Committee Members

Bolton Land Trust
Bolton, Connecticut 06043

Priority Preservation Areas in Bolton

The Blackledge River Corridor

The land trust received two parcels here in 2004: a 2.25 acre piece which the land trust owns outright, and a conservation easement on an adjacent 4-acre parcel.
These donations continue a preservation corridor along the river where two other conservation easements (at the end of Norma’s Way and off the end of Hatfield Drive) are held by the Mohegan Land Trust and the Town of Bolton.
The headwaters of the Blackledge River are located in the Town of Bolton, near the Fish Farm on Bolton Center Road.
The river and its accompanying wetlands are some of the highest quality water bodies in the Town of Bolton
The river’s water quality is one of the highest in the area, with its surface water rated Class A by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (the water is of the highest quality, is a potential source of drinking water and provides excellent fish habitat) and its groundwater rated Class GA (suitable for drinking without treatment)
Links with ponds at Gay City State Park
Flows into Jeremy and Salmon Rivers in Glastonbury and Marlborough
Excellent opportunities for passive recreation through trail development along river

Unfragmented Forest in Southeast Bolton

The Bolton Land Trust owns 25.8 acres here
The Northern Connecticut Land Trust owns 26 acres contiguous to Bolton Land Trust’s land
This area has been identified by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Connecticut Resource Protection Mapping Project as containing more than 500 acres of unfragmented forest (significant because certain species of wildlife, such as bobcats, bears and fishers, require large tracts of unbroken woodland to flourish)

Farms

Bolton began as a farming community and its residents are lucky to still enjoy the beauty and bounty of many of the original farms. Almost 600 acres of farm land in Bolton is still used for agriculture, and much of Bolton’s aesthetic beauty is defined by these farms.

The future of these farms is in doubt, however, as pressures for residential development mount. The Bolton Land Trust would like to assist farm owners in planning for the future of their property that accommodates personal circumstances and preserves some of Bolton’s agricultural heritage.

Forested Land in Southwest Bolton: One of the “Last Great Places” in Connecticut

The Nature Conservancy has identified the southwest corner of Bolton as lying within one of its “Last Great Places” in Connecticut. Situated in the Meshomasic Forest Landscape, this area is part of a 17,483-acre forest spanning seven towns. The Bolton Land Trust would like to help Bolton landowners understand how their land fits into this larger planning effort and to help with preservation options here.