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07/15/2020 08:15 AMHaving raised about $75,000 and with the status of state grants in flux, the Guilford Land Conservation Trust (GLCT) is still hoping to solicit more donations after acquiring its second-largest single piece of land this past spring—121 acres of rivers; mountainous, rocky overlooks; and important habitats for local animals in North Guilford.
About half the land was donated by the Bartlett family, with the other half purchased at market price for $425,000. Libby Bartlett, who passed away in February, spearheaded the transaction, according to the GLCT.
The land, which includes unique geological structures and features created by volcanic activity millions of years ago, will be preserved for hiking and leisure activities, according to GLCT Chair Bill Bloss, and is a very important piece from an ecological standpoint as well.
“It’s kind of Guilford’s continental divide, if you will,” Bloss said.
Normally, with a purchase of land this large, the GLCT would hold a bevy of events to celebrate, educate, and fundraise, according to Bloss, aiming to reach about half the purchase price through private donations.
But with the pandemic disallowing any of those events, and uncertainty in the state’s budget, Bloss said GLCT is hoping residents continue to step up and show their support for conservation and land preservation, particularly with how important hiking and open space has been during the quarantine.
“In the last three months, our trails have never been more heavily used,” he said.
Popular GLCT properties for hiking and recreation include Westwoods’ 1,200 acres just west of Bishop’s Orchards off Route 1 and the Dudley Barrows Woods, with 120 acres near the intersection of routes 77 and 80.
Before the pandemic, Bloss said that funding from the state, likely amounting to half the purchase price, would be “99 percent sure” due to the “vital” ecological importance of the land. Now, he said that no one knows what money will be available from Hartford as the impacts of the pandemic continue to be felt.
“We haven’t heard anything to the contrary, but until we get the check, we’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Bloss said.
Covering parts of Bluff Head and Totoket Mountain, the new property already has a number of trails crossing it, but Bloss said it can be used to connect even more spaces through the town, both for hikers and wild animals.
The wildlife corridor—undeveloped land that allows animal populations to move and mix without being disrupted by human activity or structures—stretches from Madison all the way to North Branford through this land, according to Bloss.
Because a large portion of the area is made of basalt rock—cooled magma from more than a 100 million years ago—soil is shallow but rich, according to Bloss, meaning trees grow shorter and wildflowers bloom spectacularly in the spring, creating a uniquely beautiful landscape.
The property also contains the headwaters of the Coginchaug River, which flows north all the way to Middletown, something that makes the property important not just to Guilford, but to many other towns in Connecticut as well.
Bloss said while the closing with the Bartlett family is imminent, GLCT plans to continue fundraising and reaching out to residents about the property, with information about potential state monies not likely to be available until fall at the earliest.
“We’d like to get as close as we can” to the purchase price, Bloss said, “for two reasons: One is, this is a big deal. But then the other is, there is always going to be another deal, and so we need to have something in the bank to be able to move as quickly as we need to.”
For more information about the GLCT or to donate, visit guilfordlandtrust.org/wordpress.