THOMPSON — The Wyndham Land Trust recently announced the acquisition of Long Pond in Thompson. The body of water and its surrounding wetlands sit just south of the Massachusetts state line and form the source of the Five Mile River which  flows south through Thompson, Putnam, and Killingly before joining the Quinebaug River in Danielson. The fast-flowing river is a favorite of trout fishermen and kayakers and protecting its source will benefit both local residents and visitors. 

“As a long-time resident of Thompson, I couldn’t be more proud of this achievement,” said Mike St Lawrence, a board member of the Wyndham Land Trust. “The preservation of the 76 acres, including the entire 20-acre pond and a significant portion of the shoreline, will preserve this very rare ecosystem and provide a great opportunity for generations of local residents to experience the beauty that Thompson and northeastern Connecticut have hidden within their borders.”

When Audubon Connecticut announced the Connecticut Wetland In-Lieu Fee (ILF) program—a new funding source aimed at protecting wetlands in the state—the Wyndham Land Trust jumped at the opportunity to acquire Long Pond. In 2016 the land trust was awarded a grant through the new program and, with additional funding from the Bafflin Foundation, they took ownership of the Long Pond property on Jan. 31.

The ILF program is an innovative public and private partnership that provides substantial funding for the restoration, enhancement and preservation of aquatic habitats and their upland buffers in the state. The program receives its funding from application fees required in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits for work in waters of the U.S. for development projects impacting wetlands and watercourses. The fees are given to Audubon Connecticut which works with local, state, and national partners to select and fund large-scale mitigation projects including land acquisition. 

“After all efforts have been made to avoid or minimize wetland impacts, Connecticut’s ILF program provides permit applicants an efficient and workable alternative to traditional mitigation, while providing a better outcome for our wetland habitats,” said Ruth Ladd, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District.  

“It provides regulatory flexibility for agencies to approve a fee in lieu of traditional on-site mitigation. The fees are used to restore, enhance, preserve or create aquatic resources and their associated uplands. 

 

 The Wyndham Land Trust’s Long Pond project was reviewed by an interagency team and determined to be an excellent fit for this program.”

 “Acquisition of the Long Pond property will ensure the continued protection of a number of wetland and watercourse resources in perpetuity,” said Anthony Zemba, an ecologist with the Hartford-based planning firm Fitzgerald and Halliday, Inc., which assists Audubon in management of the ILF program.  

“Some of these resources include unique wetland community types that have a limited distribution within the state of Connecticut, and the property supports flora and fauna identified as species of ‘Greatest Conservation Need’ in the DEEP’s State Wildlife Action Plan.

“The region will benefit from the conservation of the site’s natural resources via the ecosystem services they provide,” Zemba added. “Such as sustainable flow to downstream trout streams and drinking water aquifers, cooler local summertime ambient temperatures, carbon sequestration, fish and wildlife habitat, sediment and shoreline stabilization, and nutrient retention and transformation. In addition, the site offers a place for passive outdoor recreation and for educational and scientific studies.”

“Land acquisition projects like Long Pond will preserve water resources and ecosystem values in perpetuity, and represents the kind of projects that the ILF program is looking for,” said Steward Hudson VP and executive director of Audubon Connecticut.  “We congratulate the Wyndham Land Trust and their Long Pond acquisition for being in the first round of projects approved under the ILF program.”

 “This area has a high concentration of rare species,” said Andy Rzeznikiewicz, the land trust’s land manager, who was instrumental in obtaining the ILF grant. “The land trust will work with experts in the field to study the site and determine what is there, particularly looking at the plants, birds, amphibians, and insects.  

 “Our initial plans include installing nest boxes, cleaning-up the litter, removing invasive shrubs, marking the boundaries, and controlling the use of four-wheelers.  We are actively looking for stewards to help us keep an eye on property.  If you are interested, please contact the land trust.” The land trust can be reached by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling (860) 963 2090

The Wyndham Land Trust now protects more than 50 parcels in ten towns in northeastern Connecticut totaling 2271 acres. Photo Caption: