| The Newtown Forest Association is the oldest private land trust organization in Connecticut. It has been dedicated for over eighty years to securing for the residents of Newtown and their posterity the benefits derived from open space lands. Lands which include, but are not limited to, forest and agricultural land, wildlife and nature preserves and watersheds. The Association was started in 1923 when Dr. Howard Peck presented a gift of 7.2 acres of land to nine Newtown neighbors forming "Newtown Forester's Association." Additional lands, added from concerned citizens, formed the 15.5-acre "Newtown Town Forest". This is an example of how a land trust works to protect the character of the community by preserving scenic, historic, agricultural and recreational lands for the benefit of present and future generations. The Newtown Forest Association has grown from the initial 7.2 acres to its current holdings of more than 1,000 acres located in all sections of town. This acreage was, and is, primarily donations deeded to the land trust in several ways. The Association helps in guiding the legal transfer of land into the trust, providing the donor to realize potential tax savings. These donating landowners were motivated by a desire to see the lands they love preserved forever in a land trust. View some historical brochures that show our growth throughout the years and our consistent mission. What is a land trust? |
Background
| Hattertown Pond November 2004 |
| Protected stream bed on Taunton Hill road |
Newtown Forest Association
Connecticut's Oldest Private Land Trust
Connecticut's Oldest Private Land Trust
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