Land Trust Marks CT Trails Day

Truman Sherk (pictured), has been hiking the Branford trails for almost 45 years. Since he first started exploring, the trails have evolved and expanded as the Branford Land Trust (BLT) has continued to work with the town and other conservation groups to acquire open spaces.

“I used to walk the trails when I was at my grandparents’ house around here,” Sherk said. Since then, he has helped to lead various walks around the Supply Pond. When guiding a group, he recommends hiking the hardest parts first.

Earlier this month, Bill Horne, a member of the BLT Advisory Board, led Sherk and about 20 other people on a walk to celebrate the 22nd annual Connecticut Trails Day. BLT members Meg Kilgore, Bill Leece, Joan Merrick and Harry Merrick also helped to guide walkers. The Branford hike was one of 258 organized outdoor activities across the state on the early June weekend. 

Throughout the year, the all-volunteer organization hosts six to seven organized walks. According to Horne, some are just hikes, while others serve specific purposes such as bird watching or observing fall foliage.

Starting at 9:30 a.m., Horne led attendees across Pisgah Brook and to the top of Saltonstall Ridge. This area is part of the steep Metacomet traprock ridge system, which sits between Branford and North Branford and boasts some of Branford’s highest elevation points. At one point all eyes were on the ground. 

In recent years, the Pisgah Brook Preserve and the Supply Ponds Park have continued to expand due to efforts by the town, the state and BLT volunteers. As a result, for many, the trails have become not only a place for enjoyable walks, but also a convenient network for local commutes. At another point on the walk, all eyes went skyward. 

In 2011, the completion of two key acquisitions allowed trails in the Pisgah Brook Preserve and the Supply Ponds Park to connect for the first time. First, in 2010, the BLT purchased the Pieper Property. The following June, with the help of the town and the Connecticut Farmland Trust, the BLT purchased the agricultural easement rights to Johnson Farm. In addition, the town purchased four acres of land at the northern end of the farm to officially connect the two preserves. 

The linking of these two preserves is just one example of the many efforts of the BLT over the years to protect Branford’s natural resources.

The BLT started in 1967, when a group of 13 town leaders formed a committee to address conservation and land ownership. Since its founding, the non-profit has acquired over 950 acres of open space in over 130 parcels. In addition, the BLT has obtained conservation easements on 400 additional acres of land, according to its website. Here Horne shows the map.

Recent and Future Acquisitions

One of the most recent major acquisitions backed by the BLT was the town’s purchase in 2013 of the Kaczynski property, known for its trees, grasslands, and marshes. This property, which was formerly owned by Richard J. Kaczynski, is a 22-acre piece of land that the town and the land trust have been eyeing for years. The BLT raised $25,000 to help purchase the land, according to the BLT’s 2013 Annual Report. 

In the future, Horne explained, there are many properties the BLT is interested in purchasing. However, according to Horne, raising the funds to acquire these pieces of land can be challenging. When considering a property, the BLT bases the price on an appraisal of federal standards in addition to trying to find a price that both parties agree is fair.

In order to protect undeveloped land, the BLT obtains property by purchase or by donation. The BLT may also get a conservation easement. In thiat case, the original property owner continues to have formal ownership of the property, but is subject to various regulations enforced by the BLT. 

The majority of the BLT’s properties have been donated as opposed to purchased.

Looking forward, the BLT has set a goal to raise $1 million for the Land Trust’s Stewardship Endowment Fund, which will enable the BLT to manage its current properties and purchase additional parcels in the future. As of 2013, the fund totaled $140,000, according to a BLT newsletter from Dec. 2013.

Branford’s Preserves

The BLT is not the only group interested in preserving Branford’s lands. Other major players include the town, the Regional Water Authority and the state and federal governments.

Excluding developed open space, such as playing fields, the town, the Regional Water Authority and the state and federal governments own 40, 29, 23 and 5 percent of the land respectively, according to Horne. There are also small amounts of land owned by other nonprofit organizations.

Challenges

As a non-profit, the BLT relies heavily on the support of volunteers. Although its membership base has grown significantly in the past few decades, at times, the BLT still has trouble finding enough people to help out.

“When we have volunteers, things get done,” Horne explained on the walk, referencing a common saying among BLT members. ​“When we don’t, stuff doesn’t get done.”

Throughout the year, a group of volunteers called tract stewards helps to maintain the trails and monitor several aspects of the preserves, according to the BLT website. In addition, the BLT holds monthly work parties for volunteers to help with trail maintenance, the removal of invasive species and other projects the tract stewards can’t perform by themselves.

In recent years, volunteers have also been working on creating formal trail maps that can be accessed online.

The BLT currently has about 900 members. To volunteer click here.

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