SHREWSBURY, Vt. – Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department staff met with representatives of the Vermont Land Trust, Shrewsbury Conservation Commission and other local community members in Shrewsbury on September 26 to celebrate the conservation of the department’s 100th wildlife management area on the department’s 100-year anniversary of wildlife management areas.

Joining at the newly established wildlife management area at the end of Lottery Road in Shrewsbury, celebration activities began with speeches from the attending organizations recognizing the unique partnership and funding sources that brought this notable conservation success story together.

The 526-acre wildlife management area (WMA) was named the Town Farm Wildlife Management Area, and a guided walk was led by department biologists to explore the historical remnants, early successional forest habitat and wildlife diversity found on the property.

“Conserving the Town Farm WMA is important because it is an integral part of a significant wildlife corridor for large-ranging species such as bear, moose, deer, and bobcat,” said Fish and Wildlife’s Public Land Section Chief Jane Lazorchak. “Protecting this parcel ensures abundant habitat and forest connectivity to adjacent state and federally conserved properties.”

“We are thrilled to designate the Town Farm WMA as our 100th wildlife management area, which in 2020, coincidently falls upon 100 years of wildlife management area ownership and management here in Vermont,” added Lazorchak.

“This project represents the combined success of several organizations and we want to commend the efforts of the Vermont Land Trust who aided in funding for this acquisition, and we applaud the support from the Shrewsbury Conservation Commission and the enthusiasm of its community members who are incredibly passionate about this piece of land and also raised monies for the project. We’ve all come together to conserve and protect this parcel for the public good, for both the prime wildlife habitat and the wildlife-based recreation such as hunting, hiking and wildlife-viewing the property provides Vermonters.”

Conservation and management of all WMAs is funded through sporting license sales, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Fund, and the Vermont Habitat Stamp. Private donations both directly and through conservation organizations, as well as the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Federal funding for wetland restoration and recreation as well as other sources have also contributed essential support to this effort.

You can help Vermont Fish and Wildlife continue its wildlife conservation efforts with your own Vermont Habitat Stamp (https://vtfishandwildlife.com/vthabitatstamp) available on the department’s website.

Media Contacts: Commissioner Louis Porter 802-828-1454, Jane Lazorchak, 802-505-0561

VTF&W photo by Chris Ingram