PUTNEY — Putney Mountain Association (PMA) announces it has received a $195,000 award from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to be used towards a new major land acquisition and conservation project.
PMA will purchase a 144.5-acre parcel of prime ridge land on Holland Hill Road in Putney. This beautiful piece of forested land, which has been in the Hannum-O'Connor family since the 1920s, sits high on the spine of Putney Mountain. The varied terrain includes gentle slopes, stony ledges, old stone walls, a wetland, and the headwaters of Salmon Brook.
The property's value is multiplied by its location, lying as it does between two existing conserved areas: PMA's Dine property and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Its conservation will preserve important wildlife habitat and protect a section of a vital wildlife movement corridor on Windmill Ridge.
Moreover, PMA says, the acquisition will facilitate the organization's developing a new public trail system planned to connect with the Dine trail on Holland Hill Road, and is an important step towards linking with PMA and Windmill Hill Pinnacle trails to the north.
The VHCB grant will cover approximately half of the anticipated project cost of $407,150. PMA says it is seeking the balance of needed funds from foundations and corporate and individual donors, and will soon announce a major fundraising campaign.
Should PMA and its supporters succeed, they will close on the purchase of the land in July.