To: Aquidneck Island Land Trust Supporters
From: Anne Garnett, Executive Director

Happy New Year to all! On December 28, Jim & Beverly Webster and Aquidneck
Island Land Trust placed a Conservation Easement on the Webster’s property,
thus adding 38.22 acres to the land protected by Aquidneck Island Land
Trust.

The Webster property is on Mitchell’s Lane across from the end of Wyatt
Road. The Websters live on the property and manage beef cattle there. This
property, formerly known as the Penny Farm, has been of significant interest
to the Land Trust since our early days. Our recent relationship with the
property began during the negotiations for the Cousens, Rodrigues and O’
Reilly properties on Jepson Lane in 2000. Denys Cousens was represented by
Jim Webster. After going through the conservation transaction with Denys,
Jim liked what he saw and decided to explore a conservation option for his
own property. Jim and our Land Protection Director, Ted Clement, began
seriously looking at this option together in August of this year.

The conservation values of the property are many. Testing has indicated
Prime Farmland Soils and soils suited to woodland and openland wildlife
habitat. There are significant water resource attributes including it’s
location in the Narragansett Bay and Sakonnet River watersheds and Paradise
Brook runs through the property. Paradise Brook flows south to Nelson Pond,
one of the nine surface water reservoirs that provides water to Island
residents. AILT Advisory Board member, Larry Taft, Director of Properties
for the Audubon Society of RI, identified numerous species of wildlife and
vegetation that contribute to the property’s biodiversity and habitat
values. Among these species are the Barn Owl (State Endangered in RI) and
the Glossy Ibis (a species of Concern in RI). And of course, easily
identifiable to all who pass are the scenic values of the open space and
rural vistas the property affords.

The execution of the conservation easement on the Webster property brings
the total acreage protected by the Aquidneck Island Land Trust to 888.06
acres. What a year! In addition to the protection of the Braman’s Meadow,
Cousens, Rodrigues, O’Reilly/Bally Macree, Whitehouse and Webster
properties, the Land Trust has opened its first public trail at Oakland
Forest.

All of this important conservation work is made possible by YOU, our
supporters!

Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2002!

Anne
Anne W. Garnett
Executive Director
Aquidneck Island Land Trust
790 Aquidneck Avenue
Middletown, RI 02842
T: (401) 849-2799 x 14; agarnett@ailt.org