http://www.vnews.com/12062010/7394142.htm
Also see:
http://compasspaper.com/weathersfields-new-town-forest-p2203-112.htm
Published 12/6/2010 Weathersfield Has Town Forest By Katie Beth Ryan Valley News Staff Writer Weathersfield -- Mount Ascutney looms large in Weathersfield's background, both for those who gaze at it from their homes every day, and for those who glance at the 3,100-foot mondanock while passing through town on Route 5. For years, members of the Weathersfield Land Preservation Association sought to ensure that the town's impressive, unspoiled slope of the mountain would be spared from development and enjoyed by those living in Weathersfield or passing through in the future. That hope recently came to fruition when the town entered a 300-acre property into a conservation easement with the Upper Valley Land Trust, to officially be established as the Weathersfield Town Forest. “From a conservation standpoint, it was kind of a no-brainer for us,” said Gary Pelton, chairman of the Weathersfield Conservation Commission. “Weathersfield's one of those small towns with a lot of good views, especially of Mount Ascutney.” The town had eyed a property owned by the late Red Whipple, and later by his daughter Janet Fellows, who approached the town while planning her estate before her death, but couldn't come to a price agreement for the land. After Fellows' death, Weathersfield's conservation community sought out the funds needed to move on the property, valued at $125,000, into an easement for recreation and wildlife conservation purposes. “To have it mined for gravel, to have the forest on that side of the mountain destroyed, was something none of them wanted,” said Peg Merrens, vice president of the Upper Valley Land Trust, who assisted the town in its successful application for a National Scenic Byway Program grant. To come up with the required 20 percent local match for the grant, the Weathersfield Land Preservation Association contributed $10,000 from its coffers, and an additional $20,000 was raised from roughly 100 local donors, who gave anything from a handful of dollars to a couple of thousand. The project was the first for which the association directly raised funds , said its president, Steve Aikenhead, and one that generated unbridled support among those who wanted to preserve the view of the mountain for perpetuity. Per Janet Fellows' will, the proceeds from the sale will benefit the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center in Springfield, Vt. “People really stepped forward and did it quickly,” said Aikenhead. “We didn't have much time to raise that money, but there was an immediate support for this cause. People really care about Mount Ascutney.” In taking the 310-acre property off the tax rolls, the town loses some $3,500 in tax revenue, according to association member Willis Wood. But the Weathersfield Selectboard was amenable to keeping the land untouched as a place for hiking and hunting, and saw its aesthetic value. “We had to convince them that was a good trade. They all went for that,” said Wood. “I think the best thing about it is that it will always be the way it looked. It will take that risk of development right away from it,” he added. “(From) any corner of town, Mount Ascutney will suddenly pop up.” The newly-formed Weathersfield Town Forest is part of a large ring of protected land surrounding Mount Ascutney, including the Little Ascutney Wildlife Management Area, the West Windsor Town Forest, and the state-run Ascutney State Park.
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