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How do you conserve a 198-acre tract of prime farmland, core forest, and riparian corridors that has been stewarded by one family for nearly 250 years? The Warren Land Trust (WLT) answered this question over the course of five years through their acquisition of Tanner Farm in Warren.
To tackle the agricultural portion of the property, WLT partnered with a regional land trust, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC), to acquire an agricultural conservation easement on 128 acres of the still-operational farmland. The protection of this farmland was supported by grants from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s (CT DoAg) Farmland Preservation Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
As for the 70 acres of forestland, WLT received grants from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (CT DEEP) Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program (OSWA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program.
Additionally, WLT facilitated the conveyance of a lease on a portion of the land long held by Yale University from the British government set to expire in 2768! That land may have been protected for another 742 years with the lease, but we’d argue that its current perpetual protection is even better.
This acquisition, conducted by an all-volunteer organization, was nothing short of a masterclass on relationship-building, perseverance, resourcefulness, and dedication to helping ensure one family’s vision of seeing their beautiful land remain protected for future generations – which is exactly why CLCC presented WLT with its Excellence in Conservation Organization Award. It is also why, at a Conservation Conversation hosted by CLCC, WLT, and NCLC at the Tanner Farm Preserve, WLT also received certificates recognizing their achievement from Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, State Senator Stephen Harding and State Representative Karen Reddington-Hughes, and U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal.
This star-studded Conservation Conversation also heard from Warren First Selectman Greg LaCava and representatives of the government agencies whose grants helped make the acquisition possible: NRCS’s State Conservationist Tom Morgart and CT DoAg’s Simon Levesque. Also in attendance were representatives of CT DEEP, USFWS, other nearby land conservation organizations, and members of the Board and staff of WLT and NCLC, respectively. It was definitely a packed event, as so many people were excited to celebrate WLT’s success!
As the loss of farm- and forestland continues to rise across Connecticut and the U.S., conservation projects like the Tanner Farm Preserve are becoming increasingly important to protect the ecological benefits, natural resources, and stunning landscapes of our communities. So take this as a lesson not to be afraid to dive headfirst into even the most challenging and complicated of conservation projects, as the rewards will be enjoyed for years and years to come.
Read more about Tanner Farm via NCLC.
