A Decade of Transformative Leadership in North Branford

David Sargent, President of the North Branford Land Conservation Trust (NBLCT), was awarded the 2025 Katchen Coley Award for Excellence in Land Conservation by the Connecticut Land Conservation Council.

For over a decade, David has been a driving force behind land conservation in North Branford, demonstrating remarkable leadership and vision. Under his guidance, the NBLCT has expanded protected lands, strengthened community engagement, and significantly elevated the organization’s standing in the community.

Despite the unique challenge of the Regional Water Authority (RWA) owning approximately one-third of the land in North Branford, which curtails opportunities for large-scale land protection by NBLCT, David has successfully navigated complex negotiations to acquire several key properties. These significant land acquisitions under his leadership include the Harrison Farm Preserve, a 22-acre donation made possible largely due to David’s personal relationship with the Harrison family, who trusted his commitment to preserving their land. While the property had an existing trail system, it was facing challenges with invasive plants, which NBLCT has been actively addressing with a grant from the USDA/NRCS, even showcasing their work to other land trusts.

Said John Triana of RWA:

“Dave’s enthusiasm for open space conservation has led to the protection of many acres in North Branford. He has invigorated the NBLCT to get involved in more projects in recent years, all for the benefit of the water, air, land, flora, fauna, and the people who rely on them.”

David’s collaborative spirit is further evident in the acquisition of the 3-acre Starry Lane property. He worked directly with a landowner to secure this donation, which crucially connects the Atwater Library to the trail system on the Harrison Farm Preserve. This connection enables the library to host children’s programs with direct access to nature, and allows the Totoket Historical Society to host events at historic property.

Said Mike Ferrucci, NBLCT Board Member and Forester:

“Dave is a great leader and a pleasure to work with on any project. He is patient, diligent, hard-working, and gets things done. Not just the easy things; in fact Dave generally takes on the most-difficult projects and sees them through, time and time again. Over the past twenty years or so Dave has had an impressive impact, both within the North Branford community and in the broader conservation movement of south-central Connecticut.”

Another notable achievement is the acquisition of the 16-acre Angeloni Woodland Preserve, a former Boy Scouts property. Through David’s efforts, NBLCT acquired this parcel through contributions by adjacent landowners. A trail has since been created that not only links to the Guilford Land Conservation Trust trails but is also accessible via the historic Trolley Line, which itself connects to NBLCT’s Notch Hill Brook property and trail system.

The acquisition of the 37 acres at Beech Street and Pomps Lane near Lake Gaillard is another testament to David’s ability to navigate complex funding challenges. With a property cost of around $585,000, significant fundraising was essential. David spearheaded the effort, securing an OSWA grant of $385,000, along with nearly $200,000 in large private donations, and an additional $30,000 from local businesses and residents, a grant from Athletic Brewing Company, and a Transaction Assistance Grant from CLCC.

Beyond these key acquisitions, David has also volunteered as part of the Farm River Restoration Project, aiming to restore and connect a 16-mile trail along the river. His involvement included recording the river’s condition in North Branford, obtaining an easement for trail development along the pond and river, and securing a grant for water chestnut removal. Furthermore, David has worked with the RWA to extend a trail from the Harrison Farm Preserve onto RWA property, further expanding the region’s trail network.

David’s contributions extend beyond land acquisition and project implementation. He regularly volunteers at the Annual CLCC Conference and is a leading figure in the South Central Region Land Conservation Alliance. NBLCT also collaborates with the Town of North Branford to manage local trails, including one behind the Intermediate School that supports educational programs for 3rd-5th grade students.

Lindsay Suter, a Land Steward for NBCLT, noted how much Dave cares about his community:

“Dave shows up. He shows up when he is needed, and he shows up to help. He shows up at the Town Council meeting to advocate for our river. He shows up at the P&Z review to speak for best land practices. He shows up again, and again, to ensure commitments to our town are honored. He shows up to maintain hiking trails with high-school students, who are the future caretakers of our land. He shows up on a pre-dawn winter morning for an emergency fix to a frozen sluice gate, to prevent a local pond from draining. And when he shows up, he brings his common sense, his ingenuity, his loyalty, and his generosity of spirit.”

Having taken over the leadership of a somewhat dormant NBLCT approximately 14 years ago, David has revitalized the organization. His dedication to sustainable land management and his ability to bring people together truly make him a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.

On Sunday, October 26, at 1:00 PM, NBLCT hosted an informal award and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Starry Lane trail, which connects the Atwater Library to the Harrison Farm Preserve. Photos from the event follow. Thanks to all who attended!

Profiles of Excellence in Conservation: David Sargent – Connecticut Land Conservation Council

Friends of the Farm River & Estuary (FFRE) has been awarded $34,053 for the control of water chestnut in the Farm River. This will allow us to invest in control of the “mother lode” of invasive water chestnut at Page’s Mill Pond and coordinate hand pulling at small observed historic outbreaks downstream. North Branford thanks FFRE and especially its president Curt Johnson for their commitment to cleaning up the entire river! Water chestnut is an invasive aquatic plant that, without control, would carpet the pond and any slow-moving portions of the river, literally sucking the life out of it.

30 participants from throughout the state turned out at Harrison Farm Preserve in North Branford to see the techniques the NBLCT has been using to control the massive invasive invasion in the preserve.

From mechanical removal to spraying to releasing select trees – offering room for them to grow and reproduce, Forrester Mike Ferrucci led the group through the different phases of the ongoing restoration project already in its 3rd year. The group witnessed untouched land overwhelmed with invasives to land that has been almost fully restored to a healthy forest.

Many thanks for the support of the Connecticut Land Conservation Council and the South Central Regional Land Conservation Alliance

We had 34 students volunteer as part of Choate Service Day at Harrison Farm Preserve. Our Forester Mike Ferrucci taught the students how to identify native and invasive plants. The group worked on removing hundreds of invasive plants. They also helped clear brush along the Starry Lane Trail and moved rocks that will be used to build a stairway. Thank you, Choate for giving back to the community and supporting NBLCT! 

NBLCT Purchases 37.5 Acres of RWA Land in North Branford

By David Sargent, NBLCT President, 10/23/2024

In 2011, the South Central Regional Water Authority (RWA) received approval to sell the Class III lands (land outside of the RWA watersheds) at the intersection of Beech Street and Pomps Lane for “highest and best use.” Unfortunately, this term often implies development, which tends to increase land value compared to leaving it as woodland. This proposal faced significant opposition due to its original zoning of R40. Before the parcels could be put up for bid, the town rezoned the land to R80. This action would force the RWA to restart its lengthy disposition process – if they wished to sell again.  It was just not in the cards in the years that followed.

Fast forward ten years: Charley Ferrucci contacted the new RWA Land Manager, John Triana, offering to contribute $100,000 toward the purchase of these parcels, provided they would be preserved as open space. In turn, John reached out to me, knowing these parcels were of interest to the North Branford Land Conservation Trust (NBLCT).

Charley, who grew up in the neighborhood, was motivated by his mother’s fondness for the woodlands. He and his wife, Mary, had previously established the “Mary Lloyd Ferrucci & Charles Ferrucci Jr. Family Foundation”. They believed that preserving these parcels as natural habitat aligned perfectly with their philanthropic goals.

Recognizing Lake Gaillard as a major drinking water source, John understood the importance of protecting the land surrounding it. If developed, some backyards would be only a few hundred feet from the lake, making it difficult to protect the boundary line.

John moved forward and had the two parcels appraised for a combined total of $584,000. As much as John might have wanted to offer some discount to the land trust, for the peace of mind of the woods being a natural buffer, his fiduciary responsibility is to the RWA “ratepayers”. If he wanted the transaction to be approved, he had to use appraisals as a selling price.  No discounts here. With Charley’s & Mary’s pledge of 100k, and a firm selling price, the NBLCT had to figure out if acquiring these parcels was even feasible.

With a “we can do it” attitude, the board unanimously voted in favor of moving forward. It was time for the NBLCT to roll up its sleeves and begin fundraising. This would be, by far, the most expensive acquisition in the land trust’s history.  Add to the $485,000 for the purchase price, we also needed to pay for associated costs – like our own appraisals, surveys, title searches, etc.

To raise this money, we applied for a state Open Space & Watershed Land Acquisition Grant (OSWA).  We received letters of support from our town, our Economic Development Commission, our state legislators and our regional council of governments. A lot of effort went into meeting the requirements and there were no guarantees we’d be awarded anything. There were even a few times we missed a step, and almost voided our application. When it was finally approved, we held our breath – for what seemed like eternity.  Finally, in May of last year, Governor Ned Lamont announced the OSWA grant awards. To our astonishment, we were awarded $385,450!  This was the second highest award in the grant round. Our hard work really paid off.

To cover some of the significant upfront costs, we applied for a Transaction Assistance Grant (TAG) through the Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) and were awarded $5000.  We also had very generous donations from the Summer Hill Foundation, Donald and Celeste Krahl, Michael Belfonti of Belfonti Companies and many, many towns folk who sincerely care about nature and preserving the character of our town. On October 23^rd, 3 ½ years later, we finally became the proud owners of the parcels!

Lots of NBLCT volunteer time & energy went into this effort and those hours of dedication cannot be discounted. Protecting this land from development would not have been possible without their efforts!!    We had one more wonderful thing going for us.  Our general counsel, Ted Fretel’s, unwavering commitment to seeing this project through to completion was invaluable.

The next chapter in this story is still to be written and you can be a part of it!  We have obligations to fulfill the OSWA grant requirements, and we have ambitions of our own. Some of our to do list: create off road parking, make an ADA accessible trail to a vernal pool, a much longer trail throughout the properties and general forest management from invasive removal – to planting native trees. Our goal is to create a healthy forest everyone can enjoy for passive recreation. Join us in our efforts to preserve North Branford’s rural character. You can be proud you helped improve this land for future generations!  To get involved contact: secretary@nblandtrust.org