Land Trust Preserves Two Properties

The Acquidneck Land Trust helped save nearly 15-acres of land in Portsmouth though easements and the purchase of the 10.5 acre Faria farm property near South Farm.

The land trust made the announcement at its 24th annual meeting at the Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown on Thursday.

In a release, the land trust said it was able to sign a purchase and sale agreement with the Faria family and the deal should close in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, the Raposa family donated a conservation easement to the land trust for 4.25 acres of forested wetland north of Old Mill Lane.

The land trust will hold the conservation easement while the property's title is being transferred to the Town of Portsmouth.

The Reposa property is south of Swan Farm — a 124 acre working farm the land trust saved in 2004. A 65-acre forest spans the farm and represents the largest unbroken forest on Acquidneck Island. 

The Reposa property "provides a wildlife habitat corridor between Swan Farm to the north and wetlands south of Old Mill Lane," the release states. 

"The wetland complex, including the Reposa property, buffers stormwater runoff from surrounding farms and neighborhoods before entering into the Sakonnet River. In addition, the property affords scenic vistas of beautiful forest and fields from Old Mill Lane and is strategically located near other conserved properties within ALT’s Sakonnet Greenway," the land trust said.

Susan Replogle, representing the Reposa family, said “My parents purchased a large parcel of land on Old Mill Lane in the late 1950′s. It was their intention to keep some of the land as open space. My children have very fond memories of playing and exploring that land. Our family is very happy to donate this property in my parents name and have it preserved as open space.”

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