315 Trinity acres now protected

CORNWALL, Conn. — The Cornwall Conservation Trust (CCT) announced in a May 5 press release the recent closing on a purchase of 315 acres of land in West Cornwall.

The land, now called Trinity Camp Forest, lies just south of West Cornwall, north of Cornwall Bridge and west of Dibble Hill Road. Its inclined terrain climbs east above the Housatonic River and the Trinity Retreat Center.

The land was put on the market in 2012 after its owner, Trinity Wall Street (a New York City branch of Trinity Episcopal Church) could no longer afford to support the center’s operations.

The land was subsequently divided into two plots: 315 acres of undeveloped woods and the much smaller acreage used for the retreat center’s buildings.

The Cornwall Conservation Trust’s (CCT) $715,000 purchase was made through the help of multiple benefactors.

Bart Jones, CCT’s president, expressed thanks to Governor Dannel P. Malloy for approving an Open Space grant that had been recommended by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. It covered roughly two-thirds of the cost.

The Housatonic Valley Association also made a donation, and the town of Cornwall gave $5,000 to the cause. The remaining funds were privately raised.

Jones mentioned that the land’s steep topography causes considerable runoff of water into the Housatonic River. With the purchase, such runoff can be monitored and controlled.

Trinity Camp Forest also lies adjacent to 700 acres of the Housatonic State Forest and CCT’s 47-acre Brokaw Preserve.

This acquisition therefore creates more than 1,000 acres of continuous forest.

The property will now be cleared, and new recreational uses will be created for the land. CCT has reached out to the community for volunteer help for trail expansion and maintenance.

Along the forest’s ridge, there are views of Mohawk Mountain, Sharon and the Housatonic Valley.

 The Trinity Retreat Center was repurchased by Trinity Wall Street and will open again this fall.

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