forestland located near the village of Plymouth and Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site.

Back in 1999, Jim and Mary Ottaway's commitment to protecting the forest and wetland surrounding this historic area resulted in their donation of a conservation easement on 98 acres to the Vermont Land Trust.

This year, they furthered their work to ensure that the area around Coolidge's birthplace and the town cemetery will remain undeveloped and protected for future generations to enjoy. Together with their son, Christopher, they conserved an additional 263 acres of adjacent land. The land is primarily forested and contains the ridgeline and slopes of Mount Tom and Soltudus Mountain.

"We expanded our conservation easement to 360 acres—almost all of our land—to preserve the land, forests and vistas important to the Coolidge Historical Site," explained Jim Ottaway.

This conservation ethic is shared in the family. A mile north of Plymouth village, Mary Ottaway's sister, Margaret Scott, and husband, Denman Scott, conserved 40 acres that adjoin the Farm & Wilderness Camp, Inc. Since the early 1990s, the Scotts have been purchasing small parcels of land nearby, working closely with the camp to make sure the area will remain as intact forest.

"My wife and I are very pleased that we have conserved and consolidated our several parcels into one parcel," said Denman. "The beautiful vistas of our meadows and the green mountains will be preserved forever."

Both the Ottaway and Scott properties are enrolled in Vermont's Current Use Program and are actively managed for timber, wildlife habitat and recreation. The conservation of the properties is in line with the Plymouth Town Plan which includes a specific recommendation to "encourage the voluntary conservation of undeveloped lands and to preserve active farm and forest lands."

Both properties were conserved with a conservation easement—a legal tool that limits development on the land. 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. By donating a conservation easement in 2011, the two families will be able to take advantage of a special tax incentive, which expands the federal income tax deduction associated with such a gift.