June 2008

At our June meeting, the Board discussed ways to broaden our membership including potential events such as a fun run or a geo-caching event. Please let us know if you have any ideas for entertaining and/or enlightening events for our members. We will be having another corn roast at Kikas Valley Farm this fall, as well as a booth at the annual Underhill Harvest Market.

At 9:00 on Saturday June 7th, John Koier will be leading a walk at Kikas Valley Farm to eradicate Japanese Barberry. Please join him and bring long pants, long sleeves and gloves. John will be trying two eradication methods: ripping out the barberry and cutting it off at ground level and applying herbicide. We will check periodically to see which method is more successful.

Our 2008 bird walk with Evergreen Erb was a huge success. Over 30 people came to Mills Riverside Park at 7:00 AM on a Sunday to listen and watch for our feathered friends. In addition, Evergreen had a slide show at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library.

April 2008

At our April meeting, the Board finalized preparations for out April 26th walk at Wolfrun Natural Area and our Annual Meeting. The Wolfrun Natural Area walk will be a low-key event to introduce members to this wonderful natural resource. It is a sensitive time of year to be on the property so we will tread lightly.

Our Annual Meeting will be held at Underhill Town Hall on Monday,May 5th. Refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 and a short annual meeting will begin at 7:00. Following the meeting, Kim Royar, a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department will give a presentation which will focus on furbearing mammals such as bobcat, lynx and wolves. Please join us.

We have received some good responses to the survey sent out in our winter newsletter. We learned that our most popular property is Mills Riverside Park, followed by Casey’s Hill and Old Mill Park. Activities participated in by our members include hiking, skiing, dog walking and birdwatching (in that order). If you haven’t filled out your survey, please take the time to do so.

Remember that memberships are due May 1st. This year, all members renewing (or signing up for the first time) before July 1st will receive a packet of wildflower seeds and a coupon for one pint of strawberries from Paul Mazza’s farm. All members will receive decals and those contributing over $100 will receive a JULT notepad.

March 2008

At our March meeting, the JULT Board congratulated John Koier and John Schroeder for leading a walk on the Kikas Valley Farm property last month. Several community members attended and enjoyed the walk immensely. JULT is planning several other activities over the next few months. In April, we will host a walk at Wolfrun Natural Area and we will also be involved in the Village University Spring 2008 semester for a panel discussion on April 25 th which will also include VLT and the Jericho Planning and Conservation Commissions. Village University is a series of educational events which are planned by the Board of the Jericho Community Center. Our Annual Meeting will be the first Monday in May with a dynamic speaker to be determined. In June, we will spend some time eradicating Japanese Barberry at Kikas Valley Farm in a combined presentation and fieldwork day.

The JULT Board would like to thank the family of the late Dr. Kati Kelley who asked that those wishing to donate in her name could give money to the land trust. We are honored to have been a recipient of their generosity.

January 2008

At our January meeting, the JULT Board reviewed our financial picture from 2007 and approved a proposed budget for 2008. 2007 was a good year for memberships and donations and our 2008 budget works on the assumption that you, our loyal membership, will continue to support us.

We are particularly grateful to the many people who sent generous year-end donations. Although our memberships run from May to May, those donations will be considered membership donations for 2008. We thank you for your generosity. Hilaire Thomas, our Financial Secretary, provided some interesting numbers regarding when membership money comes in. As stated, our memberships run from May to May, but the highest months for receiving memberships are, in descending order: April, December, July, June, and May. 2007 featured a 15% rise in membership from 2006.

On January 12th, John Koier will lead a snowshoe/XC trip at Kikas Valley Farm at 10:00. We hope that this will inaugurate a monthly series of JULT events for 2008.

In land stewardship news, we have signed a 25-year lease with Paul Mazza on the agricultural lands at Kikas Valley Farm. Both JULT and Paul are happy with this partnership…. particularly with the luscious strawberries.

November 2007

At our November meeting, the Board reviewed our financial picture. Our year-to-date income is on par with last year, thanks to memberships, cash donations and matching grants. We are grateful to our members for their continuing support of our organization. In December we will be preparing our operating budget for FY 08. The sad news as we prepare our budget is that Chris Smith will be stepping down as Treasurer at the end of her term in May. JULT is looking for someone who is willing to take on that role. Chris will prepare a manual for her replacement to help that person transition into the role.

Chris Gluck of the Poker Hill Arts Studio has embarked on a project with her students to make cards out of fallen leaves with the proceeds going to JULT. The cards are sold in packets of 16 for $20.00 and will be available at The Flour Shop Café in Underhill, the Dianne Shullenberger Gallery, and Poker Hill Arts studio. Additional fundraising will be in the form of a year-end postcard which will be in a festive color.

In land stewardship news, Roy Towlen and John Koier marked the entire boundary of Kikas Valley Farm with paint and plastic boundary markers including orange blaze on the guard rail. Additionally, John bought 50 plastic safety zone signs to replace all the paper ones from last year which didn’t survive. John also purchased 100 drilled aluminum disks and spray paint to create trail markers at Wolfrun Natural Area for our two marked trails and is close to completing the Wolfrun Natural Area management plan. John will lead a fall walk at Kikas Valley Farm on November 17 th which will include refreshments.

October 2007

At our October meeting, Treasurer Chris Smith provided us with some comparisons regarding our third quarter financial picture compared to last year. Memberships and cash donations are up 7.8%, although income from matching grants is down. Our overall income is 5.6% higher than it was at this time last year. Our profound thanks go out to our members and donors for making this happen.

In land stewardship news, we are changing our enrollment for Wolfrun Natural Area from forest management to conservation. We couldn’t do so when we purchased the land because we had not been a non-profit for five years. The conservation enrollment is more appropriate for our use of the land. We are having discussions with Mike Snyder, the Chittenden County Forester regarding this change. Additionally, we plan on putting up signage along the two main trails at Wolfrun. These signs will include the distance information which exists courtesy of the UVM project. We may create a brochure for Wolfrun Natural Area, as well.

At Kikas Valley Farm we will be putting up plastic safety zone signs during hunting season. Last year’s paper signs did not last. Our Stewardship Chair, John Koier will lead a fall walk at Kikas Valley Farm on November 17th from 9:00 to noon.

September 2007

The first order of business at JULT’s September meeting was electing a new Vice Chair. Betsy Walkerman had been JULT’s Vice Chair for many years, but her resignation left an opening. Thankfully, Catherine Stevens was willing to step in and will assume the position of Vice Chair. We are happy that she is willing to take that on.

In August, JULT held our first ever corn feast at Kikas Valley Farm. Although attendance was not high, we raised awareness about this wonderful property and Livy fielded many questions about trails and parking before and after the event. It seems likely that we will feature a fall walk at Kikas Valley Farm so please watch this space for more information. JULT is also working on bringing in some guest speakers for events this fall and winter. We want to work with our community to provide education about important issues that fact us all.

Another exciting piece of news is that there are three separate landowners who are interested in donating land to JULT. We have extensive criteria to consider before we accept donations, but it is gratifying to see that landowners are thinking about conservation and are including us in that process.

August 2007

Back when JULT was raising money for Mills Riverside Park, Concept II was one of our supporters. They remain stalwart supporters of the work we do and have contributed $250 in each of the last two years to support our efforts. We are truly grateful for their support and wanted to take this opportunity to provide some official recognition of their generosity.

This year, JULT sent out membership renewal letters to folks who have not been members for years. We are gratified to report that we have received twelve renewals from these long-lost residents, giving us a total of 211 member families, to date. If you are not already a member, please consider becoming one. The JULT Board is devoting this year to increasing our membership base. You may run into Board members at the dog park at Mills Riverside Park or during the concerts at the Park. If you are enjoying these outdoor opportunities, please remember that without the work of the Jericho Underhill Land Trust, neither one would exist.

In other news, JULT has been the recipient of a UVM student project which recently completed mapping at Wolfrun Natural Area. Stewardship Chair, John Koier, attended the class presentation and was suitably impressed. UVM may work with us on future land conservation mapping projects. Thanks to John Koier for helping to guide this one along. In other land stewardship notes, we have a new farm gate up at Kikas Valley Farm and new signs. The VAST trail has been relocated and both the residents, the snow travelers and Paul Mazza, our farming tenant, appear to be happy with the arrangements.

On August 25 th from 3:00 to 6:00 PM we will have a corn feast at Kikas Valley Farm for residents of Wingate, Skunk Hollow Road, and the smaller roads branching off Skunk Hollow. We hope all those residents will be able to join us.

Please note that our September meeting will be on the SECOND Monday of the month to avoid Labor Day conflicts.

June 2007

Former members, where are you? We are slightly below last year’s numbers in membership. Please remember that our memberships run from May to May, rather than January to December. If you haven’t already done so, please remember to renew your membership and help us with the vital work we do. Members get a free pint of strawberries at Paul Mazza’s farmstand.

In other news, JULT will once again co-sponsor the summer concert series at Mills Riverside Park. There is some great music in store for us so we hope to see you there. Our last even, the birdwalk and slide show at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library was a big success. Our next event will be a corn roast in August.

In land stewardship news, we have new signs at Kikas Valley Farm indicating the parking area. Once you pull in, there is a sign with some basic rules for the trails and ones indicating that you are entering “Kikas Valley Farm – working farm and forest.” We are also planning on putting in a farm gate at the tractor access area which will also have a sign. Livy Strong purchased two JULT car magnets for those involved in our land stewardship projects.

April 2007

At our April meeting, the JULT Board was pleased to welcome a guest. Reed Simms works with the Natural Resources Conservation Services, a federal program which engages in farmland protection through the Farm and Ranchland Preservation Program. He talked to the Board about the easements procured by NRCS on farms throughout Vermont and asked about our interest in agricultural easements. The JULT Board welcomes all members to attend our meetings to share your ideas and learn more about what we do.

JULT memberships are from May 1st to April 30th. All current and lapsed members will be receiving a newsletter with an application form. Please remember to renew (or start anew) your memberships. We cannot accomplish the things we do without our members. This year, all members will be eligible for a free pint of strawberries at Paul Mazza’s farmstand on River Road, in recognition of the fact that our preservation of Kikas Valley Farm helps him to continue farming.

JULT will be participating in Step It Up 2007 at Mills Riverside Park from noon to 2:00 PM on April 14th. This is a nationwide event dealing with global climate change. Tom Baribault will lead a nature walk and there will be several speakers including our own Livy Strong. There will be activities for children, as well.

Other upcoming events are our Annual Meeting which begins at 7:00 on May 7th at a location to be determined. Stay tuned to find out the exact locale. We will have a SHORT business meeting, followed by a talk by Mark Fasching of Jericho Settler’s Farm. Mark has just left his position with the Vermont Land Trust to be a full-time farmer. Locally produced munchies will be available. Additionally, Evergreen Erb and Mauve Kim will hold Evergreen’s tenth annual birdwalk on May 27th at 7:00 AM at Mills Riverside Park with a slideshow on birds to take place on May 24th at Deborah Rawson Memorial Library.

In land stewardship news, we will be putting up a sign near the split rail fence at Kikas Valley Farm to indicate the public parking space. It will have a list of rules for the property and will indicate that this is the official parking spot for the trails. A Wingate resident would like to talk to the Board about trail building or piggybacking on existing trails at Kikas Valley Farm.

March 2007

Thanks to everyone who attended our Winter Fest dinner. Eighty people enjoyed food from Its Arthur’s Fault (including a special desert made just for us) and music from Mr. Ed’s swing band. After the dinner we learned that the floor of Underhill Town Hall is not structurally sound and we were the last group for some time to enjoy this wonderful space. Our sincere thanks to the wonderful high school students who served the dinner, allowing Board members to mingle with the guests.

Our next big event will be our Annual Meeting which is usually held on the first Monday in May. Watch this space to find out the location and the identity of our special guest speaker. And remember…. memberships run from May 1 st to May 30 th so we’ll be asking you to renew your commitment to conserving land in our two towns. We’re working on a potential new benefit for members this year; a free pint of pick-your-own strawberries at Kikas Valley Farm.

After the annual meeting, our next event will be the annual birdwalk with Evergreen Erb in Mills Riverside Park on May 20th. This year this will be a two-part event starting with a slide show at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, followed by the walk.

With no land project on the horizon, the Board of JULT is planning on devoting this year to increasing our membership. We currently have 237 members despite a database of present and former contributors of over 1,000 names. Please take a moment to make sure that your membership is up-to-date and, if not, please show your support with a membership donation.

January 2007

Financially, JULT starts 2007 in good shape. Despite not having any major fundraising projects in 2006 (aside from raising $2,000 for a stewardship project as requested by VLT), we finished the year in the black, raising almost $2,000 in cash donations, over $12,000 in memberships and almost $3,000 from last year’s winter dinner. Our membership numbers are down somewhat, but our remaining members have become more generous, opting for higher priced membership options. We are extremely grateful for their – your – years of support. Our 2006 expenses were minimal with funds going mainly towards property taxes, postage and printing.

At our January meeting, the JULT Board of Directors continued working on our Needs Assessment which is the first step in strategic planning. In the lull after conserving Mills Riverside Park, we completed our first strategic plan, but since this plan is more than five years old, it is time to revisit it. Since we are not in major project fundraising mode, we have the opportunity to reassess our situation and ensure that we will be a productive land trust, serving our communities, for many years to come.

Remember, this year, our annual gala winter dinner will be held on Saturday, February 24 th at Underhill Town Hall, beginning at 7:00 PM. Arthur Shelmandine of Its Arthur’s Fault will provide the food and Ed Moore’s swing band, Mr. Ed, will provide the music. This year’s menu calls for roast beef and marinated roasted vegetables with a vegetarian option. Desert will be a special chocolate treat created in honor of the land trust. The cost is $35 for land trust members and $40 for non-members. Tables of ten can be reserved ahead of time. Otherwise, seating is first come, first served.

December 2006

Our December meeting concentrated on upcoming events such as the Annual Winter Dinner which will be held on Saturday, February 24 th at Underhill Town Hall. Arthur Shelmandine of Its Arthur’s Fault will cater the affair and we hope that Ed Moore’s swing band will provide musical entertainment.

On the land stewardship front, John Koier of JULT led an educational walk at Kikas Valley Farm which was well attended. John reported that the new VAST trail has been built and looks very good and there are posts which separate it from the old trail. We have installed some split-rail fence posts to denote the parking lot and we may add a fence in the spring and a sign in the parking lot. The entire perimeter has been marked with Safety Zone signs.

October 2006

A great deal of conversation at the October JULT meeting had to do with our stewardship work. Stewardship Chair, John Koier reported on the re-routing of the VAST trail along the Kikas Valley Farm property. Both he and Livy Strong reported seeing moose tracks on the new trail. John will be leading a walk on the history and natural resources of the property starting at 9:00 AM on Saturday, October 7 th. Refreshments will be provided and we hope to see you there.

JULT member Ryan Ochs has been helping us map our existing holdings. He reported that he hopes to have a completed version of the trail map for Wolfrun Natural Area very soon. He will join John and Livy in meeting with Sue Morse to discuss the forest management plan for the property.

The second half of our October meeting was devoted to a self-assessment by the JULT Board. Among the questions we wrestled with were:

• What is the purpose of the organization?
• What are the three most important things the organization must do to be successful?
• What is the scope and breadth of the work to be accomplished?
• What is the unique position that the organization holds in the community?
• Who does the organization serve and who are the people most important to the organization’s success?
• Are goals clearly defined and measurable?
• Is everyone focused in same direction?
• How do annual operating plans align with the strategic focus?
• Describe the organization’s vision of success.
• What are the organization’s products or services?
• What is the organization’s distinctive competence?
• How are programs evaluated and accomplishments measured?
• What are the decision making criteria for new projects?

As you can imagine, it was a spirited conversation. We welcome input from our members on how what we’re doing well and what we could do better.

September 2006

At our September meeting, the Jericho Underhill Land Trust looked to the future. Livy Strong attended a three-day Visions and Values workshop in Waitsfield. The workshop stressed the importance of looking at land conservation from a community perspective, not just numbers like monies raised and acres conserved. Livy was pleased to note that JUL already operates under many of the principles suggested at the workshop, but we will be focusing on this training at future meetings to help determine our priorities.

We have started a small, local campaign to raise money for a conservation easement in Underhill. The Freeman Foundation is covering the majority of the acquisition, but we need to raise $2,000 for stewardship fees. We hope to have more information on this exciting conservation easement shortly.

Stewardship of our land continues to be a major priority. Work continues on marking the boundary of Kikas Valley Farm. Stewardship Committee Chair John Koier has been marking the boundary with orange blazes and adding our JULT marker along the periphery. This has been a good year for our tenant farmer with a delicious strawberry crop and now a strong crop of squash and sweet corn. We will also be meeting shortly with Sue Morse regarding the Forest Management Plan for Wolfrun Natural Area.

JULT has been involved in the planning process for a wonderful upcoming event at the UVM Research Forest on October 14 th which is a Celebration of the Local Landscape. We are pleased to be able to join forces with local artists, scientists, and others to honor the beauty and richness of our community.

One sad note is that Chris Smith, our Treasurer for the last five years, will be resigning from the Board in December. She will be greatly missed. If anyone reading this has bookkeeping and/or accounting skills, we’d love to have you come to a meeting to see if you would be interested in helping us with our books.

August 2006

JULT has taken a bit of a break from meeting this summer.  Our next meeting will be Monday, September 11th, the SECOND Monday in September to accommodate those enjoying the Labor Day weekend.  But just because we haven't had regular meetings doesn't mean we haven't been active.  We have a brand new brochure, courtesy of Fox Printing and we are working on updating our webpage and display easel.

We thank those of you who have renewed your memberships (remember - memberships run from May 1st to April 30th).  If you haven't done so already, please take the time to send us a check (you can make a secure contribution via our website at jult.org) so that we can continue our good work.  Old Mill Park, Mills Riverside Park, Wolfrun Natural Area, Casey's Hill and Kikas Valley Farm would never have been possible without your generous contributions.

June 2006

At our June meeting, the JULT Board discussed the upcoming music series at Mills Riverside Park which will be sponsored, in part, by JULT. We are also hoping to sponsor an archaeological walk at Kikas Valley Farm. JULT has received a number of new members recently, perhaps in part because of our special events such as the annual birdwalk and the presentation by David Brynn at our annual meeting. If you haven’t renewed your membership, please do so.

JULT is in the process of updating some of our materials such as brochures and the web page. We hope to have the revised brochure ready in time for the Tammy Fletcher concert at Mills Riverside Park. See you there.

Our Land Stewardship committee has been hard at work at Kikas Valley Farm. The apple trees at the entrance were limed and the boundary is being marked. Deer tracks are plentiful on the property and a highly productive bee tree has been found. Corn, strawberries and flowers have been planted at Kikas Valley Farm. A wide variety of birds were seen and heard at the annual bird walk. We will also be meeting with Sue Morse regarding the forest management plan for Wolfrun Natural Area.

May 2006

The Jericho Underhill Land Trust’s 2006 Annual Meeting was a big success. There was great food, wonderful neighbors, invigorating conversation and a fantastic presentation by UVM Research Forest’s David Brynn.

Five board members - John Koier, Phyl Newbeck, John Schroeder, Livy Strong and Betsy Walkerman - were re-elected to three-year terms on the Board. The remaining Board members – Chris Smith and Hilaire Thomas – have two years to go in their three-year terms. We are gratified that so many Board members have chosen to continue with their commitments and hope others will come to our meetings and consider helping us with our work.

Livy provided members with our annual report. One of most recent projects was Casey’s Hill which took slightly more than two years of fundraising and grant-writing. The acquisition of Casey’s Hill could not have been done without a wonderful, supportive community. JULT raised a little over $80,000 locally in just three and half months. The first thing foundations ask applicants is whether there is community support and this outpouring clearly demonstrated that we had full community support. On a vote by its citizens, Underhill donated $20,000 towards the purchase. The full amount need to permanently conserve Casey’s Hill was $245,000. The Underhill Conservation Commission was an important partner in this work. We conveyed the land to the town of Underhill and they conveyed the development rights to the Vermont Land Trust on July 21, 2005.

The other big project began three and a half years ago when the Snyder Companies called about donating some land off Skunk Hollow Road. They wanted to donate the land to JULT because they wanted the agricultural use of the land and the public access to the land continue. Normally they give such “common land” to the homeowner’s association but they feared that the association would not want to continue the agricultural use or the public access. The Snyder Companies had never worked with a land trust before. There were discussions with us, the developer, the Jericho Development Review Board (which required the land to be clustered with all 21 homes on 21 acres) and the Jericho Select Board. Again, Vermont Land Trust will hold the easement. The closing was last October. Snyder Companies conveyed 280 acres to JULT and we conveyed the easement to the Vermont Land Trust. This is the first land we haven’t had to fundraise for and we have named the land Kikas Valley Farm. Kikas is the Abenaki word for the month of May which also means “field planter.”

We are leasing 75 acres of agricultural land at Kikas Valley Farm to Paul Mazza. We will maintain the current trails for snowshoeing, walking and mountain biking and will create a perimeter trail. We are in communication with Fellowship of the Wheel regarding the property. A portion of the VAST trail crosses the property, as well, and will be continued. There will be a three or four car parking area for public access for the trails. Our hope is that in the future, this type of cooperation will become more common.

April 2006

At our April meeting, the Board finalized our plans for our Annual Meeting on May 1 st at Underhill Town Hall. David Brynn of the UVM Research Forest will be our guest speaker and board members will provide refreshments. We hope that all our members will come to this annual community gathering. Remember that memberships are due on May 1 st.

Another upcoming event is the annual bird walk led by Evergreen Erb on Sunday, May 7th. This year the walk will be held at Kikas Valley Farm instead of Mills Riverside Park. Bring your bird books and binoculars and prepare for a wonderful and informative morning.

Land stewardship is now a big part of what JULT does. We are marking the boundaries of both Wolfrun Natural Area and Kikas Valley Farm with our new distinctive boundary markers. Our management plan at Wolfrun calls for us to close Big Swamp (an important birthing area) to the public for several summer months. At Kikas Valley Farm, we are looking forward to working with community groups on establishing parameters for trail use.

March 2006

Part of JULT’s March meeting was spent planning the events for our Annual Meeting on May 1 st. As it has for the last few years, the meeting will be held at Underhill Town Hall. Our guest speaker will be David Brynn, the founder of Family Forests and former County Forester for Addison County who currently works at UVM’s Research Forest. As always, there will be refreshments for all our members and we plan to raffle off a very special item. This year, for the first time, JULT will prepare an Annual Report for our members. We’ve come a long way since our early days of one-page typed newsletters.

JULT is currently brainstorming future events to benefit our members. Our annual bird walk will be led by Evergreen Erb on May 7 th at Kikas Valley Farm and this year we hope to have a wildflower walk at Mills and an archaeological walk at Kikas Valley Farm, as well. Speaking of Kikas Valley Farm, we are pleased to announce that Paul Mazza has signed a one-year lease to continue farming the property. We hope that this arrangement will be mutually satisfying and can be continued for years to come.

February 2006

The big news is that the Jericho Underhill Land Trust now has a name for the property we have acquired off Skunk Hollow Road. The land has Paleo-Indian artifacts which predate the Abenakis, but the Board decided that an Abenaki name would be appropriate. From now on, the land will be referred to as Kikas Valley Farm. Kikas is the Abenaki word for May and it also means field planter. The land has been used for agricultural purposes for years and JULT hopes to continue that by leasing out the land for farming.

If you weren’t able to attend the JULT’s second annual winter dinner, you missed a wonderful evening of great food, conversation, music and dancing. Eighty-seven people dined on food catered by It’s Arthur’s Fault and danced to the music of Mr. Ed. The land trust made $1,325 on the dinner but its success cannot be measured in monetary value alone. We hope to see you there next year.

In more mundane news, the JULT Board voted on a conflict of interest policy which will guide us in land acquisitions. This puts us in complete compliance with the Standards and Practices of the Land Trust Alliance of which we are a member.

January 2006

The longer we are in operation, the smoother our administrative procedures go. At our January meeting, the Jericho Underhill Land Trust reviewed Treasurer Chris Smith’s proposed budget for FY 2006. In 2005 we exceeded our expected income and came in under our expected expenses and our proposed plans for 2006 build on that. If we can continue to maintain and/or build our membership, we can continue to conserve land in Jericho and Underhill for years to come.

We are also in the process of creating a conflict of interest policy so that we are fully in compliance with the Land Trust Alliance’s policies and procedures. It’s not the most exciting work but it makes us a better and more professional organization.

Also at our January meeting we discussed our Second Annual Winter Fest Dinner and Dance which will be held at Underhill Town Hall starting at 7:00 PM on Saturday, January 21 st. It’s not too late to reserve your seat for $35 or your table for ten for $350.

Our land stewardship committee has been hard at work at Wolfrun Natural Area cleaning up debris, clearing the overstory for some apple trees, and marking the property. JULT has recently purchased a beautiful, professional set of boundary markers and one-quarter of the property has already been marked.

December 2005

A major topic of conversation at the JULT monthly meeting was our upcoming Second Annual Winter Dinner. Arthur Shelmandine of It’s Arthur’s Fault has agreed to cater the affair and the menu (which will include a vegetarian option) is positively mouth-watering. The sumptuous evening at Underhill Town Hall will be topped off with dancing to Mr. Ed’s band. Remember to mark January 21 st on your calendars. The dinner will only be $35/person and tables for ten can be reserved for $350. Last year’s dinner sold out so claim your seats early.

Our thanks to all who started or renewed memberships after receiving our fall newsletter. We currently have 189 memberships with 8 from outside Vermont. This includes 10 seniors, 34 individuals, 75 families, 33 sponsors, 32 stewards, and 5 lifetime ($1,000) memberships.

The JULT stewardship committee has been hard at work this fall. Property lines have been marked at Wolfrun and we are working on the boundary of the Wingate land. Remember – we need a new name for this property and we are counting on our members for ideas. The JULT has come up with a beautiful property boundary marker which will be used to mark the boundaries of all our properties. Additionally, new maps have been created of our properties which are available on this website.

November 2005

The Jericho Underhill Land Trust took a breather from land acquisitions in November to work on internal matters. As a member of the national Land Trust Alliance, we are required to adopt their Standards and Practices (see http://www.lta.org/sp/index.html). Earlier this year, we formally adopted them, but at our November meeting we discussed how to improve our compliance with them. We agreed that for a purely volunteer group, we are doing a very good job, but need to formalize some of our policies and record-keeping procedures.

Although we did procedural work, the JULT board couldn’t keep from discussing “our” land for very long. We are in the process of creating boundary markers for Wolfrun Natural Area and the as-yet-to-be-named land that we have acquired as part of the Wingate subdivision. Several tasteful designs were discussed and soon we will have our own distinctive property boundary markers.

Save the date of January 21 st on your calendars! That’s when JULT will be having our second annual winter dinner at the Underhill Town Hall. We’ve already booked Mr. Ed to perform. Last year’s dinner was a smashing success so remember to put this date on your calendar. More information will follow as soon as it is available.

October 2005

At JULT’s October meeting Michele Morris, newsletter creator extraordinaire, passed the torch to our newest volunteer Kathy Lawrence who will be in charge of our fall newsletter. Michele was thanked for her continued assistance to the land trust and for all her work in improving our newsletters and brochures during her years on the Board. She will be missed.

On October 8 th, JULT held a celebration at Wolfrun Natural Area. A plaque bearing the names of all who contributed to “buy an acre” was unveiled and guests took a casual hike around the property and enjoyed refreshments. More work has been done at Wolfrun. An old deer camp on the property has been demolished by JULT Board members and volunteers and there is a gate at the entrance.

And speaking of celebrating, the Board is planning not one but two winter celebrations. We plan an outdoor family celebration of Casey’s Hill on the Hill, as well as a sumptuous dinner at Underhill Town Hall. Check this site regularly for details on both celebrations.

In other exciting news, on Friday, October 7 th, JULT officially took title to 280 +/-acres of agriculture and forest land as a gift from the Snyder Company. The land is on the east side of Skunk Hollow Road and is accessed off Tyler Place. There is a hiking trail across the land, as well as a portion of the VAST trail. The agricultural part of the land is currently being leased to a local farmer and JULT hopes to continue this tradition. It will be the first agricultural land that we have owned. A 3-4 car parking area will be constructed for public access to the recreation trails.

September 2005

At our September meeting, the JULT Board had a great deal of good news to report. In August we received an extremely generous stock donation of $10,000 which will be used to cover the remaining costs of the purchase of Casey’s Hill. Additionally, we received a grant of $25,000 from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. These two sources of funds ensure that all of the costs for the purchase of Casey’s Hill are covered.

On October 8 th starting at 9:00, JULT will be sponsoring a Wolfrun Natural Area Rendezvous. There will be refreshments and a casual walk around the property, as well as the unveiling of a boulder plaque celebrating all those who “purchased an acre of Wolfrun.” Please join us.

JULT is hoping that we will be receiving title to the agricultural and forested portion of the Wingate subdivision off Skunk Hollow Road later this month. We have been hard at work, reviewing the various legal documents including warrantee deeds and conservation easements. We will be purchasing small signs to mark the boundaries of both this area and Wolfrun.

The JULT Board has decided to take part in Kids Day at Farrell Chiropractic on Route 15 in Jericho. Stop by our table between noon and 3:00 PM on September 17 th and learn about recent land acquisitions.

Please note that the next meeting of the Jericho Underhill Land Trust will be October 10 th rather than October 3 rd. All members are always welcome to attend.

August 2005

July was a great month for the Jericho Underhill Land Trust. We closed on Casey’s Hill on July 21 st at 2:00 PM at Underhill Town Hall. The property was immediately turned over to the town of Underhill and they donated an easement to VLT. Stayed tuned for a gala celebration of this acquisition. Additionally, we will be unveiling a poster in Underhill Town Hall thanking everyone who contributed to this exciting project. In other “recognition” news, JULT is working on putting a plaque recognizing our Wolfrun donors on a boulder at the entrance to the Wolfrun Natural Area.

The ink was barely dry on the Casey’s Hill purchase when the Wingate subdivision received Act 250 approval, clearing the way for their donation of 285 acres to JULT which will likely take place in late August or early September. JULT intends to create a long-term lease for the agricultural land with the current tenant farmer. Incidental costs for the acquisition will be paid for by the Freeman Foundation. JULT needs your help in coming up with a name for the portion of the land which will be owned by the land trust.

In addition, talks are taking place regarding adding land to the Wolfrun Natural Area. This is a long-range project but Forest Legacy Project grant monies are available so JULT will work with VLT on an acquisition plan. In the meantime, we have acquired a gate for the entrance to Wolfrun and intend to mark the property entrance in a more formal manner.

Although many of our members have renewed their memberships, quite a few neglected to do so at the May deadline. Many members have increased their membership donations, but we are down quite a bit in our membership numbers. Please…. if you did not renew your membership in May, consider doing so.

July 2005

Closing on Casey’s Hill is set for July 21st at 2:00, and title for the property will immediately be turned over to the town of Underhill. It will be a busy summer because there is a strong possibility that in August, JULT will take title to 285 acres of farmland and forestland off Skunk Hollow Road. Stay tuned for further details.

Calling all members…. Membership renewal letters have gone out but many of you have not yet sent in your membership monies. Remember, without the help of our loyal members, we could never have conserved Old Red Mill Park, Mills Riverside Park, Wolfrun Natural Area or Casey’s Hill. We need your help. So far, less than half of our 2004-05 members have renewed. Please take the time to renew today.

With all the excitement over our newest land acquisitions, we haven’t forgotten Wolfrun. Board members and volunteers have marked the boundary and have acquired a gate which will be placed at the entranceway. We are planning on placing a large bronze plaque on a boulder to thank those who contributed to the acquisition of this wonderful land.

June 2005

At every JULT meeting our Treasurer, Chris Smith, presents the monthly and annual financial statements. The big news at our June meeting is that we are ahead of last year in terms of membership monies received. A big thank you to everyone who renewed their memberships. For those who didn’t do so, a gentle reminder letter will be going out later this month.

The current owner of Casey’s Hill is in the midst of requesting subdivision approval from the Underhill Planning Commission. As soon as that request has been approved we will be ready to close on Casey’s Hill. This could take place as early as June 15 th but may wait until July 15 th. Conservation easements and an interim management plan have already been drafted and we are poised with pens in hand to purchase this wonderful jewel and to turn it over to the town of Underhill.

We are also in the middle of negotiations with the Snyder Companies about their donation of the common land at “Wingate” off Skunk Hollow Road to JULT. It is likely that this conveyance will take place early this summer. This is the first time that the Snyder Companies has ever worked with a land trust. Further, the Vermont Land Trust reports that they have never worked directly with a developer before.

And don’t forget about Wolfrun. Dedicated Board members have been working hard to mark the boundary lines with orange paint. Much of the land is rugged and footing is difficult but our intrepid volunteers have almost completed the job. The Vermont Land Trust will be walking the land with Board member John Koier in June to assure that all is in order.

Well over 30 people covering a wide spectrum of ages joined JULT for the annual Evergreen Erb birdwalk at Mills Riverside Park. All in all, twenty-two species were either seen, heard or both.

Retired Board member Michele Morris has graciously agreed to help JULT publish our summer and fall newsletters. We are looking for volunteers from our membership to help out and to pick up where she leaves off this winter. Please e-mail or call us if you think you can help. Joining her in retirement is Weston Davis who leaves the Board for his new home in Lake Elmore, but has kindly left his artwork, seen last on the Casey’s Hill sign, for JULT’s use.

May 2005

A big thank you to everyone who attended the Jericho Underhill Land Trust’s Annual Meeting. We hope our members enjoyed the refreshments and the wonderful presentation by Jan Albers, author of “Hands of the Land.”

The big news at the meeting was the addition of a new Board member. Hilaire Thomas was elected to the Board of Trustees and will serve as Financial Secretary. Susan Babicz is stepping down from the Financial Secretary role, but will remain on the Board. Unfortunately, Michele Morris has resigned from the Board. We will miss her stellar work on our newsletters and brochures and wish her the best.

At the meeting, L. Strong provided members with our annual report. The majority of our efforts this year were devoted to Casey’s Hill. Last year at this time we were just starting the appraisal process. The land was appraised at $175,000 with another $35,000 needed for development rights of an adjoining property. When project budget expenses were added in, we needed to raise $245,000. We determined that we would try to raise $75,000 from the community in addition to the $20,000 raised by the Town of Underhill. We ended up raising over $75,000 in just 3 ½ months which is extraordinary. We held a silent auction with a presentation by Bernd Heinrich. Carolyn Gregson put together a dinner which raised over $3,000. A concert by high school students and their parents on April 1 st included a donation basket which raised $300. There were bake sales and high school students raised money at booths at the high school. During the Winter Carnival, three kids spontaneously raffled off a sled, raising $58. Absolutely everyone in the community has been involved including all ages and generations. Closing is scheduled for June 15 th and we are working with the Vermont Land Trust on a conservation easement. The land will never be developed and will always be scenic and open for recreation.

Additionally, the Snyder Company plans to donate 285 acres of forest and farmland off Skunk Hollow Road to JULT in mid June, early July. This will ensure that the land currently leased to Paul Mazza will remain in agriculture. Additionally, the VAST trails and cross-country ski trail network will also continue. The houses will be clustered on less than 21 acres, rather than one every ten acres as zoning permits. We are partnering with organizations we never thought we’d partner with while protecting important natural resources and keeping agricultural lands working.

April 2005

The community support for Casey’s Hill has been overwhelming. Independently, a number of residents of Underhill and Jericho have come up with wonderful, creative ways to raise money towards the purchase of Casey’s Hill. Local recording artist Hillary Capps has donated over $250 from the sale of her CD towards the purchase price. A recent musical performance and bake sale by local teenagers and their families netted over $450 towards the purchase price. At the Mills Riverside Park Winter Carnival, a trio of local kids raffled off a sled and donated the proceeds which totaled over $50 to ensure that Casey’s Hill will be preserved in perpetuity. The JULT Board of Directors is truly gratified by the outpouring of community support.

JULT is still waiting to here the results of our various grant applications to complete the purchase price. We are thankful for the $2,000 grant which was received from the Pizzigalli Foundation.

We hope that all members will come to our Annual Meeting on Monday, May 2 nd at Underhill Town Hall. We encourage members to arrive at 6:30 for some good food and conversation. A short business meeting will begin at 7:00 and will include a financial update, a summary of our accomplishments of the last year, and the election of new Board members. At roughly 7:30, Jan Albers will give a presentation based on her book “Hands on the Land” which chronicles the inextricable links between land, people and the Vermont way of life.

March 2005

At our March meeting the JULT Board was pleased to welcome two guests (Ryan Ochs and Hilaire Thomas) who have kindly offered to provide us with assistance on mapping and GIS issues and database management, respectively. Remember, our meetings are the first Monday of every month at the Jericho Community Center. Everyone is welcome and you won’t be pressed into service unless you volunteer.

The most exciting news is that we have met our goal of raising $75,000 from the community for Casey’s Hill. The money was raised in record time – 3 ½ months – and we are grateful for the generosity of our two towns. We haven’t reached our final financial goal, however. We still need to raise $50,000, primarily through grant applications. Several such applications are pending and we are cautiously optimistic about meeting the closing date of June 15 th. Look for the new “triumphant sledder” who will be gracing the sign at the bottom of Casey’s Hill, courtesy of Board member, Weston Davis.

The Board also discussed our Annual Meeting which is tentatively scheduled for Monday, May 2 nd at Underhill Town Hall. Be sure to check the JULT web page for updates on our guest speaker. Also check the webpage and our upcoming newsletter for information on the annual Mills Riverside Park bird walk conducted by Jericho’s own Evergreen Erb. Remember that all JULT memberships expire on April 30 th. Please renew your membership. In the future we may be able to provide additional membership benefits to members such as discounts from local vendors. Stay tuned.

February 2005

At our February meeting, JULT Board members took a brief break from Casey’s Hill to plan for the upcoming year. Treasurer, Chris Smith, prepared at 2005 budget which was approved by the Board.

Regarding Casey’s Hill, the closing date has been moved back to June 15, 2005 for a variety of reasons including the need to follow subdivision procedures in Underhill. JULT has raised almost $70,000 from the community, just short of our goal. We are still awaiting grant monies to augment the community’s contribution and it is too early to tell how many of our grant applications will be filled. The VHCB has provided us with $100,000 and the Pecor family has donated $4,000 through the Vermont Land Trust. Only one grant application has been turned down, so far. We have also received some excellent publicity in both the print and television media which has assisted our fundraising.

January 2005

At our January meeting, the Jericho Underhill Land Trust Board enthusiastically welcomed members of the Underhill Conservation Commission to join us in our discussion of Casey’s Hill. Our fundraising to date has been quite successful, but we have a long way to go. We raised over $2,500 with our December silent auction and were able to obtain a grant of $100,000 from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. We hope to raise roughly $75,000 from the community and have achieved more than half of that goal. We have planned another fundraising event for January 22 nd at Underhill Town Hall. Chef Carolyn Gregson will prepare a fabulous three-course meal, accompanied by music from Mr. Ed, at $35 a person. Members of the Underhill Conservation Commission volunteered to provide assistance with our fundraising efforts.

The Board is thrilled to announce the new design for our webpage. We have renewed our domain name for another ten years, and hope to continue improving our page to make it more user-friendly.

JULT has been involved in a number of publicity efforts for Casey’s Hill. Vice Chair, Betsy Walkerman appeared on The Point morning radio show in December and she and Chair, Livy Strong will appear on WCAX’s Across the Fence in January. We have had positive press in the Mountain Gazette and the Burlington Free Press and expect future stories in both papers. Additionally, our winter newsletter will soon be making an appearance at a mailbox near you.