WOLF DEN LAND TRUST

Did you know that 3,000 acres of open space are lost each day in the U.S., mostly due to development?

The goal of the Wolf Den Land Trust is to preserve diverse habitats and open space for future generations, and to demonstrate healthy stewardship activities on this land. We are a private, 501-(c)(3) nonprofit, incorporated organization, which enables us to hold title in real estate and accept charitable donations.

Also see Maps.

ORIGIN AND STRUCTURE

Typically, a land trust is organized as a private, nonprofit, incorporated organization, enabling it to hold titles to real estate and to accept charitable donations. The purpose of land trusts in the U.S. is to preserve diverse habitats and open space for future generations. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate healthy stewardship activities for this land. The open land and natural resources found in these land trusts are very important to the communities and regions where they operate. Land trusts in the United States have been increasing by 23% a year or at a rate of one per week. In spite of this growth, even more are needed because in the USA we are losing land at the rate of 3000 acres per day, much of it to development.

More than half of the existing land trusts have been formed in the past 15 years. Connecticut is fortunate to have 115 land trusts or about 10% of the total in the United States. The Eastern Connecticut Forest Landowners Association (ECFLA) was founded in 1978.

In order to help carry out its mission of providing forest education and preserving open space, ECFLA founded and incorporated The Wolf Den Land Trust on September 17, 1984. Raymond "Rad" Ostby was our land trust chairman for many years. Dr. David Schroeder, Chairman of the Natural Resource Department at the University of Connecticut, is our current chairman. WDLT’s Shoemaker Forest was the first land trust property in Connecticut to have an approved Forest Stewardship Plan written for it under the federal Stewardship Incentive Program. The organization rapidly acquired land donated by local citizens. Please refer to the map for dates of acquisition, location and size of each parcel. A steward was appointed for each parcel for the purpose of managing the land and carrying out the wishes of the donor. After retiring as a practicing gastroenterologist and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale, I devoted more time to the WDLT, and in June 2001, I was appointed Stewardship Coordinator. The stewards meet on a regular basis to address management issues concerning the parcels for which they are responsible. "Stewardship classrooms" are scheduled where ECFLA members and our community can view stewardship practices on the ground.
ECFLA and WDLT are anxious to communicate and work closely with the community they serve, welcome new members and encourage inquiries concerning activities and suggestions as to how to better serve you.

HOLDINGS - see MAPS

As of December 2003, Wolf Den Land Trust holdings include 10 properties totaling 456 acres. They are listed below in order of acquisition. All are actively managed by professional foresters. Properties # 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9 currently have a trail system, and are open to the public for passive recreation such as birding and day hiking. No motorized vehicles are allowed.

Management plans can be viewed by clicking on the link in the table below. Free Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to open PDF files. Download Acrobat Reader.

A steward has been appointed for each property to manage the land and carry out the wishes of the donor. The chair of the land trust committee is David Schroeder, who can be reached at (860) 974-1991 or via mail. Dr. Vincent De Luca, Jr. is our Stewardship Coordinator.

Wolf Den Land Trust also holds conservation easements on two properties:

For More Information:

• Ten Reasons to Protect Open Space and Farmland
• Shoemaker Demonstration Forest
• Rad Ostby Memorial Forest