Conservation Status

Much of Farm & Wilderness’ property is held in the Forest Legacy conservation easement program, a national program that uses federal funding to enable states to purchase development rights to a property while the ownership of the land remains in private hands. The Forest Legacy program arose out of concern that private landowners were facing mounting economic pressures to convert their forestlands to other uses. The program serves to protect ecologically significant forests from development or fragmentation while continuing to allow timber harvesting, hunting, fishing, and recreational activities. By enrolling the majority of their property in the Forest Legacy program, Farm & Wilderness has guaranteed that the property will remain conserved and undeveloped in perpetuity, even if the property ownership were to change. Several neighbors also have conservation easements on their land through Forest Legacy, and together with Coolidge State Forest, Okemo State Forest, and Green Mountain National forest, this forms a significant block of permanently conserved land along the Green Mountains.

The Forest Legacy program stipulates that all enrolled land allows public access for recreation. Details about the types of allowed uses (i.e. motorized or mechanized recreation, horseback riding) differ between properties and the agreements drafted when they entered the program. At Farm & Wilderness properties, all land in Forest Legacy allows for public trail use, hunting, and timber harvesting.

Of the 604 acres at the Woodward Area, 444 acres are enrolled in the Forest Legacy program. The remaining 106 acres flank Woodward Reservoir, where four of the camps, the farm, and offices are located. At the Ninevah Area, 3,544 acres are under Forest Legacy easement, but the land surrounding the three summer camps located there is excluded. All excluded portions of the property are for private use; public trails are only on the Forest Legacy easements. PERMANENTLY CONSERVED LAND

Permanently Conserved Land Farm & Wilderness Property

Permanently conserved land, both privately and publicly held, is shown in green. Farm & Wilderness property forms a critical connection with neighboring conserved properties.