CCT History

THEN AND NOW

Twenty years ago CCT was only an idea. As reported in the April 1986 CornwallAssociation Newsletter, James Fox and Peter Lane, former owners of the Vizcarrondo's place, challenged their neighbors to form a land trust by donating a conservation easement on four acres adjacent to the North Cornwall Church to the Housatonic Valley Association with the proviso that when a Cornwall land trust was formed, the easement would be transferred to the new entity. Energetic neighbors acted and CCT was formally incorporated and obtained its tax-exempt status the next year.

We are proud that over its short lifetime, your local, all-volunteer land trust has played a direct part in the preservation of 25 properties (totaling almost 1,200 acres) in Cornwall, thanks to the generosity of neighbors and friends who have taken conservation to heart and who have wanted to keep Cornwall "the way it is."

In 2006 CCT acquired three lovely properties: the Ballyhack Preserve on Route 125 was transferred to CCT from the Nature Conservancy; Myron and Adeline Hofer donated 49 acres of forested land next to a state forest parcel on Route 43; and Debby and Bruce Bennett created an agricultural easement on 51 acres of their property adjoining the Hart Farm Preserve.

Our warmest thanks to all donors of land and/ or funds past and present! And for those who are "just thinking about it," step right up with questions on protecting your own property. In addition to acquiring land and development rights, CCT can assist landowners in planning for the future of their properties at no cost. Contact me or Emilie Pryor or any other CCT board member with questions.

Hector Prud'homme

IN THE BEGINNING

The first meeting of the soon-to-be Cornwall Conservation Trust was in Dave Dolinsky's newly renovated kitchen. The group was pulled together by Charlie Osborne of the Cornwall Association to fill what was seen as a void in Cornwall. Most of Connecticut's 169 towns had a land trust devoted to their town's unique and special needs. Cornwall is certainly special and unique, and its land and landscape are a big part of that. For many of us, the idea of forming yet another volunteer group to perform an, as yet, unclear task seemed both daunting and perhaps unnecessary. Between Charlie's patient explanations, an overriding sense of "rightness," and Sandy Dolinsky's cookies, we saw the light and Cornwall's own land trust was born.

This seems relatively simple in retrospect but, in reality, took nearly a year. Generous contributions of professional time from Bob Raives' law office, plus the organizational skills of Dave Dolinsky and Bob Beers, got us from a blank piece of paper to a fully approved IRS 50l (c)(3) charitable trust.

The early going was slow and, at times, perhaps glacial, yet we did acquire our first easement, The Fox and Lane gift next to the North Cornwall Church, after much deliberation and learning how the process works. This was followed by the promise of the Coltsfoot easement once our IRS status was permanent. The pump was now primed and a valuable asset of the community has grown from these humble beginnings.

Ralph Gold

CORNWALL CONSERVATION TRUST