WOLCOTT – A new 735-acre Community Forest within walking distance of the Wolcott town center has been permanently protected as of September 5.
The forest’s 31 acres of wetlands, 5.5 miles of headwater streams and river frontage, and wildlife corridors for moose, bobcat and other species, provides a natural link between the nearby Green River Reservoir State Park, Elmore State Forest and East Hill Wildlife Management Area.
The new public land is directly adjacent to the Wolcott Elementary School, Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and the proposed Velomont Trail.
It is being created in partnership with the Town of Wolcott, Trust for Public Land (TPL), the Northern Rivers Land Trust (NRLT) and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB).
The property’s conservation values will be permanently secured by a conservation easement co-held by NRLT and VHCB.
The Community Forest will be enhanced with a new five-mile trail network to be created with support from a Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative community grant.
The multi-use trails will provide a wide range of outdoor opportunities including hiking, back-country skiing, mountain biking and an open field for educational gatherings and community events.
The original idea for the Wolcott Community Forest stemmed from conversations in 2020 as local school officials sought outdoor recreation and educational opportunities for their students, without having to take a bus to access public lands.
Following a vote of support from the community for moving forward with the project at a special town meeting on November 3, 2021, the Wolcott Select Board chartered a new Wolcott Stewardship Committee, a formal volunteer committee made up of town residents.
The Stewardship Committee invited input from the entire community, and heard a clear desire for close-to-town recreation options with undisturbed natural areas to benefit both residents and visitors. The group met monthly to learn about forest ecology and management, to understand the potential opportunities and benefits of a municipally-owned forest and to develop priorities and processes for the forest’s creation and future management.
“Wolcott residents have enthusiastically embraced creating their own town forest. It brings so many benefits to our community; it is within walk-able distance from our village center for easily accessible recreation, it is adjacent to our elementary school to expand outdoor education, it provides long-term protection to our river corridors and it prevents future forest fragmentation.
“Wolcott could never have achieved this purchase without the help of TPL. We are so grateful for their assistance in acquiring this land. A dream come true for Wolcott,” said Linda Martin, select board chair.
As the process continued over those two years, the rising frequency of flood events in Wolcott and throughout Vermont elevated an additional goal of the community forest to naturally hold and slow rising storm water from the adjacent Lamoille River and its Elmore Branch tributary. In direct response to those events, the conservation easement includes expanded water protection areas around rivers, streams and wetlands.
The management plan for the Community Forest includes enhancing and restoring more than 80 acres of riparian area along the Elmore Branch.