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Town of Shelburne Agrees to Donate 140 acre Conservation Easement to The Nature Conservancy

Deal Affects Wetlands, Playing Fields and Powerline Route

Shelburne, VT—December 8, 2006—The Nature Conservancy and the Town of Shelburne announced today an agreement to permanently protect approximately 140 acres of wetland and floodplain forest in the Town of Shelburne.

The Town will donate a conservation easement to the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy placing all or a portion of four parcels under permanent conservation easement. Under this legal agreement the Town will retain ownership of the parcels, future development and logging is restricted, and the Conservancy as the holder of the easement will assume responsibility for legal monitoring and ecological management. The current designation as Town conserved lands only provided temporary protection that could be reversed at any point in the future.

The acreage includes:

• A 23 acre parcel of floodplain forest on the east bank of the LaPlatte River immediately adjacent to the Conservancy’s LaPlatte Rivermarsh Natural Area.
• A 26 acre portion of Blodgett Field that is currently designated as wetlands.
• Approximately 80 acres of wetlands and forested river bank within the 137-acre LaPlatte River Park.
• A portion of a 7-acre parcel on the former Hayes property which was recently added to the LaPlatte Nature Park

The deal, spurred by a controversial routing of the VT Transco power transmission lines between Blodgett Field and the Conservancy’s LaPlatte Rivermarsh Natural Area, also successfully negotiated a route for the powerline which minimizes impacts to wetlands and protects the integrity of the playing fields on Blodgett Field. The Conservancy has accepted the siting of four poles on the southern edge of the LaPlatte Rivermarsh Natural Area which will impact a few acres of the preserve, in return for the donation of a conservation easement on 140 acres.

 “We are excited by this new development in our partnership with the Town of Shelburne,” said Robert Klein, Executive Director of the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy. “By working collaboratively with the Town and with the support of residents of Shelburne we have successfully resolved a complex situation to create permanent protection for the Town’s natural and recreation resources.”

“Moving the VT Transco line north of the new soccer and lacrosse fields to improve the safety of recreational users and to reduce the aesthetic impact is a priority for the Town,” said Paul Bohne III, Shelburne’s Town Manager. “And with The Nature Conservancy’s expertise in ecological management we are gaining a strong partner to assist with the management of Shelburne’s outstanding natural resource areas.”

Natural Heritage
The Town of Shelburne and The Nature Conservancy have long shared a goal to conserve the LaPlatte river corridor, which is referred to in Town plans as the La Platte River Greenway.

Wetlands and floodplain forests of the size and quality found along the LaPlatte River are very rare in Vermont. Some town-owned stands of trees on the eastern bank of the river are estimated to be more than 250 years old, likely dating back prior to European settlement. These natural communities are continually threatened by development activities and invasive exotic species such as buckthorn, honeysuckle and Japanese barberry which crowd out native plants and animals.

“Our first priority as ecological managers is to halt the invasion of non-native species like buckthorn and honeysuckle that are taking over the understory,” said Rose Paul, Director of Science and Stewardship for the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy. “For the past four years students from the Shelburne Community School have worked with us learning about the damage caused by invasive plants and helping to control them on the Conservancy’s preserve and adjacent town lands. We hope to expand this program to other local youth and adult groups.”
 
Bohne and Paul have expressed an intention to work together on grant applications to fund both recreational and ecological management of the properties.

Community Resource
The Conservancy's LaPlatte Rivermarsh Natural Area protects 216 acres of rare floodplain forest along the mouth of the river. A one mile walking trail and canoe access give visitors the opportunity to watch waterfowl, migratory birds and an active beaver family from the land or water. To discover the LaPlatte Rivermarsh Natural Area and the plants and animals that inhabit the preserve turn onto Bay Road from Route 7, and park your car in the Shelburne Bay Fish and Wildlife Access area. The family-friendly trail, equipped with kiosk and trail guide, is located just across the road from the parking area.