Newtown Forest Association

To Work With Park Service Consultant

By Dottie Evans

A yearlong, nonmonetary grant in the form of technical assistance has been awarded to the Newtown Forest Association (NFA) by the National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program.

NFA Board Member Tim Northrop spoke for the NFA land trust membership on Friday when he called the appointment “thrilling and exciting.”

“We’re hoping to accomplish much with National Park Service involvement. The Rivers and Trails Program is a small unit of that service that works with communities and land trusts like ours to conserve rivers, preserve open space from development, and develop trails and greenways,” Mr Northrop said.

The National Park Service staff member assigned to consult with NFA board members is John Monroe, who is director of rivers and trails projects in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

“We know he’ll be a great resource as we continue to review our mission and define our stewardship goals,” Mr Northrop said.

The Newtown Forest Association was founded in 1924. As a local, nonprofit land trust, the association is guided by its 11-member Board of Directors and currently has stewardship over more than 1,000 acres of land, preserving it from development for perpetuity. Over the years, a growing base of undeveloped, pristine properties has been acquired by the association through outright gifts, bequests, easements and developer set-asides.

“We do the best job we can,” explained Mr Northrop, “but we’re always looking for new ideas about building the NFA membership and getting people involved in taking care of the properties we hold in trust. It’s a changing dynamic. Of course, we are still very interested in talking with landowners about possible donations of land.”

Invasive Species And ATV Encroachment

Two ongoing property management issues faced by the NFA board are eradication of invasive species and protection from the destructive use of properties by all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Mr Northrop cited the Bruno property in the Taunton district bordering Bethel as being the most recent target for local ATV riders.

“There are a lot of trespassers causing an unbelievable amount of damage there. They use the property without authorization and despite its being posted,” Mr Northrop said.

“This is going on all across the country, and we are only a local example of the problem. The state legislature is addressing ATV use on public lands,” he added.

There are many other issues besides these two that the forest association wants to explore with the help of Mr Monroe, and the board’s first meeting with him on Saturday morning at the caretaker’s house on Holcombe Hill was an exciting beginning.

NFA President Martha Wright expressed satisfaction with the direction that first meeting took.

“We will be getting down to fundamentals with Mr Monroe as we continue to discuss problems and questions that arise. It’ll be a process not unlike pealing the onion,” Ms Wright predicted.

As board members touched on issues of stewardship, membership, publicity, and outreach, they said they were energized by the reactions and expertise of Mr Monroe, who directed the meeting and acted as a sounding board.

“It’s people like you that energize me,” countered Mr Monroe at the close of their first retreat as he peeled off the hastily written notes containing their comments that he had posted on a board for all to see as the meeting progressed.

The board hopes to meet with Mr Monroe once a month, and its various subcommittees will be in touch with him by email and telephone in between meetings.

The Newtown Forest Association is Connecticut’s oldest land trust. Founded in 1924, it was incorporated in 1939. It is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation dedicated to accumulating and preserving open space and natural resources for public enjoyment. Membership information may be found at the website: newtownforestassociation.org.