“Sometimes, a Green Christmas can Be Good”

Today, Friday, December 22^nd, the Town of Middletown and the Aquidneck Land Trust completed their second conservation transaction in this week before Christmas.  The first closing occurred on Wednesday, December 20^th when the Land Trust and the Town partnered with Sweet Flag Partners and protected an important 4.53-acre parcel contiguous with the already conserved Kempenaar Valley property in Middletown.  Then today, the Town and the Land Trust delivered another green gift to the community when the Land Trust acquired a Conservation Easement from the Town on approximately 21 acres that include Paradise Valley Park and an abutting parcel of land known as the Diocese parcel.

Today’s closing marks the completion of an important agreement that the Town of Middletown and the Aquidneck Land Trust signed on September 28, 2006.  Pursuant to that agreement, earlier this month the Town awarded the Land Trust a $140,000 retro-active grant award for the Land Trust’s effort to permanently conserve an approximate 15-acre parcel near the intersection of Green End Avenue and Valley Road in Middletown.  The subject property has important wildlife habitat and water resource values, as the property buffers Bailey’s Brook which supplies one of Aquidneck Island’s public drinking water reservoirs, and also affords scenic views to passersby.  The Land Trust had requested a grant award from the Town for this land in 2004 and successfully conserved the property in February 2005. 

Red line indicates boundary of the Paradise Valley Park  and Diocese Parcels.  Yellow line indicates another property previously conserved by ALT.

Also per the agreement, ownership of the 15 +/- acre property was conveyed to the Town of Middletown after receipt of the $140,000 grant award subject to a Conservation Easement held on the land by the Aquidneck Land Trust and the State of Rhode Island.  This is beneficial for various reasons.  For example, the arrangement increases the Town’s public trail opportunities in the Kempenaar Valley area where the parcel is situated as the Conservation Easement allows the owner of the property to construct a trail.

Then today, the final part of the agreement was completed when the Aquidneck Land Trust acquired a separate Conservation Easement on the approximate 14-acre Paradise Valley Park owned by the Town of Middletown and a contiguous 7 +/- acre parcel that the Town acquired from the Diocese of Providence in August.  These parcels, which are adjacent to another property already conserved by the Land Trust, have significant recreational, educational, wildlife habitat and water resource values.

Why would the Aquidneck Land Trust bother placing a Conservation Easement on a municipal park such as Paradise Valley Park?  In 2004, the Land Trust completed an extensive mapping and prioritization project that identified all of Aquidneck Island’s conserved lands.  The project demonstrated that not all conserved lands are equal.  In other words, there are different levels of protection afforded conserved lands.  For purposes of the project, three conservation levels were identified: the highest level, Land Conserved with a Perpetual Conservation Restriction (e.g., Conservation Easement); the middle level, Land Conserved with a Deed Restriction; and the lowest level, Land Held with Conservation Intent Alone.  Conserved lands falling into the latter two levels can be further secured with a perpetual conservation restriction such as a Conservation Easement.  Good conservation is like good government, it requires checks and balances. A Conservation Easement can act as such a set of checks and balances.  Nationally, various municipal parks have been lost to development because they lacked adequate conservation restrictions.  That potential threat was addressed today for the subject area because as a result of today’s closing Paradise Valley Park and the abutting 7 +/- acre parcel moved up to the highest conservation level, Land Conserved with a Perpetual Conservation Restriction.

Paul Rodrigues, President of the Middletown Town Council, stated, “This is a great way to end 2006.  This was a concerted effort that demonstrated the continued commitment between the Town of Middletown and the Aquidneck Land Trust to increase Middletown’s quality of life for its residents.  On behalf of the Town of Middletown, I would like to thank my fellow council members, the Aquidneck Land Trust and the Diocese of Providence for their efforts in making Middletown a more attractive place to live.”

“The two transactions completed with the Aquidneck Land Trust this week are very important not only because of the amount of land preserved but also because it marks the new direction taken by our Town Council.  That direction is to put permanent Conservation Easements on Town owned land to insure that it will always remain undeveloped and available to the public.” said Gerry Kempen, Middletown Town Administrator.  

Regarding the completion of the agreement, Ted Clement, Executive Director for the Aquidneck Land Trust, stated, “What a wonderful way to end 2006: closing on two important conservation projects, representing over 25 acres, just days before Christmas.  Cheers to the Town of Middletown for being such an outstanding partner and making conservation a priority.  We look forward to more collaborations with the Town in the New Year.”

The Aquidneck Land Trust's mission is to preserve Aquidneck Island's open spaces and natural character for the lasting benefit of our community.  The Land Trust has conserved a total of over 1,886 acres on Aquidneck Island.  This year alone, the Land Trust has already conserved over 598 acres, the most acres ever conserved by the Land Trust in a single year since its inception about sixteen years ago.  The Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  For more information, visit www.AquidneckLandTrust.org or call (401) 849-2799.           

This email update has been sent to the entire Aquidneck Land Trust email list. Please let us know if you do not wish to receive these email updates by replying to this message. If you have any questions or comments, please call 401/849-2799 x19 or email mandersen@ailt.org