Building upon its numerous conservation successes in 2006,
the Aquidneck Land Trust is extremely pleased to announce
another bold initiative. On Friday, August 25, 2006, the Land
Trust signed an option agreement with Farmscapes Holdings, LLC
to purchase a perpetual conservation restriction on
approximately 125 acres of a significant property on Wapping
Road in Portsmouth. Under the terms of the option agreement,
acquired by the Aquidneck Land Trust for $70,000, the Land
Trust will have two years to raise $3,000,000 to purchase the
permanent conservation restriction.
In 2004, the Aquidneck Land Trust completed a comprehensive
mapping and prioritization project that identified and scored
over 500 threatened open space parcels on Aquidneck Island.
From that work, over 100 priority parcels for protection were
identified, one of which was the Farmscapes Holdings, LLC
property.
The subject 125 +/- acres have numerous conservation
values. The property is very important from an agricultural
perspective. It contains acres and acres of Prime Farmland and
Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance as identified by
the United States Department of Agriculture. The sizeable
parcel is also near a number of other agricultural properties.
This is important because fragmentation is one of the more
significant threats to agricultural viability in New England.
Development has destroyed the needed critical mass of
agricultural lands in many communities. The property is also
very important from a wildlife habitat perspective. It
contains a number of habitat types: open field/meadow habitat;
pond habitat; wooded swamp habitat; etc. The property contains
one of the largest unfragmented forests on Aquidneck Island.
Its diverse habitat types attract diverse species including
important State of Rhode Island listed species such as the
following types of birds: northern harrier; dark-eyed junco;
blue winged teal; etc. This parcel also affords the community
other important conservation values such as refreshing scenic
views.
In 2005, this valuable property was under direct threat of
development. Farmscapes Holdings, LLC, a local agricultural
enterprise, mobilized quickly and secured a Purchase and Sale
Contract on the parcel for an agreed upon purchase price of
$8,000,000 amidst intense pressure and other offers from
developers. Farmscapes Holdings, LLC took this sizeable
leadership risk, in part, knowing that it may eventually be
able to reach an option agreement with the Aquidneck Land
Trust for the purchase of a perpetual conservation restriction
based on previous discussions between the two entities while
the property was under threat. Farmscapes Holdings, LLC also
realized that it had the safety valve of re- selling the
property for development if the Land Trust was unsuccessful in
its efforts to fund the purchase of a $3,000,000 conservation
restriction.
Ted Clement, the Aquidneck Land Trust’s Executive Director,
stated, “The Land Trust is extremely grateful to Farmscapes
Holdings, LLC for its leadership and the wonderful opportunity
it created for Aquidneck Island. Without their substantial
contribution, the Land Trust would not have even been at the
table regarding conserving these approximate 125 acres.
However, it is important to stress that the execution of this
option agreement represents only a beginning. The Land Trust
must now raise the required $3,000,000 within two years so as
to permanently secure this parcel for present and future
generations.”
