Post by Logan on Apr 9, 2016 19:31:40 GMT -6
Jerry and Marcy Monkman/EcoPhotography
This field and forest in the Mendon Brook area of Shrewsbury will become part of the new Jeffords State Forest.
The Jim Jeffords State Forest is now open to the public, a conservation nonprofit and the state of Vermont announced this week.
“I am extremely proud to name Vermont’s newest state forest in honor of Sen. Jim Jeffords,” said Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder in a news release on Wednesday. “This property has long been a high priority for conservation and the Department looks forward to working closely with area towns, partners, and interested parties in managing this fantastic addition to the state’s conservation holdings.”
The state’s acquisition of the Jeffords forest results in a 188,000-acre block of conserved land between the Coolidge and Aitken state forests, and preserves a travel corridor for black bears moving from the Aitken forest east to Parker’s Gore and the Green Mountain Bear Corridor.
“Not only is it protecting significant forest land on an east-west basis, but also on an elevational basis. And that’s really important for some species that use different habitats at different parts of the year,” said Trust for Public Land Project Manager Kate Wanner.
Read more: www.timesargus.com/article/20160408/NEWS03/160409748