The GLLT owns 1,685 acres of forests and wetlands. Our purpose is the permanent protection of the area’s most valued natural resources, while making the land available for public use and enjoyment. The preservation of viable native wildlife populations, species of concern, public recreational access, water quality, forest and agricultural resources, beauty and ecological integrity are key focuses of our efforts. Our first major land acquisition was the Heald and Bradley Preserve, made possible through the generous support of many, in the form of donations, gifts and grants. Since then the following list of properties has been under GLLT ownership.
| Property | Acres | General Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Heald and Bradley Reserve | 603 | Public access for hiking and snowmobiling |
| Wilson Wing Moose Pond Bog Preserve | 32 | Public access for hiking bird viewing platform |
| Bishop's Cardinal Reserve | 69 | Public access for hiking and multiple uses |
| June Wing Preserve | 12 | Species preservation |
| Chip Stockford Reserve | 155 | Public access for hiking and multiple uses |
| Kezar Outlet Fen | 265 | No developed public access |
| Kezar River Reserve | 114 | Public access for hiking and multiple uses |
| Sabra Creeper Hill Reserve | 65 | No developed public access |
| Back Pond Reserve | 149 | Public access for hiking and multiple uses |
| Conifer Reserve | 17 | No developed public access |
| Fairburn-Bradley/Heald | 1 | Parking lot for trailhead |
| Sucker Brook Outlet Reserve | 203 | Public access under construction xcountry ski |
Trail Maps (work in progress--we have paper verisons at the GLLT office)
Heald and Bradley Ponds Reserve
Wilson Wing Moose Pond Bog (formally Sucker Brook Preserve)
One of the major operating entities of the Greater Lovell Land Trust is its Properties Commission. This entity grew out of a steering committee established several years ago to manage the integration of the Heald and Bradley tract, a 603 acre purchase off Slab City Road consisting of the Bradley Heald Ponds, then owned by the James River Paper Company.
The Commission’s function is to establish usage guidelines; promote education, maintain the trail systems; assure the propagation of its native wildlife with respects to each site’s ecology characteristics, respect the wishes of previous owners; be aware of cultural and historical usages; track local community inputs; be aware of abutters and neighborhood concerns and continuously monitor the impact of usage on the landscape.
How We Manage our Properties in the Public Interest
The Commission currently maintains eleven properties and monitors their use. Nine of the properties are reserves and two are preserves.
We are often asked how reserves differ from preserves and we distinguish them as follows, based on established practice and on research of other conservation agencies nationwide:
We use the terms as guidelines for reconciling the dual purposes of public use and environmental protection. A RESERVE is a property whose natural environment is of special interest to the public, and therefore worthy of protection from development as a public trust.
These are commonly working properties, in which timber harvesting and a range of public activities such as hunting may be permitted.
A PRESERVE has a similar but more restrictive purpose, for it contains flora or fauna, or particular ecological conditions that are so important and so fragile that they should remain perpetually undisturbed and unaltered by human intervention. Public access may be permitted, but only to the extent that the environment is not in any way compromised. Timber harvesting, for instance, normally would be an unacceptable human alteration of a PRESERVE'S ecosystem.
In some instances the status of a property is determined by the intentions of the donor. In the others, the Commission recommends the appropriate status to the GLLT, after completion of investigations that include scientific appraisal of flora, fauna, and overall ecology. For every property we manage, however, our stewards are serious about promoting the public's appreciation for enjoyment of its natural environment, while protecting this legacy for the generations to come.
Through the efforts of a licensed Forest Manager, we have established a forest management plan designed to control the 'health' of each venue through selected cuttings. We do this on a timely basis with professional loggers recognized for their care of tree populations and who have demonstrated responsible cutting practices.
The Properties Commission acts as an autonomous subject of the Greater Lovell Land Trust’s Board of Directors, and is headed by a Director with several members, each designated as captain or co-captain of a particular venue. Captains and co-captains are responsible for the planning and implementing of stewardship goals specific to their particular venue. Each captain is further charged to recruit volunteers to assist in the execution of their responsibilities.
The Greater Lovell Land Trust’s board provides this commission with direction, guidance and funding. The Commission currently consists of eleven members who meet year-round, usually once a month. Feel free to comment on the commission’s work.