Location: on Route 100, just after Moscow Road on the west side of the road.
Date Protected: July 2004
Acres: 37
Current Landowner: Nichols Family; conservation easement held by Stowe Land Trust, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and the Town of Stowe.
Conservation Purposes: The primary purposes of the conservation easement are to conserve productive agricultural and forestry lands in order to facilitate active and economically viable farm use now and in the future; conserve the property’s natural, undeveloped character and open space for present and future generations; conserve a buffer along the Little River; conserve the viewshed; and provide public access for non-motorized recreation.
Funding Partners: Stowe Land Trust members and donors, the Freeman Foundation, the Town of Stowe and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board.
Project Background: The conservation easement that was placed on the Nichols property keeps the beautiful, rolling meadow open for agricultural use, yet still allows for the Stowe Antique Car Show, one of Stowe largest attractions, and the operation of the Nichols’ family snowmobile business in the winter. This project demonstrates that protecting the environment and preserving economic vitality can be two sides of the same coin.
Property Description: The Nichols property consists of two parcels totaling 37 acres. The property consists of a large open field containing a small wetland area at its southern end. It abuts the Little River to the west, Route 100 to the east and the Salvas property to the south. The topography varies from level ground to gently rolling. There are pleasing views of Mt. Mansfield to the west, and of the Green Mountain State Forest to the south. A large portion of the property is in the floodplain of the Little River. The property is noted for providing a bucolic entrance to the Town of Stowe.
Public Access: The Nichols property is open to the public for all types of non-commercial, non-motorized, dispersed outdoor recreational purposes including, but not limited to, bird watching, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, snowshoeing, swimming, trapping and wildlife observation. The field is actively hayed and we ask that the public refrain from using the meadow while it’s being hayed. The conservation easement allows for one commercial event to occur on the property after August 1st of any given year. During the event, public access is limited. Please respect the event holder’s wishes while the event is in progress.
Directions: The Nichols property is located on Route 100 in Stowe, Vermont. From the intersection of Route 100 and Moscow Road, travel north for 0.1 miles. The property is on the left or west side of the road for the next 0.28 miles, ending to the south of the existing barn.
