Conservation Advocacy Archives - Upper Valley Land Trust

Seeding the Future Forest

March 21, 2023

Last spring, with the guidance of foresters Jeff Snitkin, Eric Radlof, and Ehrhard Frost of Full Circle Forestry, LLC (FCF, LLC), UVLT began a project designed to seed a future forest at our Up On the Hill Conservation Area in Charlestown. The forestry team evaluated an area that was harvested several decades ago, which involved removing the majority of the valuable trees. The remaining trees lacked timber quality and vigor: trees were defective, primarily small in diameter, and lacking in sufficient crown area. The FCF foresters recommended seeding the future forest by using several regeneration methods.

Lois McGean Made History – Conservation and Housing in Vermont

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March 21, 2023

One of UVLT’s most complex conservation transactions is also one of our earliest – a project that brought together farmland conservation and affordable housing development. The Farrell Farm project, begun in 1988, involved the purchase of conservation easements and land, innovative financing including a grant and loan from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, subdivisions, Vermont Act 250 permits, and strong leadership and vision from Norwich residents. In the middle of all of this was Lois McGean, then chair of the Norwich Conservation Commission.

Ruth Shumway Made History with Farming and Conservation

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March 15, 2023

When Ruth Shumway conserved her Hartland farm in 1990, she was a third-generation farmer who had been farming on her own for more than a decade. Born in 1933, Ruth attended North Hartland elementary schools and graduated from Hartford High School in 1951. She lived in New York state for four years before returning to North Hartland and joining her parents as a partner on the Green Acres dairy farm.

Photo by J. SCOTT ALTENBACH

A Suitable Habitat for Endangered Northern Long Eared Bats

February 10, 2023

Effective March 31, 2023, the Northern Long-Eared Bat (myotis-septentrionalis) will officially move from threatened (first designated in 2015) to endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Interior Forest is a Gift to Nature

January 9, 2023

The Mary Elizabeth Kincaid Woodland, donated to UVLT last month, is part of an unfragmented landscape with diverse topography that sustains native plants and animals.

Trying Times: Conservation Easements and Federal Tax Law 2022

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September 13, 2022

Though many land trusts have extensive knowledge of the tax rules and requirements, they cannot provide specific legal and financial advice to landowners nor prepare tax return documents on their behalf. Instead, says McIntyre “It is critical that we provide educational opportunities and support to the advisors who work on behalf of landowners and are accountable for the preparation of these documents. Every landowner’s situation is unique and they must be able to rely on well-informed, competent advisors. We need to help create an environment where that occurs.”