CONNECTICUT—Near Stafford, Connecticut, a town in the northeast corner of this densely populated state, large areas of relatively intact forest provide a variety of ecological and economic benefits. Many of these forested lands are privately owned, and many landowners have been approached by developers seeking to purchase the land for residential development.

But the loss of these intact forests would negatively impact the public water supply, wildlife, forest products and many more benefits that make a difference to the larger communities here.

That’s why the Forest Legacy Program partnered with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on a landscape-scale effort in the Whip-Poor-Will Woods area, identified as a high priority for conservation by Connecticut’s State Forest Action Plan. This award-winning project was completed in early 2022 with the acquisition of the final conservation easement. In total, it has protected 1,495 acres of forests that will benefit the entire community for generations to come.

The project supports the owners of seven tracts of private forestland in the Whip-Poor-Will Woods area. It exemplifies the approach of the Forest Legacy Program, which is administered by the Forest Service in partnership with state agencies. The program uses tools including land purchases and conservation easements—agreements in which lands remain privately owned but are protected from future development—to protect forests. All tracts protected through the Whip-Poor-Will Woods project have forest stewardship plans in place to guide management of the forests; one property is also a certified tree farm.

The project is situated within a larger focus area that spans portions of Connecticut and Massachusetts and contains 135,000 acres of forestland protected through various conservation initiatives.

Preventing forest loss in this area helps protect against tree diseases and preserves ecosystem services such as clean water, pollination, soil formation, nutrient recycling and recreation opportunities. Clean water is an especially notable benefit, as four of the Whip-Poor-Will Woods project tracts are in a public water supply watershed area and two tracts directly buffer a reservoir property, playing a vital water filtration role for municipal drinking water sources.

Sustainably harvested timber and forest products from these conserved tracts generate economic benefits for the community, including one of Connecticut’s largest maple sugaring operations, which generates 600 gallons of maple syrup each year.

Wildlife will also benefit from the newly protected tracts of land. Their unique forest communities, including seven key habitats of greatest conservation need, are identified in Connecticut’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. These landscapes provide habitat for a wide range of imperiled species, such as the sharp-shinned hawk (listed as endangered by the state) and many species of special concern—including the eastern whip-poor-will, for which the project is named.

On Sept. 1, the Whip-Poor-Will Woods Forest Legacy Program project will be honored for its conservation benefits and regional significance. The Connecticut Land Conservation Council selected the project as a recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Conservation Award, which recognizes organizations and individuals who made a significant contribution to the success of land conservation and who serve as a guide to other land trusts and communities.