State Forester To Assess Nettleton Preserve April 2

By Kendra Bobowick

One of Newtown’s most prominent scenic spots will receive some expert attention Monday, April 2. Newtown Forest Association (NFA) President Bob Eckenrode is among a small group planning to meet with Department of Environmental and Energy Protection (DEEP) state forester Larry Rousseau.

“We are looking for input and good science to manage our resources,” Mr Eckenrode said. “Step A is finding professionals.

“We take our responsibility seriously to maintain rural character of Newtown and part of that is maintaining the health of these properties,” he said. The Nettleton Preserve “is one of the key properties that gets a lot of use and it’s high visibility and just beautiful,” he said.

Nettleton Preserve is part of a bigger plan. “We are looking at our larger properties that we oversee to evaluate our stewardship plans,” he said. Mr Eckenrode described “a roadmap to care for properties in a sustainable way long-term.” Regarding Nettleton specifically, he said, “We have wildlife trees, wetlands, meadows, and we have a passive recreation component there, too.”

Nettleton, which overlooks the flagpole on Main Street from its spot on a high slope off Castle Hill Road, is “an integral piece of property to the town,” said Mr Eckenrode. He wants to see a comprehensive plan for how the property is used, “and we want to share that with the community.”

“We want an accurate natural resource inventory and from there we can make educated decisions on what we want to work on,” he said. He anticipates selectively cutting trees “to release native ground shrubs and at the same time maintain a view from up above.”

He said, “The thought is, how to manage some of the open space properties for the benefit of the community at large, and maximize use of open space properties.”

The NFA is already working with the town “to see where our properties connect with [town-owned] open spaces.” He wants to enhance a “connectivity to Main Street,” and answer the questions, “how can we raise visibility of property for passive recreation? What’s the potential to raise its profile so more people can utilize it?”

He said, “The more community involvement we have, the more pride people will take in the property itself as a valuable piece of rural landscape in Newtown.”

Focusing on the Nettleton stewardship also accomplishes another NFA goal. “We are looking to showcase the kind of organization we are.” The NFA seeks to employ “good science techniques, enhance the wildlife and natural resource, and [improve] passive recreation possibilities.”

The NFA would also like to establish this site as an annual Earth Day event involving the public. On May 5 is a cleanup will take place at Nettleton in the spirit of Earth Day. Volunteers are welcome. Details are available at NewtownForestAssociation.org.

According to the website, the NFA — a private land trust — received the 23-acre Nettleton Preserve property at 15-25 Castle Hill Road from Howard T. Nettleton (1973) and D. Labelle (1996). The area was named Castle Hill in 1888 for the castle built on the site by Peter Lorrillard Ronald, world traveler and millionaire.

Flanked by two long wings, a center section 110-feet long featured a drive-through carriageway. When Ronald died in 1905, he left the castle to his mistress, but not the means to maintain it. The building deteriorated and was finally demolished in 1947. The property extends down to West Street and buffers it.