Forest Legacy Feature Tract:
Maplewood Farm, Connecticut
October 1997

The owners of Maplewood Farm, Ann Havemeyer and Tom Strumolo, decided to perpetuate a 240-year tradition in Norfolk, Connecticut by placing their forest tract under a Forest Legacy conservation easement. On November 10, 1997, the USDA Forest Service paid the owners $210,000 to reserve important riparian forest land along the Mad River from development. The purchase was of a conservation easement that will ensure the owners will manage the land as productive forest land.

The forest tract is part of Maplewood Farm, which has been in existence since 1757. Havemeyer and Strumolo wanted to continue the traditions of one of the oldest farms in Litchfield County without the pressure on them, and eventually, on their children to subdivide the property. The conservation easement prevents subdivision and lets traditional recreation continue, such as visiting the on-site nature center, cross-country skiing, and hiking.

“It's a pretty piece of property,” said Dick Ackerman, USDA Forest Service official. “It fits in nicely with already protected land.” The Nature Conservancy protects the adjacent Beckley Bog, which constitutes the headwaters of the Mad River. An additional 3,800 acres of adjacent and nearby land are under conservation easements, held by conservation nonprofit organizations or owned by the State of Connecticut.

“The Connecticut Forest Legacy Program is tied to its Farmland Protection Program,” explained Fred Borman, of Connecticut Division of Forestry. “Mr. Strumolo would not have known about the Forest Legacy Program if he had not applied for a Farmland Protection easement.”

Tom Strumolo, is a certified forester and will manage the forest under a Forest Stewardship Plan, which the Forest Service requires of all properties that join the Forest Legacy Program. “The conservation easements allow us to continue to earn income from the natural resources, and ensure that our children will inherit the land intact, and can keep it that way,” said Mr. Strumolo.

The State of Connecticut has agreed to monitor the tract to ensure the landowners abide by the conservation easement. Someone will visit the landowner at least once a year.

The Forest Legacy Program protects important forests from conversion to non forest uses. Important forests have important wildlife habitat; protect water quality; offer outstanding recreation opportunities; provide outstanding scenic views; are home to historic sites; and/or provide the opportunity to continue traditional forest uses. A Federal-State partnership allows landowners to keep their land private while ensuring it remains forest forever with conservation easements.