Since 1997, the nonprofit Tiverton Land Trust has been working to preserve farm and forest land in Tiverton. President Connie Lima took a few minutes to catch Providence Business News up on what the trust has accomplished and its upcoming public forums.
PBN: When was the trust formed? And how large is the land trust, in terms of annual spending and total land preserved?
LIMA: The trust was formed in 1997 by five Tiverton residents who began to design the organization based on the 1997 Rhode Island Comprehensive Plan concerning the preservation and conservation of the natural and cultural characteristics of the town.
At that time, one of the last large farms in Tiverton was about to be sold to a developer who had planed to build between 80 and 100 single-family homes on the site. After three years of legal contests, a purchase and sale agreement was signed March 31, 2000, thanks to grants from the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Norcross Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Newport Water Supply and private donations. The 237 acres of farmland and woodland were designated open space and named the Pardon Gray Preserve.
The trust has more than 250 members with an all-volunteer board of directors of 18 people. The trust now has preserved a total of just under 300 acres.
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PBN: The trust had started a fundraising campaign to protect land. What were the goals of that drive and how much has been raised so far?
LIMA: The trust has ended its capital campaign in which it raised more than $282,500 in private funding. This amount has been added to the the trust’s “war chest” which will help leverage matching funds from state and federal governments.
PBN: The trust hosting a community forum on April 1. What’s the theme of that meeting and who will speak?
LIMA: On April 1, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts will be the trust’s featured speaker at our community forum. She will address “smart-growth” development and open space preservation.
Also speaking will be Steve Ostiguy, executive director of Church Community Housing Corp. He will be updating the progress of Tiverton’s Sandywoods Farm, a development combining farming, affordable housing, artists’ residences and commercial space. (READ MORE)
PBN: There’s also a community forum coming up on April 19. Could you tell me a little about that?
LIMA: On April 19, the trust will present a talk, “The Stone Walls of New England,” by Robert Thorson. Thorson is a co-founder of The Stone Wall Initiative and author of several books on New England stone walls. He is a professor at the University of Connecticut.
PBN: What’s Pardon Gray Day?
LIMA: Pardon Gray Day is a family event held on the Pardon Gray Preserve “almost” annually and usually in September. I would recommend that you go to our Web site and click on “Other News,” then click on “Pardon Gray Day 2008” to see the celebration of country life and charm enjoyed by hundreds. For additional information about the Tiverton Land Trust, visit www.tivertonlandtrust.org.
