Balloch’s Crossing: A Conservation Corridor Grows
Nearly 200 acres of forest and farmland in Claremont/Cornish has been conserved thanks to UVLT’s Conservation Fund and the generosity of landowners Bill and Jenny 
Lipfert. The property is the third parcel to be conserved in the immediate area, and links previously conserved parcels (“King Elm†and “Northstar Liveryâ€) to the Cornish Town Forest. Altogether, we’ve now conserved over 300 acres including more than a mile of frontage on Route 12-A, a mile and a half of frontage on the Connecticut River and an east-west conservation corridor over one mile long.
This portion of Sullivan County is a conservation priority because of its very productive agricultural soil, outstanding scenic qualities and habitat connectivity. The Lipferts actively manage their woodland and have been conducting timber stand improvement activities under the guidance of USDA NRCS. Portions of open fields on the property have been recently planted in buckwheat by their neighbor and farmer, John Hammond.
This project, known as “Balloch’s Crossing,†gets its name from a small railroad station that was located at the point where the railroad line crosses Route 12A. The property stretches from Route 12-A to Paddy Hollow Road where the 270-acre Town Forest is located. The conservation easement on the Lipfert property provides potential access to the Town Forest from the west, and adds about a mile and a half of protected trail for hiking and snowshoeing.
The Balloch’s Crossing conservation project is the first to have been funded from UVLT’s Conservation
Balloch’s Crossing location map. Click image to enlarge.
Fund, money donated through several bequests and special gifts dedicated to direct investment in high impact conservation transactions. The Lipferts sold the conservation easement to UVLT for less than its fair market value in a charitable transaction known as a “bargain sale.†To learn more about how you can support crucial conservation outcomes like this one by arranging a planned gift to UVLT’s Conservation Fund, contact Anne Janeway (603) 643-6626 ext 102.
