From Celebration to Stewardship: Our Commitment to Conserved Land
The funds have been raised. The ribbon has been cut. The land is conserved. Now what?
In many ways, conserving a piece of land is a little like a marriage. There is a lot of excitement leading up to the “big day.” We celebrate together, raise a toast to a successful match, and then…
And then the commitment begins.
When we sign the conservation papers, Stowe Land Trust vows to protect that piece of land forever. With the addition of the Adams Camp Connector this year, our stewardship staff is currently responsible for 40 conserved parcels and more than 4,600 acres of land in Stowe, Waterbury, and Morristown.
There are generally two types of conserved properties: those owned and maintained by Stowe Land Trust (six properties totaling over 400 acres, all of which are open to the public), and those that remain under private, state, or municipal ownership where we partner with the property’s current landowners to steward the protected land.
In the same way a good marriage takes work, caring for a piece of land requires communication, care, dedication, and patience.
► Communication.
The first step after a piece of land is conserved (or when conserved land is sold to a new owner) is to meet with the landowners to explain the conservation easement and answer questions about what they can and cannot do on the land. Depending on their goals, we then connect them with wildlife experts, foresters, and conservation partners who can provide further expertise specific to those goals.
► Care.
At least once a year, we walk each conserved property to make sure the commitments we made to protect it are being upheld. Often, this leads to organizing a volunteer day to control invasive species or help maintain trails. For properties owned by Stowe Land Trust, such as Kirchner Woods and Wiessner Woods, we spend time most weeks fixing trail tread, replacing bridges, clearing downed trees, restocking poop bags for dog walkers, or adding maps to our trailhead kiosks.
► Dedication.
Protecting land in order to “enhance quality of life for all connected to the Stowe area” as our mission states means we’re
always looking for ways to improve connectivity, access, and climate resilience. In 2024, we partnered with Stowe Trails Partnership to widen the bridges and tread on the lower trails at Kirchner Woods to make them accessible to adaptive bikers and easier to navigate for a wider variety of walkers. In the coming years, we’ll be working with our partners to plan and build a new multi-use, three-season trail and a winter trail on the new Adams Camp Connector conservation easement; closing out erosion-prone old logging roads in Shutesville Ledges; conducting an ecological inventory in Wiessner Woods; and adding strategic woody additions to improve flood resilience in streams.
► Patience.
Unlike a marriage between two people, Stowe Land Trust can’t “divorce” a piece of land. Our commitment to that land is forever, which means we think about what the land needs today and how to protect it for generations to come. Each Stowe Land Trust-owned property has
its own long-range management plan that guides stewardship to ensure that our children’s children–and their children–enjoy the benefits of nature many decades from now.
at the bottom of our webpage.
What’s Next for Adams Camp Connector?
► We are working on design plans for both a three-season hiking and mountain biking trail and a winter ski and snowshoe trail with input from our partners at Stowe Trails Partnership, Catamount Trail Association, and Stowe Nordic, and in consultation with the property’s landowner.
► Next, we’ll need permits which could take some time as they may need to go through the Act 250 and various state processes. Don’t worry if you don’t see much happening out there right away; we’re working on it in the office!
► Once we are ready to break ground, Stowe Trails Partnership will be overseeing the day-to-day construction work and management of the three-season trail and the Catamount Trail Association will be overseeing day-to-day construction work and management of the winter trail.