Not knowing that a land trust would be the outcome, a group of residents came together in 1994 in hopes of conserving a traditional swimming hole on the Ridley Brook. Needing to form a non-profit organization to apply for grants, they decided that creating a land trust was the best option.
The founding board literally ‘passed the hat’ and generated $25 to deposit on the 10 acre swimming hole property. Assistance from the Vermont Land Trust and Christine and Vincent Iorio’s donation of a critical parcel for access, were key factors in achieving the group’s goal. Additionally, intense and, seemingly, non-stop fundraising; and state and private foundation grants enabled the grassroots group to realize its first project.
By 1999, the DLT completed its second project by accepting a conservation easement from Linda Devlin on 30 acres, including a traditional Duxbury homestead. Andy Clapp donated a five-acre parcel in 2004 adding to holdings along the Ridley Brook. In 2004, the State of Vermont asked the Land Trust to accept an easement on a portion of the former State Farm. Permanently conserving sections of the former State Farm is a permit condition for both the Town and Act 250.
Duxbury Land Trust 