Nature Conservancy Protects 200 Acres on Black Mountain

Forest Health, Fish, Recreation, and Housing to Benefit

Brattleboro, VT — October 26, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy announced today the protection of 198 acres on the western flank of Black Mountain in Dummerston, VT. Rocky terraces on the mountain slopes are home to a host of rare plants with southern affinities, pitch-pine scrub-oak forests, stands of red pine and the most northern occurrence of fragrant mountain laurel. With this recent addition the natural area now protects 553 acres and connects existing conserved parcels.

The West River, considered one of the best rivers in the entire Connecticut River watershed for restoration of Atlantic salmon also benefits with the protection of more than ¾ mile of river frontage. American shad, American eel and brook trout also inhabit these waters, two state threatened freshwater mussels thrive in the river bed and the river banks support two globally rare tiger beetles. The West is a national priority river in the Conservancy’s Sustainable Waters Initiative, and a cooperative project with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Pubic and private funds are supporting the conservation of this significant parcel. The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) awarded a grant of $365,000 and these funds, together with an additional $66,000 the Conservancy is working to raise from private donors, will cover the purchase cost, project costs and set-up an endowment fund for long-term stewardship of the property.

Tom Bodett, chair of the Selectboard and local resident said, "Black Mountain is the jewel and touchstone of Dummerston. Everything is North, South, East or West of Black Mountain. It is the Monadnock of southeastern Vermont and its conservation helps to protect the character of this community. It's also a darn nice place to take the kids for a hike on a Sunday afternoon.”

The Conservancy, working in partnership with VHCB, is also investigating the opportunity for an in-fill affordable home on a spur of the property. VHCB, now in its 20th year of helping to mitigate the impact of increased development pressure on affordable housing and conservation lands, enthusiastically supported this dual-goal project. The spur, located between existing dwellings on Rice Farm Road, does not share the mountain’s ecological value. Local and national organizations are assisting the Conservancy in assessing the feasibility of building an affordable net-zero-energy home.

Black Mountain was created by fire, and fire still plays a role in shaping its forests today. A dome of molten rock rose beneath the Earth’s crust millions of years ago but never erupted. Gradually the erosive action of glacial ice and water wore down the surrounding bedrock to reveal the mountain we know today and created the terraced slopes inhabited by these unusual forests. Pitch pine and scrub oak are more reminiscent of the coastal plains of New Jersey than Vermont. Healthy stands of red pine, clearly visible from West Dummerston, prosper where natural fire regimes occur. Local historical records note that the mountain burned in 1911 and in 1940, and a small fire occurred as recently as 1994.

Some tree species, like the scrub oak and red pine, may be better suited to the higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns predicted as a result of climate change. By protecting a wide range of forest types, providing connectivity between forest blocks and increasing the size of protected areas the Conservancy is working to increase the health and resilience of Vermont’s forests, and to give individual species the best possible chance of adapting to new conditions.

Recreation opportunities on Black Mountain, which is located close to the bustling town of Brattleboro, include hiking, bird watching and hunting by permission. Botanists have long visited the mountain to search for rare plants including the three-bird orchid and to enjoy the display of showy white blossoms when mountain laurel blooms in June. A trail, maintained by local volunteers, can be accessed a half mile south of the green steel bridge on Rice Farm Road. The Conservancy will continue to allow parking and access to a popular swimming site just across the river from West Dummerston.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.