VLT, TNC, and NEWT Unite to Safeguard 4,700+ Acres of Vermont Wilderness and Managed Forests
Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted from the Northeast Wilderness Trust website.
The Vermont Land Trust (VLT), The Nature Conservancy in Vermont (TNC), and Northeast Wilderness Trust (NEWT) have recently united to safeguard a contiguous expanse exceeding 4,700 acres of wilderness and managed forests located in Richford and Jay, Vermont. This collaborative initiative serves as a compelling illustration of the effectiveness of an integrated and cooperative approach to conservation.
Located on the north- and west-facing slopes of the Green Mountains, the newly protected land adds to a network of nearly 10,000 acres of unfragmented, protected forest stretching from Vermont to Quebec.
“This is a win for our climate and for the people, plants, and animals who call Vermont home,” said Tracy Zschau, President and CEO of VLT. “This parcel adds to an impressive block of conserved land located within a globally significant boreal forest while supporting sustainable forest management on over 2,000 acres.”
The protections were achieved through three separate transactions. On December 28, the Atlas Timberlands Partnership (between TNC and VLT) sold 2,025 acres in the towns of Richford and Jay to Somerset Investment Partnership, L.P., which then conveyed a conservation easement to VLT that supports forest management alongside strong ecological protections and public access.
On January 5, the Partnership sold 1,986 adjacent acres (referred to as Bear’s Nest) to NEWT subject to a forever-wild conservation easement held by TNC. This is adjacent to another parcel that NEWT purchased in 2023. All three parcels will be open for dispersed public recreation, with additional limits on access to the forever-wild parcels.
“The Bear’s Nest project and the Richford-Jay managed forest project exemplify the best of conservation — partners coming together to safeguard benefits for both nature and communities,” said Eve Frankel, State Director of TNC in Vermont. “In this specific case, Bear’s Nest will sequester and store carbon and protect the Richford community water supply, while the Richford-Jay parcel will provide fiber and forest products for local businesses. Both will provide recreational access while conserving large forest blocks that support the ability of species to move and adapt to a changing climate.”
Photo © Jerry Monkman/EcoPhotography
About Northeast Wilderness Trust: Northeast Wilderness Trust conserves forever-wild landscapes for Nature and people, and it envisions a landscape of connected, resilient wildlands shared by a human culture that recognizes the benefits of wild places. It accomplishes this work by acquiring and stewarding land as forever-wild, and by holding forever-wild conservation easements on properties owned by other organizations or individuals. Northeast Wilderness Trust also champions wilderness in the public sphere. Across New England and New York, the Wilderness Trust secures wild places where Nature can thrive, wildlife can wander, and people can find beauty and quiet. Since its founding in 2002, Northeast Wilderness Trust has protected 82,071 forever-wild acres. Learn more at www.newildernesstrust.org.