Orange County Headwaters Project (OCHP)

In 2003, Redstart was approached by a group of landowners in Washington and Corinth, Vermont interested in permanently conserving their land through the use of conservation easements. Serving as coordinators for the Project at the pleasure of a board made up of local landowners, Redstart provides the leadership and continuity necessary to accomplish the goals of the Project:

1. To provide information, assistance, and leverage to landowners who are interested in conserving their land.
2. Support sustainable forestry, watershed protection, and other conservation goals.
3. Encourage civic engagement through a better understanding of land stewardship and ecology.
4. Demonstrate the benefits of working collaboratively to accomplish landscape-level conservation.
5. Document and evaluate the project to assist other communities with similar goals.

Since OCHP began, 34 parcels of land have been conserved, totaling over 5800 acres. This relatively small community-based project has gained momentum and capabilities beyond its original scope by forming partnerships with established conservation organizations including the Vermont Land Trust, the Upper Valley Land Trust, and environmental groups such as The Nature Conservancy. This combination of local commitment and collaborative conservation work has led land conservation professionals to suggest that OCHP may provide a new model for use by other communities.