For immediate release: February 23, 2011

Sheffield -- Alan Robertson donated a conservation easement on a 59-acre forested property with the intention that the land will become the Sheffield town forest upon his death, the Vermont Land Trust announced today.

The woodland is currently being managed as a certified Tree Farm and Robertson is working closely with the Sheffield Select Board on his town forest proposal.

Alan presented his plans at a November Select Board meeting and the town expects to have a discussion about the proposal at Sheffield Town Meeting on March 1.

As a civil engineer for the Army, Alan was stationed in Germany in the 1970s and came to admire the approach to forest management he saw there. Upon returning to the US, Alan sought to purchase forestland in the northeast, learn as much as he could about good forestry practices and try practicing the techniques he observed in Germany.

"When I became a forestland owner, my goal was the practice of sustainable forestry and to improve the land as I witnessed in Germany with the added consideration of improving wildlife habitat," Alan said recently. "This would not only include working in the forest but also encouraging people to visit and learn more about forestland stewardship."

Alan is involved in forest stewardship both on this property as well as through his volunteer positions with local and national forestry stewardship organizations: he is Co-chair of the Vermont Tree Farm Committee and is a Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Vermont Woodlands Association. The property is enrolled in Vermont's Use Value Appraisal Program and the American Tree Farm System. It has a diversity of forest-stand types, a well-developed network of logging roads and trails, and productive vernal pools, which support amphibian species.

Robertson and his forester, Steve Slayton, recently updated a forest stewardship plan for the property, specifying Alan's stewardship goals, as well as detailed forest management planning for the next 10 years. In this plan, Robertson describes his desire that the forest can be used by the Town of Sheffield for the educational, recreational, and forest product needs of the town and its residents.

Alan hopes that his actions might inspire other nearby landowners to consider permanent conservation for their farm and forestland or the idea of creating a larger town forest resource for the benefit of the community.

"I believe this is an incredibly generous offer on the part of Mr. Robertson," said Max Aldrich, chair of the Sheffield Selectboard. "The many potential uses of this property—recreational, educational, etc.—I'm sure will be appreciated by future generations of Sheffield residents."

"Vermont's landscape, culture and ultimately our sense of place is rapidly changing," said Matt Langlais, Caledonia County Forester. "Community forests provide common ground where neighbors can come together to recreate, learn, and engage themselves in the stewardship of their community-owned forest. Al's and the land trust's recognition of the value of this and the long-term benefits for Sheffield residents is truly remarkable."

The Vermont Land Trust works with landowners to conserve land through the use of a conservation easement—a legal tool that limits 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. Easements can also reduce income and estate taxes. Landowners can often qualify for an income tax deduction based on the appraised value of the gift.

"I enjoy working with landowners such as Alan who have made the meaningful and generous decision to donate a conservation easement," said Tracy Zschau, Northeast Kingdom Regional Director for the Vermont Land Trust. "Easements can protect your land's resource values which may be agricultural or forestry resources, rare plants or wildlife habitat, scenic value or public access. Right now there are also enhanced tax incentives for easement donors as well, so it's a great time for landowners to learn about conservation options."