Location: Sterling Valley/Robinson Springs, adjacent to Sterling Forest, Page Forest and the Stancliff property, Stowe.
Date Protected: August 2003
Acres: 95; consisting of a 10 acre house site and 85 acres of “protected property”.
Current Landowner: Wayne Carey; conservation easement held by Stowe Land Trust.
Conservation Purposes: The primary purposes of the easement are to conserve and protect the forest, wildlife habitat, natural communities, and native flora and fauna on the protected property; as well as to protect the property’s natural, undeveloped character and open space for present and future generations.
Funding Partners: Stephen & Carol Adams
Project Background: The rich forest land which makes up the Adams property has been in the Adams family for generations. By the late 1800’s, Walter M. Adams who built the old Partridge Inn as well as the hotel on top of Mt. Mansfield, had acquired several hundred acres in and around Robinson’s Springs. He sold some of the land to Verner Reed and his son, Rogers Adams, who built what is today Edson Hill Manor. Other parcels were sold to Fritz and Muriel Wiessner, a portion of which today is Wiessner Woods. Rogers Adams, and his wife Emily, contributed to Stowe in several ways, but perhaps most notably by assisting the Town in building the fire station just south of the village center. Stephen dedicated the easement of this land to his parents, Rogers and Emily Adams, who he says would be pleased to know that something has been given back to the town that gave them so much.
Property Description: The Adams property in total is 95 acres. The property has a reserved house site on 10 acres with the remaining 85 acres considered “protected property”. The property consists of hardwood forest of varying successional stages. It abuts the Page Forest, Sterling Forest and the Stancliff property, which have been conserved by Stowe Land Trust and Vermont Land Trust. The Adams parcel includes a small, rustic hunting camp. The topography varies from level to rolling hills and the potential for views are outstanding. The forest is primarily northern hardwood type with beech, red and sugar maples, poplar, black cherry, ash and yellow birch. The hardwood stand is interspersed with stands of softwoods, including fir, hemlock and spruce. The Catamount Trail runs through the upper portion of the property, entering from the west and running through the central portion of the property, exiting to the north. Signs of moose, black bear, snowshoe hare and fisher have been seen on the property along with a diversity of birds and amphibians.
Public Access: The Adams property is open to the public for a number of non-commercial, non-motorized dispersed outdoor recreational purposes including, but not limited to, bird watching, fishing, swimming, cross-country skiing, hunting, snowshoeing, trapping, walking and wildlife observation. Primary access to the property is via the Catamount Trail.
Directions: The Adams property can only be accessed by trail from the end of Sterling Valley Road and Maple Run Lane.
