The Landing Hill Area

Landing Hill Road is also known as Orchard Road. It is an area located between the villages of Moodus and East Haddam, easily accessible from all areas of the town.

One example of an area currently slated for development, but offering excellent potential as a preserve, is the former Morgan property. Offering several places along Orchard Road for access, including frontage along the southerly portion of the property, a large level spot between the existing residential structure and 40 Orchard Road, and a 50-foot corridor between 50 Orchard Road and the existing Church On The Move, these access points offer ample opportunity for trail heads and parking.

This parcel has unique ecological traits that deserve scrutiny for preservation. The 27-acre parcel offers pristine wetland headwaters flowing into the Salmon Cove. Preserving it is consistent with the recent signing of the Salmon River Preservation Compact that includes some eight other towns.

The land abuts existing power lines in town that represent a comprehensive wildlife corridor reaching from border to border. This power line area is known to be the home of a stable population of Eastern Box Turtles. Box turtles are on the Natural Diversity Database list of Species of Special Concern. The Morgan property is a critical connector between the power line habitat and down stream wetland areas including, ultimately, the Salmon and Connecticut Rivers. Box turtles have been photographed on land immediately adjacent to the parcel. Further documentation efforts, however, were stymied by the property owners be their refusal to allow any kind of independent inventory.

The East Haddam Conservation Commission, whom issued an opinion on June 20, 2008 in which commission members unanimously expressed deep concern over the proposal, had offered an independent survey of the property earlier in the Spring, but were refused. The commission had offered to sponsor an ERT - an environmental review team - for the property, a free service available statewide to help municipalities review sites proposed for development or conservation. Instead, only information provided by the Applicant's own, paid consultants was allowed into the record at the IWWC hearings. Town consultants, therefore, only reviewed Applicant-sponsored data with regard to actual, on-site evaluations.

The parcel offers moist uplands, vernal pools, mixed hardwood forest as well as open meadow. Significant wildlife, including amphibian and reptile species have been photo-documented by the adjoining landowners. American Toad, tree frogs, peepers, wood frogs, salamanders, fisher cat, deer, turkey, countless songbirds, milk snakes, Woodcock, hawks and many, many other examples have been noted. The site offers educational opportunities as well as a place for nature-connecting recreation. A large expanse of open fields provides an excellent example of quickly disappearing meadow and forest-edge habitat. Open fields may be valuable for food production in the future as the town works to improve food security in the face of depleting oil.

In addition to a large vernal pool in the northeast corner, several other wet areas offer potential for vernal pool function. Although these other areas were disregarded by the IWWC despite evidence presented by the Intervenor's expert REMA as to vernal pool functionality, they clearly do offer important breeding and food resources to the diverse mix of creatures in and around the property. This parcel is one fine example of the reasons why Preserve Landing Hill wants to do just that!

Please consider offering your ideas, suggestions and support to the idea of preserving this unique area. Your thoughts and ideas for future blogs are invited. Please feel free to comment on any of the material on this blog site. Consider providing financial support by CLICKING ON THE DONATE BUTTON!