ALT Conserves an Important Middletown Watershed Property!

Today, July 17th, the Aquidneck Land Trust (“ALT”) successfully acquired a perpetual Conservation Easement from the Randall family on 10.65 acres of land on Berkeley Avenue in Middletown. The land is located next to other previously conserved lands and has the Maidford River running through it.

The Randall property, located in the Maidford River Watershed, was identified as critical for watershed protection purposes in a 2011 mapping and prioritization study of all the remaining and threatened open space parcels within Aquidneck Island’s seven primary watersheds. During the course of the study, ALT identified almost 300 open space parcels, representing over 3,000 acres, at risk of development within the island’s primary drinking water reservoir watersheds. These properties were then prioritized with watershed scoring criteria. Out of this scoring process, three tiers of parcels for watershed protection were created, with Tier 1 parcels being the most important lands with the highest scores. The Randall property is a Tier One parcel. Being contiguous to the Maidford River this property provides a natural buffer that helps protect it from harmful runoff.

In addition to its water resource values, the Randall property has numerous other conservation values. The land is strategically located next to a number of other ALT-conserved parcels within the Sakonnet Greenway, thereby building upon and enhancing this past conservation work. This parcel also contains United States Department of Agriculture recognized Prime Farmland Soils and Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance Soils and is located in Middletown’s main farm belt area with other farms, including Newport Vineyards, Sweet Berry Farm, Easy Street Farm, Hoogendorn Nurseries, Commonwealth Farm, the Webster Farm, and the Ventura Farm. Additionally, the property has wildlife habitat values and is frequented by wildlife including the State Endangered Northern Harrier and Barn Owl. The landowner has also granted a trail easement to ALT should it ever extend the Sakonnet Greenway Trail further south.

“Protecting the reservoir watersheds that span Aquidneck Island is job #1 for ALT. The Randall parcel, with the Maidford River running right through the middle of it, is the poster child for this environmental conservation effort to clean up our island waters. We are very pleased to be able to add this to our ALT map green places! Kudos to the Randalls for their conservation-mindedness,” said ALT Executive Director Chuck Allott.

“Ann and I have always treasured the fact that we were lucky enough to be able to purchase the ‘Back Forty’ in the early 80′s. Having seen suburbia creep up Berkeley Ave, (I.e. Wyndham Hill and Whitehall) we were very relieved to have slowed the development of our area. We have always enjoyed the wild life and open spaces including the fact ALT participants surround us. We are really pleased to have worked out a deal to secure the property and look forward to putting up a Aquidneck Land Trust sign signifying we are on the team!,” said Peter and Ann Randall.

ALT’s time-sensitive mission is to conserve Aquidneck Island’s open spaces and natural character for the lasting benefit of our community. After today’s closing, the organization has conserved 2,429.60 acres on 69 properties across Aquidneck Island since its founding in 1990. ALT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and the first land trust in Rhode Island to have received national accreditation. For more information, visit www.AquidneckLandTrust.org

As always, thank you for your continued support
for conservation on our Island.