92-acre Pownal Conservation Project Coming Online

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new addition to the lands protected by Royal River Conservation Trust: 92 acres at Stetson Farm in Pownal.

At its most recent meeting, the Pownal Planning Board granted final approval for the town's first-ever Conservation Subdivision project. Under Pownal's new Conservation Subdivision ordinance, developments must permanently protect 60% of a property's acreage as open space. As the designated recipient of the protected open space associated with this project, Royal River Conservation Trust has been working closely with the property owners and the Town of Pownal to help navigate this exciting new process.

The ordinance was created, in part, to address a challenge facing communities throughout the Royal River watershed: How can towns accommodate new development while preserving the natural and rural landscapes that make them special?

Every town in the watershed has expressed an interest in preserving more public open space, yet most lack the financial resources to simply purchase land for conservation. At the same time, residential development continues to convert formerly open land, resulting in the loss of valuable farmland, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

While this new ordinance will not eliminate development pressure, it offers a promising way to offset some of these losses with meaningful conservation gains. Over the past year and a half, the Town, property owners, and RRCT have worked collaboratively to ensure that the land preserved through this project is contiguous and includes ecologically sensitive and important areas. The result is looking very promising.

At 124 acres, Stetson Farm - located between Brown Road and Poland Range Road - features an iconic late 1700s farmhouse, rolling fields, and deep woodlands. Under the approved plan, the property owners will create a nine-lot subdivision, along with a single 20-acre lot restricted to one residence. In total, approximately 32 acres will be developed.

This acquisition represents an exciting new approach to land conservation. The remaining 92 acres, 75% of the entire property, will be conveyed to RRCT for permanent conservation and public use. This far exceeds the 60% open-space requirement established by the ordinance and reflects the owners' desire to share this previously posted property with the public, as their own family has enjoyed it for many years. The conserved land will provide opportunities for a wide range of year-round recreational activities along existing trails and throughout the property.

Over the coming months, RRCT will begin planning for the property's future as a public preserve, including developing a management plan, a parking area, and building the resources needed to welcome visitors.

We would love to hear from you! What types of recreational opportunities would you like to see at Stetson Farm? Please send your comments and suggestions to Chris@rrct.org.