In 2002, Linford and Mary Ellin Stiles granted The Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust a conservation easement on their 82-acre property in Danbury and in 2008, they transferred ownership of the property to Christopher and Jennifer Fore. In 2019, the Fore’s purchased an additional seven-acre parcel of land adjacent to their 82-acre conservation easement and, on Dec. 20, 2019, added this new acreage to the existing conservation easement with Ausbon Sargent.
This seven-acre parcel had been on the market as two separate lots for development which could have impacted extensive wetlands on the east of the property. The property also has good forestry and agricultural soils. Placing a conservation easement on these acres not only protects these wetlands and soils, but this property is now part of a block of contiguous conservation land creating a wildlife corridor that extends to Ausbon Sargent’s Old College Road Preserve in Andover.
Landowner Chris Fore shares that Lin and Mary Ellin Stiles “were able to convince us we were the next stewards of Ragged Farm; this was not your typical real estate transaction, but, for the Stiles, the process of finding the next stewards to care for this incredible place.” Adding seven acres to the original 82-acre parcel insures an “amazing view of the Danbury Bog and state-managed Wildlife Conservation Area.”
The Fores pasture many domestic animals in addition to the abundant wildlife such as bear, moose and snowshoe hare, that regularly make their way into the fenced pastures, all adding to the value of this land.
With the addition of this property, The Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust now protects 151 properties comprising 11,859 acres of land in the 12-town region that it serves.