The Aspetuck Land Trust will use a recently awarded state grant to expand its Poindexter Preserve and is hoping to also purchase an adjacent lot that will in effect double the size of the preserve.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced on July 15 that the state will provide $14.3 million to a number of municipalities that will preserve a total of 2,270 acres of land statewide. Those grants include $182,250 to the land trust that will be used to purchase 3.57 acres at 398 Judd Road.
In addition to that property, the land trust recently won a tax foreclosure auction for land next to that piece. But it won’t be able to take possession of that land for six months because by law, the current owner has that time to come up with the money owed to retain ownership of the property. If the owner doesn’t pay the owed taxes in that time, ownership of the land will transfer to the land trust.
“The grant will allow us to have a better parking area for the public and provide an opportunity to expand the meadow habitat at the existing Poindexter Preserve,” said Land Trust President David Brant.
The land won at the auction also will be used for parking as it has road front that can be used for entering and leaving the property. The land trust won the auction with a bid of $225,000, Brant said, which will be paid with land trust funds.
Currently there is very little space for parking, said Brant.
“That one is by the roadside and provides better public access and parking,” Brant said. The property purchased with the grant “allows us to expand the adjacent field habitat from the Poindexter Preserve,” he said.
The preserve, whose entrance is on Judd Road, is a popular spot for visitors, he said, but parking always has been a challenge.
“Poindexter is popular and right now we just have a small little pull-off on Judd Road,” Brant said.
“It’s not really great — it’s right on a turn and people go fast there so it’s not really safe, even though we have never had anyone get hit, thank God,” he said. “This will allow us better access to the preserve, and we will have a parking lot and more area to expand the meadow habitat, which is an important habitat for pollinators. This is a win/win and it’s something we’ve been looking at it for a while.”
The expansion also will include the creation of a central trailhead and provide better access for maintenance, according to Lamont’s announcement. The addition of the two parcels will double the meadows there, he said.
“It will enhance a migration corridor through interconnected state, municipal , Aquarion Water Co. and Aspetuck Land Trust lands,” Lamont stated in the release. “It is a vital ecological asset in the Mill River headwaters and serves as a riparian buffer for Wicker Brook, a cold-water stream. This acquisition safeguards diverse wildlife habitats, scenic rock walls, a wetland and grassland meadow cherished by nature enthusiasts.”
Open space purchases benefit everyone in the state, according to Lamont.
“Open space is a big contributor to our great quality of life here in Connecticut, and we are excited to help all these communities improve access to the outdoors with these funds,” Lamont stated. “These community assets help our residents stay active and healthy by providing free recreational opportunities while also helping to improve air and water quality. Open space makes Connecticut a great place to live, work, and play.”
Those who worked on winning the grant include Republican state Rep. Tony Scott and Democratic state Rep. Ann Hughes. The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters recently announced that Hughes achieved a 100% rating for the 2025 legislative session.
“At a time when we are seeing more of the extreme effects of climate change, I am proud to work together with our local partners to reduce our carbon footprint,” Hughes said, “and grants like this one toward preserving Easton’s Open Spaces, creates more effective carbon sink, protects our wetlands and waterways ecosystems, and provides healthy habitats for wildlife corridors to protect our biodiversity and resilience in these times of climate crisis.”
Easton Selectman Nicholas D’Addario said the grant is the result of that cooperative bipartisan partnership between the town, the state and the land trust.
“I think it’s great that the state and our bipartisan delegation in Hartford has worked to acquire this kind of funding for us,” said D’Addario. “I think that the partnership that Easton has with the Aspetuck Land Trust is important for protecting our open space and preserving the character and heritage of Easton.”
Scott, who wrote a letter of support for the grant, described the preserve as “a vital ecological asset in the Mill River headwaters,” and said funding will “allow for safe off-street parking, a new central trailhead and effectively doubling the existing grassland fields.”
