Vermont Business Magazine The Mount Holly Conservation Trust has received a total of $120,000 from two Vermont Community Foundation fundholders to permanently protect 346 acres in Mount Holly that connect the southern part of the Green Mountain National Forest with the Okemo State Forest and Coolidge State Forest. An anonymous Vermont Community Foundation fundholder awarded a generous $100,000 challenge grant that—combined with a $20,000 gift from the Lyman Orton Fund—brings the Mount Holly Conservation Trust closer to its overall fundraising goal of $400,000.
To finalize the purchase of the property located off Vermont Route 155 in Mount Holly between Weston and Wallingford, the Okemo Wildlife Corridor Conservation Project needs to raise approximately $70,000 more in donations to meet the challenge.
For the past 10 years, the Mount Holly Conservation Trust has worked closely with the Vermont Land Trust, The Conservation Fund, and the Ninevah Foundation to create this protected corridor to ensure that bear, moose, and other wildlife are able to travel freely to find food, mates, and new territory. The Mount Holly section is a critical link in a 100-mile swath that preserves the sources of the West and Mill rivers and Branch Brook; healthy high-elevation forest, streams, and wetlands that support an abundance of wildlife; and public lands for recreation including existing VAST snowmobile and Catamount ski trails. Working in cooperation with the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the land will be added to the Okemo State Forest.
“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create uninterrupted habitat preserving wild places that make Vermont so special, and we’re grateful to our fundholders for investing in our shared future,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation.
“My parents live in Mount Holly, so these wetlands, watersheds, and wild places are home to me as much as they are to the bear, moose, trout, and other creatures that live here,” added Elisabeth Marx, a senior philanthropic advisor at the Vermont Community Foundation. “We are eager to see additional community donors meet this challenge to help the Mount Holly Conservation Trust complete the purchase and guarantee that the land remains a wildlife corridor forever.”
The Mount Holly Conservation Trust is a nonprofit, volunteer organization focused on preserving the beauty and character of Mount Holly.
“We’re inspired by the opportunity to protect the wild places of Mount Holly, and secure a small local effort to reduce climate change,” noted Brigid Sullivan, a member of the Mount Holly Conservation Trust’s board of directors. “At the same time, we’re also inspired by the fundholders and donors who choose to support our work, and now we need just $70,000 more to preserve the Okemo Wildlife Corridor forever.”
About the Vermont Community Foundation
The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love. The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.
About the Mount Holly Conservation Trust
The Mount Holly Conservation Trust is a nonprofit, volunteer organization whose mission is to preserve the beauty and character of Mount Holly through the conservation of land and natural resources that are valued by the community. The organization’s primary objectives are to conserve specific parcels of land and/or natural resources, educate the community about the value of conservation and the means of achieving it, acquire financial resources for conservation, and work with other organizations to promote its mission. For more information, visit http://www.mounthollyconservationtrust.org.