Volunteers Protect 126 Acres in Battenkill River Watershed

Due to its size (200 square miles) and the small number of parcels for sale, protecting native habitats in Vermont’s Battenkill River watershed poses a unique challenge. Conserving valuable wetlands on private land in this region requires years of building relationships with landowners. It’s crucial to have dedicated Ducks Unlimited (DU) volunteers on the ground when land becomes available. 

  DU’s Vermont In-Lieu-Fee (ILF) program collects funds from permittees required to provide compensatory mitigation offsets for their development projects. Developers who negatively impact wetlands under regulatory protections must purchase mitigation credits or provide their own offsets, a standard that is set by the Clean Water Act. The funds from those credits are used to restore and enhance streams and wetlands in the same watershed, helping developers meet regulatory requirements while supporting wetlands with no net loss policies.   

Vermont has a finite number of acres suitable for such offsets, requiring DU to move quickly when that land becomes available. DU State Chairman Michael Gardner and Major Sponsor Paul Carroccio, a Vermont licensed broker with TPW Real Estate, were instrumental in the latest acquisition of two tracts that span 126 acres. Gardner and Carroccio's deep community ties allowed DU to make an offer on one of the properties before it went up for sale. When a competing deal on a second adjacent tract fell apart, Carroccio assisted DU’s ILF team in completing the purchase. 

“Many of the towns in this watershed are in valleys and along rivers,” Gardner said. “In recent years, some of them have experienced widespread flooding. We built many of our historic mill towns on former wetlands. With the increase in storms, the landscape can’t absorb that runoff, so projects like this are a step in the right direction." 

Intact wetlands are critical to the water quality and recreational opportunities of the Battenkill River watershed. Wetlands not only provide foraging opportunities for several waterfowl species but also filter nutrients before entering the river. Wetlands also reduce sedimentation, ensuring quality habitat and water quality for people and wildlife. 

“Between Michael’s energy and contacts and our expertise in real estate, and close ties to our community, we were happy to help make this work for all involved,” Carroccio said. “Not only did we further preserve this land for the future, we also helped two farming families resolve their need to dispose of assets during family transition periods. It was a win-win for everyone.” 

A tributary of the Hudson River, the Battenkill River is a well-known trout fishery that stretches 60 miles through Vermont and New York. It is famous for its brown trout and abundant brook trout. The Battenkill stays cold all summer, part of the reason why it is such a splendid fishery. The river is all wild brown and brook trout throughout the Vermont section. Two-year-old and yearling brown trout are stocked in the New York section to its confluence with the Hudson River. There are also wild trout in the New York stretch.  

This project secures nearly a mile of the riverbanks in Vermont and will help to ensure increased refuge availability for migrating waterfowl.  

“The Battenkill properties DU acquired were due to the instrumental action of our volunteer leadership,” said Mary Beth Poli, DU’s manager of conservation programs in Vermont and New York. “This is an example of the passion and dedication our volunteers bring daily. We were pleased to acquire this property, as relatively few tracts of this size are available in the narrow floodplain that sees a surprising number of waterfowl. At one point, we realized there were fewer than 10 tracts with similar suitability for restoration in the Battenkill River watershed where we had credit fees to deploy.” 

Media Contact:

Joe Genzel

jgenzel@ducks.org

(309) 453-0979