By Guy Page

Conservation projects protecting more than 2,100 acres across six Vermont towns have received nearly $400,000 in grants through the Nature Conservancy’s Vermont Biodiversity Protection Fund, bringing total awards from the program to almost $1.4 million.

The Nature Conservancy in Vermont awarded $387,250 to four conservation projects that together will permanently protect 2,163 acres in Athens, Marlboro, Fairfield, Fletcher, Bakersfield and Thetford. The grants are expected to leverage more than $3 million from other funding sources. All of the conserved properties will remain open to the public.

The not-for-profit’s biodiversity fund is its response to the State of Vermont goals for protecting 30% of the state by 2030 and 50% by 2050, via Act 59, Vermont’s Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Law, according to the Nature Conservancy website. 

Since launching the Vermont Biodiversity Protection Fund in early 2025, the Nature Conservancy claims to have awarded $1 million in funding to 14 conservation projects, totaling 3,884 acres across Vermont and leveraging $8,048,847 in funding from other sources. Land placed into conservation typically is restricted for business use, and is taxed less. 

Critics of Act 59 say it should be either repealed, or expanded to count farm and forest land enrolled in the current use program towards the conservation goals. 

The projects were selected for their habitat connectivity, biodiversity, freshwater protection and community benefits, the Nature Conservancy press release said: “The fund supports efforts to preserve wildlife corridors and natural landscapes that help plants and animals adapt to climate change while also providing clean water, flood protection and recreational opportunities.”

The largest award supports the Wintergreen Forest project, a 1,490-acre working forest spanning Fairfield, Fletcher and Bakersfield. The Trust for Public Land is coordinating a conservation easement on the property, which is owned by Forecastle Timber Vermont, LLC. The easement will be co-held by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.

The forest includes 70 acres of wetlands and nearly five miles of streams that feed local drinking water supplies before flowing into Lake Champlain. Conservation partners said the project will permanently preserve public access for hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, hunting and fishing while maintaining sustainable timber harvesting.

In Thetford, the Upper Valley Land Trust will permanently protect the 120-acre Houghton Hill Natural Area. The property includes a vernal pool, headwater stream and important wildlife crossing within a major habitat corridor linking the Southern Green Mountains and White Mountains. Existing community trails to the hill’s scenic summit will remain open for hiking, skiing and snowshoeing.

The Green Mountain Conservancy received funding to conserve the 531-acre Winter Wren Nature Preserve in Marlboro. Donated by the Ames family in memory of Del Ames, the property contains wetlands, the headwaters of the Green River, and habitat for bears, bobcats, moose, wood turtles and other wildlife. It will remain open for outdoor education, hunting, snowshoeing and backcountry skiing.

The smallest project expands the Athens Community Forest by 15 acres. Managed by Bull Creek Common Lands, the parcel lies within a key wildlife corridor between the Southern Green Mountains and White Mountains and will provide a new public trailhead and parking area.

The Nature Conservancy said the grants reflect the importance of conserving land that benefits both wildlife and people.

“Conservation is not just for the plants and animals that depend on wild places, but also for all the benefits Vermont’s lands and waters provide to our human communities: clean air, safe drinking water, lower flood risk, local jobs, and improved health,” said TNC Vermont State Director Eve Frankel. 

The next round of Vermont Biodiversity Protection Fund grants will open to land trusts, municipalities and state agencies in fall 2026.