Group works to conserve Westford's Jackson Farm

The almost mile-long stone wall at the edge of the Jackson property on Brookside Road in Westford has been a local landmark for as long as anyone can remember.

When Bob Jackson, the last of the four brothers who grew up on the family farm, died in 2011, many worried that the iconic wall would be destroyed and the land carved up for houses.

The property belongs to Jackson’s daughter and son-in-law, Lynn and David Gauthier. The couple lives elsewhere in town and were initially not interested in conserving the land. A dinner with Westford resident Pat Haller and his wife changed their minds, leading to the formation of the Jackson Farm and Forest Coordinating Committee.

The committee came up with a plan to turn the wooded part of the property into a 130-acre town forest with a network of trails which will connect to those at the Westford School. A 42-acre tract of meadow will be farmed and another portion of the meadow will be the site of an in-ground leach field to serve the Town Center which has been stymied by a lack of wastewater capacity.

The Gauthiers had the land appraised and a contract was drawn up which awaits approval from the residents of Westford. On Election Day, voters will have the opportunity to decide whether a sum of no more than $185,000 should be allotted for the purchase. If they approve, the Jackson Farm and Forest Coordinating Committee will receive $630,000 from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. They committee will also attempt to raise $50,000 from private contributions; $5,000 of which has already been donated by the Westford Historical Society.

Haller is optimistic voters will agree to the purchase but just to make sure, committee members are holding two walks on the property on Oct. 8 and 22, as well as an informational hearing on Nov. 3.

Each walk will start at the Westford School and go past the beaver ponds on the property, along some old logging roads, past the wall on the western side of the pasture and through the front pasture. Experts who will help explain various facets of the property include Chittenden County Forester Ethan Tapper, State Biologist David Adams, and Vermont Conservation Biologist Jens Hilke.

Haller, a former member of the Westford Planning Commission, spelled out the ways the plan meets the town’s future goals. The opening statement in Westford’s Town Plan calls for the town to “plan for and manage growth while protecting and preserving the rural character, historical sites, natural resources and working land of the Town” while a concluding line calls for the use of innovative techniques to do so.

“This project meets every aspect of our Town Plan vision statement,” Haller said.

The Vermont Land Trust is fully invested in the project plan. Champlain Valley Regional Director Bob Heiser was impressed when 50 Westford residents came out to walk the land last year on a frigid day with “sideways snow, sleet and rain,” noting that this was an indication of how important the project was to town residents.

“What is striking about this effort,” he said “is the number of ways this one property is important to the community. You have a town forest, beloved farmland going to a local family, a scenic stone wall, outdoor recreation and education, and trail connectivity. Any one of those reasons might have been sufficient for a conservation effort but they’re all bundled into one property in Westford.”

The residents of Westford will soon have the opportunity to say if they agree with the committee’s vision.

This story was first posted on Sept. 28, 2016.