Public Trails Planned For Newly Renamed “Pine Mountain” Parcel

The Norfolk Land Trust (NLT) has finalized the purchase of a 311-acre parcel of forestland from the Girl Scouts of Connecticut. The property, located off Grantville and Winchester roads, has long been considered a preservation priority by federal and state officials because of its headwater stream to the Mad River. Bordering Beckley Bog and Spaulding Pond, it is also part of a contiguous corridor of more than 2,000 acres of protected forestland.

“We are thrilled this purchase has been completed thanks to the generosity of so many organizations and friends,” NLT President Libby Borden said. “We look forward to sharing it with the Norfolk community and all lovers of unspoiled places.”

The land trust purchased the property for $630,000 with assistance of state, federal and local grants, and private donations. NLT was awarded $157,500 from the federal Highland Conservation Act and a $284,000 Open Space grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut also awarded NLT $5,000 for the purchase. The remainder of the funding came from private donations.

The project was initiated by the Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative, an organization that helps identify and implement regional conservation priorities. Greenprint’s director, Tim Abbott, first brought the Girl Scouts together with Norfolk’s land trust and the Connecticut DEEP. “We are proud of our Greenprint partner, Norfolk Land Trust, for its accomplishment in protecting Pine Mountain,” said Abbott, “and we are grateful to our State and Federal delegations, agency personnel, and our private donors across Northwest Connecticut who supported this effort. We also salute the Girl Scouts of Connecticut for having the vision, patience and generosity of spirit to protect this special place and to consider conservation options for other properties in the future.”

The NLT’s goal is to open the land to the public and create new trails for passive recreation such as cross-country skiing and hiking. The property has been named “Pine Mountain” in honor of the summit on the land. Access to property will be through the Mad River section of the Billings Trail railroad bed. NLT conserves more than 3,450 acres of land.