For immediate release: January 7, 2011

Charlotte – Peter Trono conserved 57 acres of land that he recently purchased from the Hinsdale family, the Vermont Land Trust announced today. The property is a scenic stretch of open farmland at the corner of Spear Street and Bingham Brook Road. Peter and his son Zack intend to raise a small herd of beef cattle and use the open land for hay.

Five acres of clayplain forest is also located on the land. This type of forest dominated the clay and silt soils of the Champlain Valley prior to European settlement and the subsequent conversion of forest to agricultural land. Today this forest community is extremely rare.

"It was a pleasure working with VLT," said Peter. "By donating the easement we achieved several goals: good farmland and some rare clayplain forest were protected and some land was reserved for future housing for my family. It was gratifying to be able to give back to the community by protecting all the open land."

Clark Hinsdale commented, "When we sold the property to Peter, we knew he was interested in conserving it so it made the whole transaction much more satisfying."

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.

"Easement donations are an important part of our work," said Allen Karnatz, Champlain Valley regional director for the Vermont Land Trust. "In a typical year, about half of our projects are donations. Landowners can often qualify for an income tax deduction based on the appraised value of the gift."

The newly conserved Trono property is located across the road from the Burleigh farm, which was conserved last year.