The Lake Champlain Land Trust is grateful to have partnered with the Open Space Institute (OSI) to protect several properties in Essex County, New York. The Lake Champlain Land Trust and OSI first joined forces in 1993 as part of the coalition of groups that conserved the northern half of Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest in Essex and Westport, NY. Since that first conservation success, we have partnered to ensure the permanently protection of thousands of acres of New York land, including:
- Baldface Mountain Preserve (Phases I and II)
- Baldface Mountain Expansion
- Trembleau Mountain Ravine
- Trembleau Mountain Tract
- Essex County Local Farm and Forest Projects
Baldface Mountain Preserve (Phases I and II)
Thanks to the conservation vision of the Johanson Family and our partner OSI, this large swatch of conserved forest provides safe passage for large mammals traveling between the Adirondack wilderness areas and the shores of Lake Champlain. The Baldface Mountain Preserve working forest easement protects over a mile of frontage on Butternut Pond, as well as the headwaters of several streams that flow into Lake Champlain. The Preserve’s 2,000+ foot elevations are visible from several vantage points in the Champlain Valley, including the Vermont shoreline and the popular fire tower on Poke-o-Moonshine Mountain. In 2018, the Lake Champlain Land Trust took over OSI’s conservation easement on the Preserve and continues to steward and monitor the property’s natural resources.
Baldface Mountain Expansion (Conserved in 2019)
We are so excited to report that thanks to the Johanson Family and our partner OSI, in December 2019, we expanded the Baldface Mountain Preserve Conservation Project by 354 acres, bringing the total amount of conserved land to over 3,100 acres! In addition to wildlife and water quality benefits, the newly protected land will forever capture carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the forest biomass, slowing the accumulation of this climate-changing gas in the atmosphere. With its expansive size, varied topography, and numerous microclimates, Baldface Mountain Preserve has been identified as a highly “climate-resilient” landscape where plant and animal species can move and adapt in a changing climate. As with most working forest projects, there is no public access to Baldface Mountain Preserve or Expansion.
Trembleau Mountain Ravine (Conserved in 2019)
The Trembleau Mountain Ravine project consists of more than 134 acres of undeveloped, private woodlands that are now protected under a conservation easement generously donated by Andy and Kathy Prescott to protect the land for wildlife, water quality, and natural resource protection.
“We are happy that the entire Trembleau Mountain natural vista on Lake Champlain, from Port Douglass to Port Kent, is now preserved. For the past 50 years the conservation of this property was always something that concerned us,” said landowners Kathy and Andy Prescott. “Thanks to our collaboration with OSI, the Lake Champlain Land Trust, and New York State, the permanent protection of this land has become a reality, and we are proud to know we played a part in making it happen.”
The Prescotts were inspired by the newly protected adjacent Trembleau Mountain Tract property that was conserved by the Lake Champlain Land Trust and OSI in 2017. In 2018, the partners first worked with the Prescott family to buy and protect 57 acres near the mountain’s summit at a substantial discount.
“We are so grateful to the Johanson and Prescott families and OSI for partnering with us to protect these critical forestlands,” noted Executive Director Chris Boget. “These important conservation efforts build upon previous conservation successes, buffering and expanding the size of two large blocks of conserved habitat.”
Our Other Recent New York Projects
In addition to the exciting 600+ acre Trembleau Mountain Tract Project, the Lake Champlain Land Trust also recently partnered with OSI to ensure the permanent protection of six small family farms in Essex County, NY. We are so grateful to be working with OSI and these talented farmers as we work toward our shared goal of protecting the Champlain Valley’s historic farms, working forests, scenic open space, and local sources of fresh food.
Stay Tuned: We’re Working to Conserve More Upland Forests
We are currently working with large forest tract owners on both sides of Lake Champlain to conserve their land for wildlife, water quality, and climate resiliency. Keep an eye on our website and E-newsletter for updates on these exciting projects (Sign up now).
Do You Want To Conserve Your Land?
If your family is interested in exploring voluntary conservation tools to help protect shoreland, forestland, or wetlands in the Champlain Valley, please contact Executive Director Chris Boget at 802-862-4150 or for a free and confidential consultation. The Lake Champlain Land Trust holds both public and private conservation easements. Many of our landowners choose to keep their land private to protect wildlife or maintain the integrity of their working forests and farms.
