UVLT Receives 301-Acre Gift of Britton Property in Newbury, VT

Parcel is Adjacent to Over 1,000 Acres of Protected Lands

Britton Timberlands, LLC (Doug and Katharine Britton) has generously gifted to the Upper Valley Land Trust a very significant 301-acre parcel in Newbury, VT, ensuring that the parcel will be preserved and protected forever.

The Britton Property is on Bowen Road, adjacent to the UVLT-owned and managed 120-acre Woodchuck Mountain Conservation Area. It greatly enhances the conservation area by adding road frontage, trails, and forest and wetland connectivity. The properties will be managed together for forestry, conservation, and public recreation purposes. The Britton Property is also adjacent to the 288-acre Olsen-Long Pond conservation easement, protected by UVLT, and the 636-acre Tucker Mountain Newbury Town Forest, protected by the Vermont Land Trust.

Acquiring the Britton Property was a longtime priority for UVLT.  In fact, Jeanie McIntyre’s discussions with the Brittons began a decade ago. Both parties were eager to proceed after UVLT completed work to add the Woodchuck Mountain property earlier this year.

“We thank the Brittons for their foresight in protecting this property,” says Peg Merrens, vice president for conservation. “The public will forever be able to enjoy this scenic open space that also maintains native species biodiversity, healthy natural communities, and water quality.”

“This property abuts several other conserved parcels in the rural southwestern section of Newbury,” explains Doug Britton.  “Where possible and practical, it is important in Vermont and northern New England to conserve large contiguous tracts of undeveloped land for forestry, wildlife, water quality, recreation, and other uses.  We looked upon this transaction as an opportunity to contribute to that goal.”

The Britton Family owned the property for approximately 70 years, managing it for timber growth and enrolling it in the Vermont Current Use program. While eastern white pine was emphasized where practical, sections of the parcel also feature sugar maple, red oak, hemlock, balsam fir, and other native hardwood and softwood species. White pine was planted in the 1950s in three areas totaling around 30 acres and has been maintained over the years.

During the Britton ownership, the property was managed by Greg Chase, a Hartland, VT, based forester, and, more recently, by Elisabeth (Tii) McLane of South Strafford. McLane completed the most recent Ten-Year Management Plan in 2021, which serves as a detailed description of all aspects of the land and the status of the timber in its five distinct stands. Markus Bradley of Redstart was the consulting forester who developed the management plan for UVLT’s Woodchuck property.

Headwater streams and wetlands on the property feed into Hedgehog Brook and the Waits River and are designated by the state of Vermont as “highest priority surface water and riparian areas.”  The forested landscape provides critical habitat for a variety of species, including amphibians, bear, beaver, birds, deer, fish, and moose.

The property has trails and may provide connections to nearby trails managed by the town of Newbury and the Tucker Mountain Forest Management Committee.