Woody Adams Conservation Forest

and the protecting the Norwich Town Forest on Gile Ridge

From Gile Mountain, on a clear day Conservation one can see the highest summits in the Upper Valley and mountains far Benefits away -- Mount Ascutney, Killington • Water quality of Peak and the Green Mountains, Mount streams, seeps, and Cardigan, Smarts Mountain, Mount vernal pools in two Moosilauke and many of the White watersheds Mountains beyond. Along with access • Flood prevention in to amazing views, the forested slopes the upper reaches of a watershed that‘s had on Gile Ridge harbor many ecological previous significant features important for wildlife habitat, downstream flooding flood resilience and climate change • Forest contiguity and mitigation. Now we have an urgent ecosystem integrity opportunity to protect these. in a high priority upper reaches of a watershed that unfragmented forest Gile Ridge: Resources at Risk has experienced previous significant block The 186-acre Woody Adams tract downstream flooding. • Wildlife connectivity of sits between the Norwich Town Forest important North-South and the Town-owned property where A Conservation Solution and East-West wildlife the Fire Tower, one of the region’s When the Adams property was corridors most popular hiking destinations, is listed for sale, there was concern that • Climate change located. The Blue Ribbon Trail along the forest might be fragmented and resiliency by the ridge passes through the Woody protecting higher the trail experience degraded. elevation sites for Adams tract. The Upper Valley Land Trust shifting species All three parcels contain signficant (UVLT) and the Town of Norwich distributions high-elevation forest resources in the moved quickly to secure the property. • Climate change Acquisition of the Woody Adams mitigation via forest tract will more than double the Gile carbon sequestration and storage Ridge acreage in Town ownership. All three parcels will be protected • Permanent public with a conservation easement held access on existing “Blue Ribbon” trail by UVLT and the Vermont Housing and opportunity for a and Conservation Board. The total higher-elevation back- conserved acreage will be 290 acres. country Nordic ski and snowshoe loop We must raise $65,000 in private contributions to complete the transaction and protect this special YOU CAN HELP! area. Make your tax deductible The time to act is now! gift payable to: The property has been removed from the Upper Valley Land Trust real estate market for a limited time to 19 Buck Road Hanover, NH 03755 allow UVLT and the Town to raise the funds to buy and protect it. If we are Or make a secure online unable to secure the funding, we will contribution at: lose this opportunity. www.UVLT.org Above: Perennial stream and vernal pool located on the Adams Join UVLT and the Norwich property. The 186-acre parcel, to be named in honor of Tony Adam’s Conservation Commission father “Woody,” is centrally located in a 9500-acre forest block that is and say YES to resilient considered a “Priority Interior Forest Block” and a “Highest Priority forests, healthy watersheds Connectivity Block” by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. This forest block also contains Gile Mountain -- the highest peak in and protection of trail Norwich. access to Gile Mountain.

Below, right: The acquisition of the Woody Adams forest and We’re 80% of the way to the conservation of the two parcels currently owned by the Town our fundraising goal! will protect existing trail access and user experience on the Blue Please join in the campaign to Ribbon Trail and a woods road across the Town Forest. The conservation easements will improve opportunities for sustainable raise the remaining 20%! forest management and stewardship of wildlife habitat and natural For more information contact: communities. Peg Merrens, Upper Valley Land Trust [email protected]

Costs: Purchase price of Woody Adams Forest* 300,000 Legal and transaction costs to protect all three parcels 20,000 Endowment for easement enforcement 10,000 330,000 Funding: Vermont Housing and Conservation Board 125,000 Town of Norwich Conservation Fund 130,000 UVLT Restricted Funds 10,000 Campaign for Woody Adams Conservation Forest 65,000 330,000 *The appraised value of the Adams property is $510,000. The owner has agreed to sell it far below market value and contribute to the conservation of the Gile Ridge forever.