1977-2011 Spring / Summer 2011

Chittenden County UplandsConservation Project

A conservation vision for Vermont's most populated region

By Mark Aiken years," said Sue, founder of Keeping Track, anonprofit dedicated to inspiring communityparticipation of long-term wildlife steward-ship. "I knew how important this land is,and I knew there were many people in theadjoining towns who felt likewise." The areaprovi.descore habitat for bobcat, bear, andmoose, peregrine falcons, and many otherwildlife species. .

The area in question stretches from twoof Vermonts highest mountaintops on eitherside through the Winooski River Valleyinthe middle. The area is surrounded by the

Twelve years ago, Sue Morse helda meeting in her livi.ngroom inJericho. In attendance were concerned

neighbors and conservation leaders fromJericho, Underhill, Richmond, and Bolton.The topic of-discussion? An area of land richin biodiversity and wildlife that comprisedparts of these four communities. Everyonesconcern? The inevi.tabl~development of thisland, which could disrupt critical habitat.

"I have been doing research here for 37

Hikersat Libby's Look in Bolton gaze west toward Lake Champlain. The trail leading to the lookoutruns through the Preston Pond Conservation Area, an area that offers recreation, wildlife habitat, andtimber resources.

40,000-acre Mount Mansfield State Forest onthe northeast, the 20,000-acre Camel's HumpState Park on the south, and the 1l,000-acreJericho Firing Range on the north. "Toooften,citizens wait until the last minute to try tosave a place," Sue said.

Not in this case. The meeting in Sueslivi.ngroom was the seed that became theChittenden County Uplands ConservationProject-an initiative that brought organi-zations and citizens together to definepriorities based on science, to adopt a vi.sionfor the region as a whole, and then to workwith willing landowners. "Fortunately, theVermont Land Trust rallied around andsupported the idea," Sue said. Today,privatelandowners, towns, and many organizationshave worked to conserve some 8,000 acres."Something this big needs to bring to thetable all of the stakeholders," Sue said. "We'reall in this together."

The Partnership includes more than14 local groups, town commissions,conservation organizations, and statewideagencies working together to conservethe wildlife habitat, ecological integrity,timber resources, and recreational opportu-nities in the Chittenden County Uplands."It is the diversity in what this landscapeprovi.des, all in close proximity to Vermontslargest population centers, that makes itso important to so many people," said BobHeiser, Champlain Valleyproject manager forVermont Land Trust.

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Protecting Forest Resources

The land that provides habitat forwildlife also supports the wood productseconomy Most parcels protected in theUplands will remain privately ownedwith the ability for continued forestmanagement-protecting large swathsof wildlife habitat and at the same timeensuring a continued contribution toVermonts land-based economy "Myfamily is proud that we've been able toprotect our legacy,"said Wright Prestonof Richmond. "This land has been in ourfamily for over 60 years."

As a child growing up in Burlington,Wright spent time exploring the woodsand forests on his grandparents' propertyin Richmond. While Wright uncoveredthe wonders of nature, his grandfatherwas concerned with responsibly managingthe land so that his grandchildren andfuture generations could continue to enjoyit. Wright's grandparents eventually passedthe land to Prelco, the corporation held bytheir heirs.

In 2006, Wright and his familymembers ensured their grandfather'slegacy of stewardship when they workedwith the Vermont Department of Forests,Parks and Recreation and VLTto sell

Bear scratches on a beech tree located onWright Preston's family's land in Richmond.

The Uplands area provides core habitat for animals such as bobcat, moose, and bear. .

conservation and public access easementson Prelcos 1,700-acre parcel. "I rememberwalking the land with a forester,"Wrightsaid. "I knew that as this land transfersinto the next generation, there would bepressure to develop-to convert forestlandinto cash." Sure enough, even as Prelcoand VLTtalked of conservation, would-bedevelopers were calling.

The purchase of the conservationeasement on Wright's land was fundedby the federal Forest Legacy Program, aprogram created through the leadershipof Senator Patrick Leahy in 1990. Thesefunds made it possible to conserve manyChittenden County Uplands properties.

The work doesn't end with the saleof a conservation easement. Wrightand his family have continued theirgrandfather's work. "Wehave, over manyyears, developed a forest managementplan," Wright said. With the help ofstate foresters and other consultingforesters, the plan has been updated andamended over time with the approvalof the Department of Forests, Parks andRecreation, which holds the easement."Our goal is to maintain a forest that issustainable from a forestry and economicperspective, that can be used by thecommunity, and, most of all, can also beused as habitat by the wildlife and animalswho live there," said Wright.

A Community Effort

One of the project's early successes wasthe purchase and conservation of PrestonPond and the surrounding 400 acres inBolton. In 2003, the Bolton ConservationCommission worked closely with VLTandThe Nature Conservancy to develop theconservation project. A major fundraisingeffort followed that included grants fromthe Vermont Housing ts: ConservationBoard and private foundations, donationsfrom many individuals, and a decision byresidents of Bolton to allocate town moneyto the conservation project.

"The core of the land that became thePreston Pond Conservation Area was stillintact and included the Upper and LowerPreston Ponds." said Lars Botzojourns,who served on Boltons ConservationCommission at the time of the PrestonPond acquisition. "It'snot a huge area, butone thing that was notable was that it wasan intact watershed."

In addition to the 3,SOO-year-oldpond,the forested property contains a rare standof red pines, peregrine. falcon nesting sites,and miles of trails, including a section ofthe Long Trail. The land is also home tobobcat, fisher, moose, otter, and mink.

Moving forward, the town of Boltonmay benefit from logging and otherresponsible land management of theparcel. Meanwhile, Bolton residents andvisitors will enjoy recreational access to

Chittenden County Uplands Conservation Area Land protected by the ChittendenCounty Uplands ConservationProject is shaded in dark grey. Todate, around 8,000 acres havebeen conserved.

Preston Pond forever. "[The ChittendenCounty Uplands] is a recreationalmecca: pretty outstanding opportunitiesfor hiking and rock climbing, skiing,"said Lars. "And its not just the passiverecreation: snowmobiling (the VASTTrailgoes through here), hunnng=theres apretty large constituency of people whojust want to be outdoors."

. Getting on the Land

For many who live nearby or visitthe Uplands, getting out on the land thatdefines Vermont is what inspires them.Photographer and writer Berne Broudyof Richmond believes that her townsidentity is tied to the open spaces withinand around it. "It is impossible to separatethe two," said Berne, citing the Long Trail

I ]through-hikers who pass through her town S-and the local cyclists, hikers, and skiers ~who meet at the bakery in Richmond £before heading on outdoor adventures.

Those that play on, and use, theland for recreation have also adoptedroles in the Chittenden County UplandsConservation Project. The GreenMountain Club, the Vermont Associationof Snow Travelers, and the CatamountTrailAssociation maintain trails throughthe region. Recreation is importantto Vermonts economy, and outdoorenthusiasts have accepted responsibility

For example, rock climbers havegreat interest in the Chittenden CountyUplands, which is home to severalclimbing sites. "There are just not thatmany places to climb in Vermont; to lose

even one would be Significant,"said TravisPeckham, board member for CRAG-VT(Climbing Resource Access Group). Whenthe land that included a beloved cliffin Bolton changed hands 10 years ago,concerned climbers got involved. "At firstwe worked with landowners to ensureaccess," Travis said. As the group gainedmomentum and learned, they beganworking towards acquisition of climbingareas.

Today,CRAG-VTowns cliffs on foursmall VLT-conservedparcels within theChittenden County Uplands ConservationProject area. The organization works withbiologists to ensure that trails leadingto the cliffs are placed properly, takingaccount of endangered plants. It alsobuilds information kiosks and holds

"There are just not a lot of places to climb inVermont; to lose one would be significant,"said Travis Peckham, pictured above.

clean-up days.Berne Broudy is a member of

CRAG-VT,and she has volunteered forthe Conservation Alliance, the Fellowshipof the Wheel, and the Catamount TrailAssociation. She sees the work of all theseorganizations-including the VermontLand Trust-as vital. "They are preservingthe soul of the state," she said. "I wouldn'twant to live here if these open and naturalspaces weren't such an integral part ofVermont."

The Chittenden County UplandsConservation Project started in SueMorses living room, but it spread. Still,however, she sees the need for moreresearch, particularly in the valley,wherewildlife has 1-89, Route 2, and a railroadto cross, and could possibly benefit from awildlife overpass. Meanwhile, Bob Heiserhopes to continue to work with interestedlandowners and owners of high-priorityparcels-that is, parcels that provideimportant wildlife habitat, natural areas,and productive forestland, or that orthat serve the ever-growing recreationalneeds of Vermont's largest populationcenter. "We'll continue to work on morefunding and with donors of conservationeasements in order to conserve core andconnective habitat to help secure the workwe've already accomplished," Bob said.

Sue likes how a grassroots movementgrew to include many partners. "It's intrin-sicallyAmerican," Sue said. "Multipleorganizations, multiple packages, allcoming together with solutions. Itsexciting-and it works."