Commissioner Louis Porter bird watching at the Lemon Fair WMA. Several new parcels of land will soon be open to the public as additions to the Lemon Fair Wildlife Management Area in Cornwall and Bridport, Vermont
CORNWALL, Vt. – More land in Western Addison County will soon be available to the public, and protected for wildlife. The public is invited to attend a celebration of the Lemon Fair Wildlife Management Area, and the 330 acres being added to it, on Tuesday, July 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The celebration will include a reception with refreshments and speakers, followed by a short tour of the lands. Speakers include Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz and Fish & Wildlife Department Commissioner Louis Porter, among others.
The Lemon Fair Wildlife Management Area contains a slow-moving stream that meanders through wetlands, farm fields, and some of the most productive wildlife habitat in this region of Vermont. The $325,000 addition will bring the wildlife management area to a total of 744 acres.
“These lands provide rich habitat for a variety of species, including deer, waterfowl, grassland birds, and the federally endangered Indiana bat,” said Commissioner Porter. “These additional parcels will provide new roadside access to this wildlife management area to allow bird-watchers, hunters and anglers the opportunity to get out and enjoy the outdoors.”
The lands were purchased in partnership with the U.S.D.A. Natural Resource Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Vermont Land Trust. This acquisition also represents one of the largest investments of funds from the Vermont Duck Stamp Program on a single project. In Vermont, waterfowl hunters are required to purchase a federal migratory waterfowl stamp and a Vermont duck stamp, but many non-hunters also choose to purchase a duck stamp in order to contribute to wildlife and wetland conservation.
Part of the funding for the purchase of these conserved lands came from sales of the new Vermont Habitat Stamp. Modeled after the success of the federal duck stamp, the Vermont Habitat Stamp is a voluntary purchase that raises funds for the conservation and management of lands throughout Vermont. It is available with the purchase of a hunting or fishing license, or directly on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website at www.vtfishandwildlife.com.
“This major expansion of the Lemon Fair Wildlife Management Area would not have been possible without the help of our many partners in conservation,” said Porter. “We’d especially like to thank all of those Vermonters who pitched in to help contribute to our state’s conservation legacy.”
This event is free and open to the public, and will be held at1683 West Street, Cornwall, VT. For more information, contact Jane Lazorchak with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department at 802-505-0561.
