Ridley Brook tract added to Camels Hump State Park
September 8, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti Ridley Brook in a section of conserved land added to Camel's Hump State Park in Duxbury. Photo courtesy of the Vt. Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
A multi-step project to permanently conserve 62 acres along Ridley Brook and the Winooski River in Duxbury and add the property to Camel’s Hump State Park came to fruition this summer.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation announced the completion of the effort referred to as the Ridley Brook Conservation Project. The project was a good fit to be part of the state parklands in the area, explained Gannon Osborn, state Land Conservation Program Manager. “By protecting this land, we're safeguarding clean water, public access, wildlife habitat, and the natural beauty that makes our state special,” Osborn said.
The acquisition aligns with the goals of Vermont’s Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act, he said. It specifically supports flood resilience and water quality in the Winooski River watershed by slowing down, absorbing, and filtering future flooding, he explained.
Click to enlarge the map. The acreage added to the state parklands is outlined in yellow with the Green Mountain Club parcels at the top left.
The expansion of the state lands also enlarges what state land managers call a key “connectivity block” that helps link the northern Green Mountains and Canada to the southern Green Mountains and the Berkshires. This corridor is important for north-south movement of wildlife including moose, bears, and other large mammals along the Green Mountains.
Most of the tract is situated at the intersection of River Road and Camel’s Hump Road, three miles of the parking lot at the popular Monroe trailhead which leads to the summit of Camel's Hump. The Duxbury Land Trust first acquired 57 acres that was formerly three contiguous parcels owned by James L. Hanley. The land had been in Hanley’s family since 1953.
Duxbury Land Trust volunteer Dan Cardozo said his group is thrilled to see the project reach its conclusion. “This effort protects access to the Winooski River and Ridley Brook, a steep canyon-like area, which provides cool high-elevation waters for brook trout,” he said. Including the tract in the state park was a logical step, Cardozo said.
An additional five acres near the former Hanley parcel was contributed to the project by the Green Mountain Club. Cardozo explained that acreage was considered as a possible site when a footbridge over the Winooski River was being designed. Owned by the Green Mountain Club, the suspension bridge ultimately was built at a location further to the west and opened in 2015.
Multiple organizations and agencies had a hand in the Ridley Brook Conservation Project. In addition to the state Forests, Parks and Recreation Department, the Duxbury Land Trust, and the Green Mountain Club, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and the nonprofit Vermont River Conservancy played key roles.
As part of the collaboration, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board provided $250,000 in grant funding for the land trust to initially buy the land in 2023. The federal Forest Legacy Program and the Flood Resilient Communities Fund also made contributions.
Osborn said there are plans for minimal improvements on the land, but that work would not happen this year. “We have a grant from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to develop a small parking area and kiosk on the property, as well as a grant from the Vermont Department of Public Safety’s Flood Resilient Communities Fund to remediate and restore the site to improve flood resilience,” he said. “Given the recent flooding and the need for contractors elsewhere, these improvements will not be implemented until the 2025 field season.”