Upper Valley Land Trust
Encyclopedia
The Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT), located in the U.S. state of Hanover, New Hampshire
, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land conservation organization that serves over 40 towns in the Upper Connecticut River
Valley of Vermont
and New Hampshire
. Founded in 1985, UVLT helps landowners and communities in its region protect lands that have important natural resource values and help define the rural character of the Upper Valley. UVLT works with willing landowners to protect working farms, forest lands, river and stream frontage, wildlife habitat, scenic landscapes, and recreational resources from future development. The primary tool that UVLT uses to conserve land is a legal document known as a conservation easement
which runs with the land in perpetuity. As of 2008, UVLT had conserved over 37000 acres (149.7 km²) in its region. In a recent Land Trust Alliance
(LTA) census, UVLT was ranked 7th in the nation for the number of conservation easements it holds out of more than 1,600 LTA-member land trusts.
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land conservation organization that serves over 40 towns in the Upper Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
Valley of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Founded in 1985, UVLT helps landowners and communities in its region protect lands that have important natural resource values and help define the rural character of the Upper Valley. UVLT works with willing landowners to protect working farms, forest lands, river and stream frontage, wildlife habitat, scenic landscapes, and recreational resources from future development. The primary tool that UVLT uses to conserve land is a legal document known as a conservation easement
Conservation easement
In the United States, a conservation easement is an encumbrance — sometimes including a transfer of usage rights — which creates a legally enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a qualified land...
which runs with the land in perpetuity. As of 2008, UVLT had conserved over 37000 acres (149.7 km²) in its region. In a recent Land Trust Alliance
Land Trust Alliance
The Land Trust Alliance, originally formed in 1982 as the Land Trust Exchange, is a national conservation organization representing more than 1,700 land trusts across the United States...
(LTA) census, UVLT was ranked 7th in the nation for the number of conservation easements it holds out of more than 1,600 LTA-member land trusts.