MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Two Vermont brothers have given up the development rights to land their family has owned since before the Civil War so it can be conserved in perpetuity.
The Vermont Land Trust announced that 186 acres of Londonderry farmland, forest and wildlife habitat has been conserved in the project that has been owned by the Twitchell family for 160 years, the Brattleboro Reformer reports.
The donation was made by the Twitchell brothers — Jim who served as Town Clerk for five decades, and Bob, who served on the Londonderry Conservation Commission for 20 years.
“The land supports a diversity of uses — from beef cattle, to recreation trails and wildlife habitat,” the land trust said.
The Land Trust’s Joan Weir said she had been working on the project with the Twitchell brothers for five or six years. The closing took place last month.
“This farm and land have been the center of our entire lives,” Bob Twitchell said in a statement announcing the deal. “It is our hope that by removing the development options, that the land can stay intact for the enjoyment and use of future generations, for as long as water flows and green grass grows.”