Be a Part of the New Monkton Town Forest!
The Town of Monkton has an exciting opportunity to buy 445 acres from the A. Johnson Company to create a beautiful, new town forest. It will offer recreation and protect important wildlife habitat and productive forestland.
While we’ve had great success already, there is still a need for you to be part of this effort!
Thanks to generous community members and several grants, we have raised over $1.116 million, which will enable the Town to acquire and permanently protect this land!
But funds are still needed to care for the new Town Forest into the future. Your support now will give this community resource the best possible start!
An opportunity to create a town forest
In 2019, the Monkton Selectboard formed the Town Forest Committee to explore the possibility of a town forest for Monkton. The committee has been researching the creation of town forests, seeking community input, and working with the A Johnson Company, which is interested in selling a large piece of forestland.
A. Johnson is now generously giving the town the chance to buy 445 acres for less than its full appraised value. The committee is working with us to help make the purchase happen.
If this effort is successful, a conservation easement will permanently protect the land as a town forest and the public’s access to it. Management decisions will be decided by the community within the terms of the easement through the development of a management plan, which can evolve over time.
A benefit to the community
The land has impressive wildlife habitat, ecological values, productive forestland, many water features, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Wildlife Habitat and Nature
The property is within a large area of connected forestland and wildlife habitat identified as high priority for conservation at a statewide level. The land hosts uncommon natural communities and habitat for endangered species. There are miles of streams, multiple vernal pools, extensive wetlands, and two beaver ponds.
Recreation
The land has miles of existing woods roads and potential for trail development through a thoughtful community management planning process.
Community
Town forests across the state have become beloved community resources for access to nature and recreation, demonstrating sustainable forestry practices, providing space for outdoor education, scientific study, water quality monitoring, protection of natural features, wildlife habitat conservation, and more.
You can make it happen!
The cost to buy and conserve the land and to establish a management fund is around $1,116,000.
Thanks to generous community members and grants from federal, state, foundation, town, and local sources, we have raised over $1.116 million. This includes $371,000 committed from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, $400,000 from the federal Community Forest and Open Space Program, and $195,000 from existing Town funds (American Rescue Plan Act “ARPA” funds and the Agricultural and Natural Area Fund).
In addition, $52,000 have been raised from generous community members and smaller grants, and the A. Johnson Co. has reduced the land’s price relative to its appraised value by $100,000.
This fundraising will enable the Town to acquire and permanently protect this land. It will also enable the Town to seed a Town Forest Management Fund with as much as $30,000, to help the community care for the land and provide public access to it.
With your help, we can boost the Management Fund to put the Town in the strongest possible position to manage the land for community enjoyment and forest health into the future. The fund will help with costs such as improving access, parking, trails, signage, wildlife habitat enhancement, and leveraging competitive grant funding.
Be a part of creating a strong start for the Monkton Town Forest!
Donate now
If you prefer to mail a check, please include “Monkton” in the memo line, and send to:
Vermont Land Trust
8 Bailey Ave
Montpelier, VT 05602
Gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Please note that funds raised will first cover any unforeseen project costs to make the acquisition possible and then be added to a Monkton Town Forest management fund.
