Local land trust advances planning for grant-backed reforestation of small Fairland parcel
July 11, 2026 | Old Lyme, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut
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The Old Lyme land trust discussed a grant-funded plan to restore a roughly 0.75-acre upland portion of a Fairland property, weighing contractor costs, planting density and long-term maintenance.
At the meeting, the chair said the group had met with a forester who recommended a dense replanting scheme: "they said 600 seedlings per acre," and acknowledged that the forester's per-acre calculation would need to be scaled to the parcel size. The chair also noted the fund context for local projects, saying "you could ask for a $150,000" from the program under discussion.
Members sketched how the work would be delivered if the group pursues a DEEP resilient-forest grant: Eric Hansen (discussed as the proposed project manager) would act as general contractor, coordinating tree removals, chipping, chemical stump treatment and planting, and could recommend vendors for removals and follow-up maintenance. "He would be the GC or whatever you wanna call it," a committee member said of Eric.
The discussion flagged several constraints. Irrigation and multi-year watering were identified as likely ineligible for reimbursement under the grant; a committee member warned that continued watering "would be something that would have to be" a town responsibility and noted the potential need for a tank truck and ongoing maintenance after planting. Members noted the grant timeline and reporting requirements and said the work typically must be wrapped up by March 2028.
Public outreach required by the grant was a central concern: the group recorded that the grant expects public sessions and suggested two outreach meetings to solicit neighbor input and explain the approach. The chair said early conversations with adjacent residents would help build buy-in and that any deviation from the forester's recommended plan should include a forester's justification.
Next steps agreed at the meeting included asking Eric Hansen for a rough project budget and vendor estimates, scheduling a site walk with Peter McComb (and Bill, when available), circulating the forester's draft plan to members, and convening a special virtual meeting later in the month to decide whether to proceed with a formal grant application.
No formal vote was recorded on the grant application during the meeting.
At the meeting, the chair said the group had met with a forester who recommended a dense replanting scheme: "they said 600 seedlings per acre," and acknowledged that the forester's per-acre calculation would need to be scaled to the parcel size. The chair also noted the fund context for local projects, saying "you could ask for a $150,000" from the program under discussion.
Members sketched how the work would be delivered if the group pursues a DEEP resilient-forest grant: Eric Hansen (discussed as the proposed project manager) would act as general contractor, coordinating tree removals, chipping, chemical stump treatment and planting, and could recommend vendors for removals and follow-up maintenance. "He would be the GC or whatever you wanna call it," a committee member said of Eric.
The discussion flagged several constraints. Irrigation and multi-year watering were identified as likely ineligible for reimbursement under the grant; a committee member warned that continued watering "would be something that would have to be" a town responsibility and noted the potential need for a tank truck and ongoing maintenance after planting. Members noted the grant timeline and reporting requirements and said the work typically must be wrapped up by March 2028.
Public outreach required by the grant was a central concern: the group recorded that the grant expects public sessions and suggested two outreach meetings to solicit neighbor input and explain the approach. The chair said early conversations with adjacent residents would help build buy-in and that any deviation from the forester's recommended plan should include a forester's justification.
Next steps agreed at the meeting included asking Eric Hansen for a rough project budget and vendor estimates, scheduling a site walk with Peter McComb (and Bill, when available), circulating the forester's draft plan to members, and convening a special virtual meeting later in the month to decide whether to proceed with a formal grant application.
No formal vote was recorded on the grant application during the meeting.
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