2025 CLT Annual Report

THE CHESTER LAND TRUST

Chester, Connecticut

Monitoring and Maintenance of Preserves
Chester Land Trust (CLT) currently owns 14 preserves, encompassing 18 land parcels and 94 acres of protected land in Chester. We also monitor 3 conservation easements (land set aside by owners that is not to be developed). Many of the preserves are left in their natural state which benefits wildlife, water and the environment. A complete listing of all these land trusts preserves is provided on the CLT website (chesterlandtrust.org). Each preserve has a responsible steward who performs an annual assessment of public safety, invasive plant content and encroachment issues.

Public Outreach
CLT held its Annual Meeting at the Chester Meeting House on January 7, 2025. The meeting was open to the public and followed by a presentation by Alex Amendola, CT DEEP Forester, about common tree diseases in New England. Alex manages the Cockaponset, Nehantic and Preserve State Forests.

CLT planned and hosted its annual town-wide cleanup in honor of Earth Day on April 26, 2025. With crucial assistance from the Town of Chester, approximately 40 dedicated volunteers removed over 50 bags of trash and many larger items. Once again, this Earth Day event was a great success!

Preserve Improvements
Carini and Scudder Preserves: Major progress has been made during CLT’s invasive plant management program, which was initiated at the Carini Preserve (30 Water Street) in 2022. Funding for the program was through grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Rockfall Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. The initial focus was on Japanese Knotweed (JK) mitigation at Carini Preserve but measures to eliminate other invasives including Tree of Heaven from Scudder Preserve (34 Water Street) were in progress in this reporting period. The transformation of plant distribution from non-native invasive (ie Japanese Knotweed) to a diverse group of native plants at Carini Preserve has been remarkable. Live, standing Trees of Heaven are no longer present at Scudder Preserve.
Piquet Preserve: Special thanks to CLT Trustee member Bill Myers, Chester Resident John Linder, and the CT Department of Transportation for completing work on the 280 foot “Right of Way” from Wig Hill Road to the Piquet Preserve.
Rayner Preserve: A severe outbreak of the non-native invasive Multiflora Rose has been controlled, a cluster of Tree of Heaven removed, and a sizable portion of the property has been reseeded, Access to and drainage of the Preserve have been improved but are still problematic. The Preserve is located on W. Main Street close to the Brushmill.
Waterhouse Preserve: A substantial amount of debris was removed and efforts to control Japanese Knotweed and other invasives were initiated in 2025 at this Preserve, which is located on Dock Road.

Chester Land Trust Board of Directors
Officers: President Michael Cressman; Vice President Jenny Kitsen; Treasurer Felise Cressman; Secretary Bill Myers
Other Trustees: Steve Cline, Fran Curto, Deb Dembo, Marieanne Heft, Matt Kosky, David Miller, Jim Munac, Carlisle Schaeffer, Pete Yuhasz

Submitted by Michael Cressman
President Chester Land Trust

The 2025
Chester Land Trust Annual Report