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Key Wildlife Habitat and Travel Corrdors Conserved in Chittenden County

Property Essential To Unique Citizen Education Program

Jericho, Vermont—On June 30, 2003, 265 acres of exceptional wildlands in Jericho and Richmond known as the Wolfrun Natural Area gained permanent protection, supporting the continuation on this land of Keeping Track_®, a remarkable citizen education program. The Jericho Underhill Land Trust (JULT), the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) partnered with area donors and foundations to make the acquisition possible.

"The wetlands, rugged topography, and upland forest community diversity within the Wolfrun Natural Area constitute a rich mosaic of habitat opportunities for numerous plant and animal species," says Susan Morse, founder and Program Director of Keeping Track_®, "and this extraordinary variety of habitats also provides unparalleled teaching opportunities." Based in Huntington, Vermont, Keeping Track_® is a national nonprofit program that has educated more than 2,000 Vermonters and other citizens to identify and monitor important wildlife tracks and sign on Wolfrun and adjacent conserved property. Keeping Track_® volunteers trained at Wolfrun now help shape science-based conservation planning in nine states and Quebec. The permanent protection of this property also ensures that Morse’s 27 years of Wolfrun wildlife observations will persist as one of the longest-standing continuous collections of mammal data in the country.

Black bear, moose, bobcat, mink and river otter continue to breed and den on this property in Chittenden County, where open land is being developed at three times the rate of population growth and there is extreme pressure on the remaining rural areas. An eight-lot development was under consideration for Wolfrun when JULT signed a purchase-and-sales agreement on December 31, 2001 to buy the land for $293,000 from West Bolton Golf Club, Inc.

Significant funding for the purchase came from local citizen contributions, the Gannett Foundation and The Sweet Water Trust, as well as a major grant of $125,000 from the Freeman Foundation. The Wolfrun property will remain on the tax rolls under the ownership of JULT, and will be subject to a conservation easement held by VLT. This perpetual legal agreement restricts activities that could diminish the land’s conservation values. Wolfrun will continue to host Keeping Track_® classes, and careful management by JULT in consultation with the partner organizations will help maintain the exceptional wildlife habitats while ensuring continued public access for traditional uses.

The Wolfrun Natural Area’s significance also extends to its relationship with adjoining parcels of intact forestland and wildlife habitat in an area known as the Chittenden County Uplands. As suburban development stretches toward the Uplands, a partnership has formed to conserve 15 parcels of land encompassing more than 8,500 acres. The Wolfrun and Preston Pond tracts were key acquisitions in this initiative. (Preston Pond was purchased by VLT, TNC and the Town of Bolton in March 2003.)

The Jericho Underhill Land Trust will continue to seek funding for the ongoing expenses of owning the Wolfrun Natural Area and to ensure the responsible management of the property in perpetuity.