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Northern Rivers Land Trust

The Mission:

Northern Rivers Land Trust (NRLT), representing seven neighboring towns, is dedicated to protecting the natural, scenic, and working landscapes in the headwaters of the Winooski, Lamoille, and Black Rivers.

Land Conservation helps maintain the ecological health and economic vitality of our communities.

The Northern Rivers Land Trust was founded in 2006 by residents of Hardwick and six neighboring towns who were interested in preserving the area’s rural character by protecting farms, forestland and wildlife habitat. NRLT is a private nonprofit 501(c)3 land conservation organization supported by its membership and governed by a volunteer board of trustees. We are not connected with local or state government.

What we do:

NRLT operates primarily by accepting donated conservation easements. An easement is a tool for a landowner to conserve important resources, open space, wildlife, and recreation opportunities for the benefit of future generations. NRLT takes on the responsibility of monitoring to ensure continued protection of those resources. As we are a small volunteer-based organization, the easements we hold are normally donated. We may also help support easement purchases or “bargain sales” (where the grantor donates a portion of the easement’s appraised value and the land trust pays the remaining value) by a related organization such as the Vermont Land Trust (VLT).

Read about the easements we currently hold [Easements].

Our Land Protection Focus:

NRLT’s by-laws specify nine objectives

  1. To preserve and aid in the preservation of all types of wild nature, including wetlands, wildlife habitat, and other significant natural areas;
  2. To conserve and aid in the conservation of agricultural and forest lands and encourage their productive use;
  3. To protect and enhance the scenic natural beauty of the area;
  4. To acquire and aid in the acquisition of lands suitable for public recreation for the benefit of the general public;
  5. To aid in the preservation of significant historic buildings, structures, and sites in order to maintain the cultural heritage of the area;
  6. To assist state and local housing authorities and non-profit community land trusts in the acquisition of land and buildings suitable for providing affordable housing to low and moderate income people;
  7. To promote educational, research and related activities intended to bring about the conservation and proper use of our natural resources, particularly in the area of land conservation;
  8. To promote educational, research and related activities intended to bring about the conservation and proper use of our natural resources, particularly in the area of land conservation;
  9. To provide technical assistance and advice to municipalities and local land trusts and pursue other cooperative endeavors to achieve the purposes set forth in this article.