|  The Westerly Land Trust has been awarded a $134,000
Open Space Grant from the RI Department of Environmental
Management toward the purchase of the 72-acre former
Camp Wahaneeta property from the Girl Scouts of Rhode
Island. The property is located off Bradford-Dunns
Corners Road adjacent to the 800-acre Woody Hill Management
Area and is in close proximity to an 11-acre property
purchased earlier this year from the Providence Catholic
Diocese that the Land Trust plans to develop for public
recreation.
Harvey
Perry, Land Trust President, stated that there is
particular excitement about this new property because
it is within a large scale conservation area targeted
for protection from Route 78 east to Charlestown, and
north to the Land Trust’s preserves along the
Pawcatuck River. The habitat on this parcel is home
to a great variety of wildlife species and songbirds,
including many types of warblers.
The
Land Trust’s Executive Director, Kelly Presley
says, “We are  pleased and grateful for the opportunity
to preserve Westerly’s remaining important natural
corridors that are crucial to local wildlife and to
the protection of our drinking water supply and natural
flood storage areas for the community.”
The
lodge for Camp Wahaneeta is still on the property,
although it is in need of substantial repairs. Mr.
Perry said, “The lodge appears to have been visited
by vandals, but we hope to restore it so that environmental
education programs can be held there during the warmer
months.”
The Westerly Land Trust believes that it has identified
the remaining funds required to complete the purchase
and, consequently, hopes to complete the purchase in
a matter of months.
Congratulations to many of our fellow land trusts
were also awarded Open Space Grants for their projects.
This round of grants will provide funding to protect
about 900 more acres of open space land and farmland
in our beautiful state.
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