Greensboro – Peter and Sandra Gebbie conserved 337 acres of farmland, sugarbush, streams, and wetlands at their home farm. Maplehurst Farm is a fifth-generation former dairy farm. Pete and Sandy now run a diversified farm, producing maple, beef, and feed. Maple products from their 7,000 tap sugarbush are sold locally and shipped nationwide. Their haylage and corn silage feed their beef cattle and some is sold to local farms. They also house approximately 250 dairy heifers for a large local dairy. In a separate transaction, they protected 36 acres of woodland with a productive and well-managed sugarbush. The woods also feature a non-commercial ski tow that the Gebbie family has operated for the local community since around 1960.

Greensboro – We purchased 180 acres of farmland and forestland to enable its transfer from retiring farmers Ray Shatney and Janet Steward to beginning farmers Christian Holland and Ornella Matta-Figuero who had previously been leasing the land to establish their farm business. As part of our Farmland Access Program, we are leasing the property to Christian and Ornella while they continue to prepare themselves to become its owners. Christian and Ornella are developing their vision for the property. The property was conserved some years ago by Ray Shatney and Janet Steward who produce 100% grass-fed beef.

Hardwick – The Meyer family, including brothers Nick and Taylor Meyer, protected nearly 50 acres of farmland and woodland. The land is used to grow organic heirloom corn, barley, oats, and rye for their farm-based, small-batch distillery, High Drive. In addition to grains, red clover picked from their fields is a key ingredient in their spirit products. The second-generation farmers also run North Hardwick Farm, producing organic grass-fed beef that is sold on the farm and at the Hardwick Farmers’ Market in the summer. 

The conservation protects more than 30 acres of managed woodland with softwood and hardwood forest, as well as seeps and intermittent streams in the wooded area that ultimately drain into the Lamoille River. It also adds to a nearly 1,000-acre block of conserved land in Hardwick, including 260 acres previously conserved by the Meyer Family.

Stannard – Emily Cayer and Robert Small donated conservation protections on 269 acres of forestland. As naturalists and former Montana and Alaska state biologists, they knew the land was special from the moment they explored it on snowshoes. Adjacent to the nearly 11,000-acre Steam Mill Brook Wildlife Management Area, their property is a haven for diverse wildlife, including moose, deer, coyotes, bobcats, fishers, and more.

The land includes wetlands and streams, including headwater tributaries of Stannard Brook in the Lamoille River watershed, that now have special protections for clean water and flood resilience. Along with the forest, these areas also provide excellent habitat. The couple have begun restoring old logging landings into grass pastures more welcoming for wildlife, and intend to enhance mature or older forest characteristics in the forested areas in the future.

Troy – We purchased 106 acres of conserved farmland along the Missisquoi River from the Lazor Family. The family has run Butterworks Farm for decades, a well-known dairy and yogurt business, and has sold the business to a new owner, Anthony Calderaro, who intends to continue to operate the dairy and plant.

Our goal is to manage ownership of the property for a few years while completing restoration work and leasing it to Butterworks Farm until the work is completed and the farm is ready to purchase it, thereby supporting the business transition so the farm can stay viable. The wetland restoration project on the parcel will boost our efforts to improve flood resilience along that stretch of the Missisiquoi River. A dam removal project on an adjacent conserved property is planned for 2026.

Belvidere, Eden – We worked with The Nature Conservancy to conserve and sell 1,214 acres of working forest, wetlands, and streams, the last of the Atlas Timberlands we owned in partnership. Located on the west side of the northern Green Mountains, the newly protected land adds to a large block of State-owned and private unfragmented forest, some of which is conserved, that extends along the Green Mountain chain. The mostly wooded property is rich with water resources, including a section of the North Branch of the Lamoille River, Perkins Brook, and numerous headwater streams. There are also extensive wetland areas; one of the most significant is part of the roughly 400-acre Belvidere Bog wetland that stretches beyond the property boundaries and is home to a range of animals, birds, and aquatic creatures. The diverse habitat supports an active beaver population.

Berlin – The Town of Berlin, the Perrin family, and the Berlin community came together to add 115 acres to their town forest – protecting woods, wildlife habitat, wetlands and streams, and ensuring public access for generations to come. The parcel was owned for many decades by the Perrin family, longtime Berlin residents who used it for farming until the 1960s. After the passing of brothers Henry and David Perrin, a family trust decided to protect the land in honor of their loved ones. The Town purchased the parcel once the Perrin family conserved it with us.

It was added to the Irish Hill Town Forest and fills a missing piece to connect more than 1,000 acres of conserved forestland. It will be permanently open to the public for recreation and education, including hiking, walking, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, hunting, snowshoeing, and wildlife observation.

Calais – Scott Bassage and Charlotte Hanna donated conservation protections on 223 forested acres for biodiversity, flood resilience, and protection of water quality. Located in the Pekin Brook watershed adjacent to Route 14, the property features beaver-influenced wetlands, an extensive riparian corridor, and beautiful westerly views of the Worcester Range. Almost 30 acres of northern white cedar seepage forest and swamp are present, as well as three functional vernal pools that provide important breeding habitat for various amphibian species including spotted and Jefferson’s salamanders, and wood frogs. There are also three areas of rich fen that are associated with wetland complexes along a tributary to Pekin Brook. The Calais Conservation Commission was a key partner and the Town of Calais contributed funding.

Cambridge – We undertook several projects at Brewster Uplands, a VLT-owned property that is open to the public. In a major trail improvement effort, we upgraded the mile-long Pond Loop Trail for accessibility. Its new surface and accessible parking lot are ready to welcome visitors using wheelchairs and other mobility devices. We also improved flood resilience in the Brewster River watershed by installing a custom flow device at the end of a large wetland complex, to prevent beavers from damming a culvert and flooding a road. Such devices help beavers and humans coexist.

The Loggers’ Loop Trail network and the popular West Farm Trail also saw water quality improvements. Dozens of damaged or undersized culverts were replaced with shallow gravel ford crossings that allow water to flow naturally across trails and forest roads during storm events. These fords, along with new water bars and grade reversals, help mitigate the damaging impacts of floods. Lastly, on the West Farm trail, a crew from the Vermont Youth Corps built infiltration steps out of crushed stone to minimize erosion and runoff.

Corinth – The Aebi family conserved 115 acres of farm, woodland, and sugarbush, and simultaneously sold the property to Christmas tree farmers, Patrick Martin and Carrie Frattali. The rolling fields provide spectacular views of the surrounding hills and the White Mountains, and the property hosts headwater tributaries of the Waits River, wetlands and a rich fen.

A former dairy, the property was purchased more than 20 years ago by Ernst Aebi, who worked to reclaim and rehabilitate the fields and eventually rented the hayland and pasture to neighboring farmers. After he passed in 2023, his daughter Tania Abei spearheaded the effort to protect the land and make it available for farming into the future. New owner and farmer Patrick grew up on his parents’ Christmas tree farm nearby, which is visible from the hills of his new home.

Duxbury – The VLT-owned Pratt Refuge expanded to 514 acres, thanks to a generous gift of 49 acres from John Pratt, the son of Fred and Chris Pratt who donated the adjacent 471 acres of forestland to us in 2019.

In addition, we worked to improve bird habitat on over 15 acres at the Pratt Refuge for migratory species that rely heavily on the property as a breeding ground. Implemented in partnership with Audubon Vermont and the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, the habitat improvement project will transform the site from a structurally simple forest to one with well-developed understory, midstory, and canopy layers. These layers offer nesting, perching, and foraging sites, and protective cover for a greater array of bird species, including the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Canada Warbler, Wood Thrush, Bicknell’s Thrush, American Redstart, and Blue-headed Vireo.

Orange, Washington – Jesse and Jen Lambert of Lambert Farm conserved 78 acres that includes nearly 60 acres of organic hayland to support their farm operation. The newly conserved property neighbors their main farm, which they purchased and conserved through our Farmland Access Program in 2014. They run a thriving custom feed harvesting business. They also raise replacement heifers for other dairy farms, sell hay, and raise beef cows, selling halves and cuts of meat from their farmstand on Lambert Road.

Roxbury – Charles Harman left a 56-acre wooded property to VLT in his will, which we conserved and sold to Colin Stetson. Charles and his late wife, Dorothy, had owned the land for many decades and worked with a local forester to care for it, managing it for timber, wildlife habitat, and recreation. In a happy coincidence, when we were ready to conserve and sell the parcel Charles’s forester made a match for us with Roxbury resident Colin Stetson, who had been hiking and hunting on the land for several years. We will use the proceeds to fund future conservation efforts.

The conserved land is mostly wooded, with wetlands, seeps, springs, and streams. A portion where timber was harvested about ten years ago following a windstorm now has young trees and shrubs that host many migratory songbirds, such as chestnut-sided warblers and eastern towhees. As the new owner and steward, Colin is focused on helping the land and wildlife thrive. That includes planting a wild apple orchard and native northeastern chestnuts for animals.

Williamstown – Rodney and Barbara Graham conserved over 185 acres of organic farmland and sugarbush adjacent to the 905-acre Ainsworth State Park. The farm has been in the Graham family for nearly 110 years, operating for most of that time as a dairy. The family shipped milk to Organic Valley until 2019 when they pivoted to raising Hereford and Angus beef, which they sell locally. Rodney’s father started sugaring in 1990 and today, the farm sells their maple products regionally under the Graham Farms Maple name. The sugarhouse and main sugarbush of 8,500 taps are located on the conserved property.

The property features a string of five vernal pools where fairy shrimp and spotted salamanders were recently documented. In addition to designated protected areas along perennial streams, the Grahams retired wet pasture from farm use to establish permanent protections on headwater wetlands and intermittent tributaries to the Second Branch of the White River.

Wolcott – Jean Ballantyne and Jerry Fox added protections to 17 acres of wetlands and farmland, including over 2,200 feet of river frontage, on their conserved farm to boost flood resilience and improve wildlife habitat. The area includes the confluence of the Wild Branch and the Lamoille rivers. It is now a corridor within which the two rivers can meander freely and spread into their natural floodplains when waters rise. This will mitigate flood impacts in the watershed, provide critical habitat for aquatic and other species, and filter water that flows into Lake Champlain.

In addition, Jean and Jerry will retire several acres from active farm use to reduce human activity near the stream banks and allow forest to establish. They enrolled the land in the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which will plant and maintain trees in the buffer to restore forest along the stream banks and connect wildlife habitats.

Enosburgh, Fairfield – Sarah Downes and Stephen Wadsworth donated conservation protections on 257 acres of forestland, in an area deemed high priority for resilience and connected ecosystems across the vast Northern Forest that spans Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine. The newly protected parcel is especially important for wildlife with a range of supportive habitats, including forested and beaver-influenced ponds and wetlands and beech stands with evidence of use by black bears. It also has two miles of frontage on headwater streams that ultimately flow into the Missisquoi River and Lake Champlain.

Sarah and Stephen have been fixtures in Vermont’s working landscape and the education of its current and future stewards for decades. Now retired, Sarah taught agriculture and natural resources at the Cold Hollow Career Center for most of her career. Stephen has been a dairy veterinary practitioner for more than four decades in northern Vermont and a lecturer and advisor to UVM’s student-run dairy herd.

Fairfax – The Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District led an effort with community members to plant more than 2,000 native trees and shrubs on nearly five acres along a stream in Garland Park, the town forest. Among the species planted were Silver Maple, Nannyberry, White Pine, and Red Osier Dogwood. The added vegetation will boost clean water in the Lamoille River, into which the stream, known as Stones Brook, flows. Long-time resident Newt Garland protected the 63-acre parcel with us in 2019 and then donated it to the Town of Fairfax in 2023.

Highgate – Dan and Lise Brosseau protected 293 acres of farmland, woods, sugarbush, and wetlands for their family farm. Dan bought the property in the 1980s and the experienced farmers have adapted over the decades: after running a dairy for decades, today Brosseau sweet corn is found in Hannaford stores in the area, as well as other local groceries and farmstands across Franklin County and Vermont. They also grow about 10,000 pumpkins for those retail outlets and sell sap from their 8,000-tap sugarbush to a local maple sugarmaker.

The protected property has over 170 acres of agricultural soils and nearly 160 acres of managed forest that includes 87 acres of sugarbush. The parcel also hosts an eight-acre wetland area that provides habitat for local wildlife and enhances clean water in the Missisquoi River basin. Dan and Lise have joined many farm neighbors to the north and south, who have together conserved hundreds of acres in Highgate and Swanton.

Highgate – The Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District led an effort to plant 960 native trees and shrubs on more than two acres of retired farmland on a conserved farm. The planting took place along the Rock River, which ultimately flows into Lake Champlain, and included Silver Maple, Red Maple, American Elm, Silky Dogwood, White Pine, Arrowwood, and many other native species. The effort will improve clean water and flood resilience in the Lake Champlain watershed.

Isle La Motte – James McClare and Colleen Honan conserved 51 acres of open and wooded land with headwater streams, wetlands, and shrublands. The wooded areas feature early successional forest with evergreens and hardwoods. The streams on the property flow directly into Lake Champlain and the trees and shrubs along their banks provide wildlife habitat and promote clean water.

Jericho – We partnered with the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District to plant 965 native trees and shrubs as well as 200 willow stakes on three acres of retired farmland along the Lee River at the conserved Farm Upstream. Students from Mount Mansfield Union High School and the Pond Brook School and farmers from The Farm Upstream joined the effort. The team planted four kinds of willow, two kinds of dogwood, American Elm, Gray Birch, among many other species. Some of the trees were grown on the farm and the rest were sourced from Verterra Nursery in Hinesburg. The trees and shrubs will help hold the soil in place and absorb rainwater, reduce erosion, improve habitat for many species, and boost clean water in Lake Champlain.

Monkton – The Town of Monkton bought and conserved 450 acres from the A. Johnson Company to establish a town forest. The property has significant opportunities for outdoor recreation, including areas with gentle terrain near access points, ponds, extensive forestland and existing woods roads that were used informally in the past by the community. In addition, there are vernal pools, extensive beaver-influenced wetlands, habitats for rare and endangered species, and multiple ponds and miles of streams, including headwater tributaries of Pond Brook and Little Otter Creek. Through a multi-year campaign, the Town and VLT raised over $1.1 million to buy and conserve the property and establish a management fund to help care for the land and improve public access.

Montgomery – Don and Sandy Crocker worked with us and Cold Hollow to Canada to donate conservation protections on 152 acres in the northern Green Mountains for forest health, wildlife habitat, and clean water. The mostly forested property includes over a mile of frontage on the Trout River and one of its tributaries, Hannah Clark Brook. Since buying the land a few years ago, the Crockers have worked to make it more hospitable for a range of wildlife, creating small openings in the woods for the species that need them, and establishing pollinator-friendly patches in the fields. The northern Greens provide critical space for wildlife to live and roam, helping animals migrate safely, maintain genetic diversity, and adapt to climate change.

New Haven, Waltham – Donna Corcoran conserved 152 acres of farmland, woods, wetlands and streams. The land has been in the family for six generations. Donna and her late husband, Thomas, ran a dairy for many years. The property consists largely of high-quality farmland, which has been rented and managed for nearly 20 years by Bristol’s Four Hills Farm for their dairy herd. Those fields will remain open and available for farming into the future. The project includes special protections for the parcel’s wetlands and ecologically sensitive areas.

Orwell – Michael and Alyson Eastman protected more than 200 acres of farm fields, wetland, and streamside land. With nearly 190 acres of fertile agricultural soils, the property has long been used for farming. Alyson’s family, the Audets, have owned it for nearly a hundred years and ran a dairy there for many decades, though in recent years it has been leased to nearby farmers. The current lessee is Jon Lucas of Lucas Dairy Farm, located just a short distance away. We helped Jon, a first-generation dairy farmer, buy his land with conservation support. In addition to the farmland, the newly protected property features Lakeside Floodplain Forest, documented habitat for Lake Cress, a rare plant in Vermont, as well as special protections on nearly 13 acres of wetlands and about 4,000 feet of land along East Creek, which drains into Lake Champlain.

Orwell, Whiting – Dairy farmers Kylie and Jeremy Chittenden added protections to their 297-acre conserved farm to ensure it will remain available to future farmers. The project also established a Wetland Protection Zone on nearly 19 acres of wetland and riparian habitat along tributaries of Sawmill Brook and the Lemon Fair River. In addition to the conservation transaction, we planted 200 native trees and shrubs along one of the tributaries, for clean water and flood resilience.

The farm is primarily used for crops and labor housing and is part of a nearly 6,500-acre continuous block of conserved farmland in the productive Champlain Valley. The land was originally protected 25 years ago, and long used by Kylie’s parents, Lorenzo and Amy Quesnel for the family dairy business. Kylie and Jeremy are gradually taking over the business and the land from the Quesnels, and this conservation project is one step among many in the complicated process of passing on a farm to the next generation. Jeremy and Kylie plan to invest the conservation funding on much needed deferred maintenance of farm infrastructure. They also plan to improve their land management, continue their unique work in in-vitro dairy genetics, and keep the business going for at least another generation.

Sheldon – Stephen and Richard Dodd protected 332 acres of farmland, sugarbush, streams, and wetlands. The brothers took over the family dairy farm in 1989 and have run it together ever since. They bought this parcel to add to the land base they use for the business, milking about 220 cows. Steve’s daughter, Morgan, and her husband Seth, live and work on the farm, managing day-to-day work with the cows. Steve’s son, Ethan, taps the 61-acre sugarbush on the property and produces maple syrup. Steve and Richard are preparing to transfer the business to the next generation in the coming years.

The brothers first conserved more than 160 acres along a tributary of the Missisquoi River, in 2022. This parcel is located further upstream on the same tributary. Its protection helps create a corridor for wildlife along the water.

Shoreham – Kathleen and Randall Brisson conserved 152 acres of farmland, woods, and wetlands. Randall’s grandfather started the farm about 90 years ago. The family ran a dairy for over 60 years and then switched to leasing the productive cropland to neighboring farmers. It is currently used by Joe and Kathleen Hescock of Elysian Fields for their organic dairy based nearby. The Hescocks practice rotational cropping of organic hay, corn, and grains for their herd. The Brisson farm joins many other conserved farms in the area that will remain open for future farmers.

South Burlington – After working closely with conserved Bread & Butter Farm and a coalition of community partners including the City of South Burlington for several years, we helped The Agrihood Collective purchase 360 conserved acres to establish a community hub for food and farming in the greater Burlington area. Led by farmers, food business owners, and agroecologists, the group’s mission is to provide communities with quality nutrition, land-based education, and healthy ecosystems by ensuring the permanent regenerative stewardship of land and viable farm livelihoods.

In an area facing intense development pressure, the effort has protected 227 acres of farmland, 46 acres of wetlands, and 13 miles of streams that will be permanently stewarded using farming practices that restore soil and ecosystems, and will serve as a home for land-based education. The Agrihood Collective joins a small set of community-based groups forging new models for shared ownership of farmland and natural resources.

South Burlington – The City of South Burlington donated conservation protections on 105 acres of the centrally located Wheeler Nature Park to safeguard the space as a vital community resource for residents of the city and neighboring towns into the future. The effort will keep the land open for outdoor recreation, education, and other community uses, and protect the property’s biodiversity, wildlife habitat, water resources, forestland and fields. The park boasts an extensive trail system that winds through wooded areas as well as open land, with signage, boardwalks, stream crossings, and bridges. In addition to recreational use, the property is also used for outdoor education by students and teachers.

The conservation effort began after a 2016 task force of city committees and the South Burlington Land Trust came together to chart a course for the park’s permanent protection. The park will continue to be owned and managed by the City.

Swanton – Arthur Boulerice conserved more than 350 acres of farmland, woods, and a sizeable wetland including red maple-northern white cedar swamp. The Boulerice family stopped milking cows many years ago but the land still provides feed for cows at a neighboring dairy, the Longway Farm which also owns conserved land in the area. The farm is a “puzzle piece” within a swath of conserved farmland near St. Albans Bay. The contiguous block now totals nearly 9,000 acres and includes some of the best farmland in New England.

Bennington – First-generation farmer Becca Knouss conserved 82 acres of farmland, woods, and wetlands where she runs The Goat Project, producing raw goat milk and goat-milk soaps. The parcel is nearly surrounded by conserved farms and forest, with 1,200 acres of protected forest to the east. Becca began her business while renting farmland but needed space to expand her operation. She reached out to us for help and, in 2016, bought this land with a plan to protect it. The effort was completed in December 2024, when she conserved the parcel with us. With a grant from the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, Becca is expanding into cheesemaking.

Dorset – We removed a small, decrepit dam on conserved land owned by Jeff Simpson to allow a headwater tributary of Otter Creek to flow freely for the first time in nearly 200 years. The restoration project improved wildlife habitat and reduced the risk of flooding downstream due to unexpected dam failure. We worked with engineering specialists to remove the dam and restore the stream bed, floodplain terraces, and wetland areas nearby so the stream can hold more water during heavy storms. We also planted 120 native shrubs and trees as well as wetland plants along the restored banks to reduce erosion and improve habitat.

Dummerston – The Putney Mountain Association bought and conserved 159 acres of forest to connect a nearly 30-mile trail on the Windmill Ridge from Putney to protected lands and trails to the south in Dummerston. The new “Fall Brook” parcel was sold to them by long-time PMA supporters Greg Brown and Carolyn Mayo-Brown. Its conservation protects about two miles of the “Missing Link Trail,” which passes a beautiful vista.

The effort also conserves West River tributaries, including parts of Fall Brook, a large deer wintering habitat, and Vermont’s second largest white ash tree. The newly protected land adds onto a nearly 60-acre parcel we worked together to protect five years ago. PMA now safeguards more than 1,000 acres along the local ridgeline.

Hartford – Sylvie and Daniel Horning conserved 95 acres of predominantly forested land after purchasing it from VLT. The land had been donated to us in 2021 by Mark and Kym Williams, who wanted to ensure the land would be protected. The proceeds will fund future conservation work. With a mix of forest and ledgy areas, the property has valuable habitats for a range of wildlife species. The majority of the property is mapped deer wintering habitat. There are also two streams flowing through the Williams property that converge before flowing into the White River that lies to the south.

Putney – The land where the Putney Farmers’ Market and Putney Community Garden have been located for over 15 years has been permanently protected as open space. We helped Green Commons, a new nonprofit, buy and conserve the one-acre parcel by providing technical assistance and supporting their grant and community fundraising efforts. The land protection helps realize a larger vision of integrated greenspace and affordable housing in Putney village.

Windham and Windsor Housing Trust’s Alice Holway mixed-income housing development is now underway on the adjacent parcel. The protected community land is the village’s only public green space, secures the viability of the community garden and farmers’ market, and ensures the land will be available for community uses in perpetuity. Further, the land is now owned and managed by the people who have developed and supported this community resource over many years.

Rochester, Braintree – Jenny and Dave Emery donated conservation protections on 292 acres of predominantly forested land with abundant wildlife — black bear and moose, as well as blackpoll, blackburnian and chestnut-sided warblers. The forest sits at higher elevations up to nearly 3,000 feet along the west side of the Northfield Range, and includes part of the summit of Round Top Mountain. The land also has open pastures that are used by VLT-conserved North Hollow Farm, which grazes beef cattle on the land. The easement designates special protections for an area of montane spruce-fir forest along the ridge. It also protects several springs and seeps, along with headwaters of Marsh Brook, a tributary of the White River.

Fitting like a puzzle piece between state land, municipal land, three VLT-conserved parcels, and NEFF’s Braintree Mountain Forest, the conservation of this parcel creates a contiguous block of over 10,000 acres of protected land in Rochester, Braintree and Granville, centering along the spine of the Northfield Range.

Sandgate – We protected more than 330 acres of working forest in partnership with The Conservation Fund. TCF sold the protected property to a conservation-minded buyer, Ross Rabach. Located in the Taconic Mountains, the parcel has a range of forestland and habitat and is critical for wildlife connectivity. Much of the land features Dry Oak Forests, an uncommon forest in Vermont known for its abundant food for wildlife. A vernal pool nestled in the property’s interior offers important breeding habitat for amphibians. Several forested streams cross the woods, eventually flowing into Chunks Brook, which then joins the Batten Kill River.

West Haven – Ken and Amanda Carter conserved 100+ acres of farmland and woods and became first-time farm owners. Amanda and Ken started Soaring Meadow Farm about 10 years ago, producing beef, pork, poultry, eggs, and vegetables, with a focus on soil health and selling directly to consumers. They had to move from one leased parcel to another several times before buying this land. Conservation grant funding has made the purchase more affordable, and the land is protected for the future. They finally have a place they can settle into securely. The parcel includes streams and wetlands that feed the Poultney River and that now have clean-water and resilience protections.

Westminster – The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association protected 96 acres they added to the Windmill Hill Ridgeline Reserve, to improve public access to nature and an extensive trail system in southern Vermont. The conservation completes a 22-year effort by the Association to protect this forestland for wildlife, biodiversity and climate resilience. The land includes headwaters, wetlands, and vernal pools that provide breeding habitat for spotted salamanders and other aquatic species.  

The addition is near a trailhead in the middle of a long corridor running north from Putney Mountain to Rockingham. It includes one of the highest points of elevation in the town of Westminster and an accessible, flat clearing that is an ideal activity area for groups to gather, such as for school outings or other events. It also abuts land previously conserved by the Association along the Windmill Hill ridgeline. 

Whitingham – Leon and Linda Corse conserved a key 10-acre farmland parcel for their grass-based, organic dairy that began operations in 1868. The parcel is one of the three most important crop parcels for the Corse Farm, which was certified organic in 2008 and sells its milk to Organic Valley. In addition to protecting the land’s natural resources, the conservation project made it possible for the business to buy the parcel from a relative, securing it for the business’s future. The extended Corse family has conserved over 700 acres of productive land in Whitingham, including their 291-acre home farm.