Kent identified as 'top foliage town'

KENT — Yankee Magazine has named Kent the top foliage town in all of New England in its September/October issue, which is on newsstands now.

Kent trounced competing towns in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

Yankee Magazine writer Michael Blanding calls Kent the “pinnacle of the leaf peeping experience� in New England.

According to Yankee Magazine Editor in Chief Mel Allen, who spoke to The Lakeville Journal about the selection process, the towns on the list were not chosen strictly for the quality of their foliage.

“One thing I hope that people will understand is that we used 14 categories to rate the towns,� Allen said. “All of the categories are a mixture of subjective and objective ratings. It’s not just the intensity of the color of leaves from the trees and the views and the vistas.�

The ranking process also took into consideration the cultural opportunities in each town, the activities that the towns offered and the natural scenery.

“Kent has cool art galleries and it also has the beauty of Kent Falls and the Housatonic River,� Allen said. “Plus, it has farmstands and Bulls Bridge, which is probably one of the most famous covered bridges in New England. Also, Kent got high scores for being relatively uncrowded during foliage season. Furthermore, Route 7 is one of the more scenic roads in New England.�

Allen said the magazine also gave the town high marks for its shops.

“People like to bring back things from your trip. I’m not talking about Wal-Mart stuff, but really cool local stuff, antiques and things. Kent scores very high in that regard.�

The magazine also heaped praise on the town for its hiking trails and the beauty of Macedonia Brook State Park.

Chris Martin, who is the director of the forestry division for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said Kent is a very special place because of the work the community has done to maximize its natural attributes.

“There is a lot of open space in the town, and there has been a lot of progressive land conservation,� Martin said. “The topography is spectacular, and it’s a very welcoming location.�

Martin said the main reason why the trees grow so vibrantly around town is because the soil complex is so rich in nutrients.

“The soil complex, which includes magnesium, potassium and nitrogen, makes the trees healthier and stronger,� Martin said. “The strength of the soil complex contributes to the colors of the leaves in the trees during fall foliage season.�

First Selectman Bruce Adams said “being named first is a real tribute to the town and what the town has to offer.�

“They could have chosen any of the towns around here, and I think even Yankee Magazine was surprised that we beat out all the other towns in other states.�

Allen said this is the first time the magazine has rated towns with these criteria.