Keeping Forests as Forests – Forever

Richard French and Emily Samuels donated a conservation restriction (CR) on a 58-acre wood lot overlooking Barton’s Cove along the Mohawk Trail Scenic
Byway or Route 2 as it is more commonly known. Dick French has owned and managed the lot for timber since purchasing it in 2011 and wished to conserve
the land so it will always be available for long term forestry growth as well as supporting the diverse wildlife including songbirds that frequent
the deep forest and shrubby habitat on the land. The tall white pines and hardwoods are being managed in anticipation of one day storing their carbon
as a window frame or flooring boards created in Dick’s sawmill located at his family farm down the road. Dick and Emily donated their first agricultural
preservation restriction in Gill to FLT in 1992 and was instrumental in conserving and creating the 162-acre Gill Town Forest in 2007 with the Franklin
Land Trust