ATHENS, Vt. – The town of Athens has gained a community forest, the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) and Bull Creek Common Lands (BCCL), a new nonprofit organization, announced today. The 36-acre Raymond Bemis Community Forest lies along Bull Creek, and can be accessed from a small parking area on the east side of Brookline Road.
After two years of planning and effort, BCCL bought the entirely forested parcel from David Bemis, and conserved it with VLT. The community forest has been named after Bemis’ late uncle Raymond Bemis, who was well known in the community, and operated a fish farm on the property in the 1950s and 60s. During the many years the land was privately owned, people in the area used to go there for walks and to enjoy nature. There was a desire among community members to protect it, and keep it open for public use.
Hannah Regier, Chair of the BCCL Board, said, “It’s wonderful to see the enthusiasm amongst the community for having this land, that is already well loved, be permanently protected and accessible.”
BCCL expects to open the Raymond Bemis Community Forest to the public in the late summer of 2023, and to have about a mile of walking trails in place by next summer. The community forest will be permanently open to the public for low-impact, non-motorized uses, and available as an outdoor classroom for educational programs. In the future, a section of accessible trail may be developed to open the forest to people with mobility limitations. BCCL plans to seek input from the local community in guiding how the land will be used.
“The community forest will be a good resource for the residents of Athens to enjoy a quiet stroll and the outdoors,” said VLT’s Jennifer Garrett. “We are gratified to support BCCL in their mission to protect key parcels and create public access in the Bull Creek and Grassy Brook watersheds. Their efforts build on a growing network of over 3,000 acres of conserved recreation lands in the Windmill Ridge and Putney Mountain area.”
Bull Creek, which is part of the Saxtons River and Connecticut River watersheds, runs for about a half mile across the new community forest. The creek and a large, picturesque pool provide high quality habitat for fish and invertebrates. There are also some wetlands, an important vernal pool, and an area of sugar maple floodplain forest, which is uncommon in Vermont. In addition to securing public access, the conservation permanently protects these ecological features from development, along with conservation restrictions for clean water.
The community forest is close to Windmill Ridge, which has an extensive trail system and a nearby trailhead to Paul’s Ledges. The community forest will expand on recreational opportunities by offering a more accessible walking experience along gentle, rolling terrain. If circumstances allow in the future, a trail connection may be built to connect the forest to the ridge.
The effort was funded by the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB), Davis Conservation Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation, Windham Foundation, and numerous generous donors.
“VHCB is proud to support the preservation of this land for community use, and the protection of its waters and ecological systems,” said VHCB executive director Gus Seelig. “The conservation of these 36 acres is an important step towards safeguarding our environment, enhancing climate resiliency, and ensuring recreational access for generations to come. Our board extends gratitude and congratulations to the Vermont Land Trust and Bull Creek Common Lands for this important community initiative.”