Donation to Cornwall Conservation Trust Creates Permanent Protection for Section of the Mohawk Trail
By Kate Preston
Each month, thousands of hikers hit Connecticut’s trails, but the question remains: Who owns the land beneath their feet? The answer is complex, but to simplify, the trail could be on state or municipal land, land protected by a Land Trust, or private property. Sometimes, a land trust receives a generous donation of land that was previously private, and when this land includes a Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail, that segment becomes protected.
Cornwall Conservation Trust is one of Connecticut’s land trusts leading this conservation effort and safeguarding valuable parts of the 26-mile Mohawk Trail through land conservation. Known as the “greenest town in Connecticut”, Cornwall has a vast collection of preserves, hiking trails, and biodiversity. Conserving these natural areas in the northwest nook of Connecticut has been the Cornwall Conservation Trust’s main priority.
Since 1987, the Cornwall Conservation Trust has been active in Cornwall and neighboring towns, working to conserve and manage various land types, including forests, wetlands, and farmlands. Their efforts support both hikers and wildlife, focusing on protecting the health and resilience of these ecosystems. While aiming to prevent the loss of ecosystem services and species diversity, Cornwall Conservation Trust’s efforts also help provide access for public recreation and support community needs.
In September 2025, Ed and Dinny Greene donated 65.2 acres of “environmentally sensitive and scenic land” to Cornwall Conservation Trust. This new donation joins the 200 acres the Greenes donated in 2018, expanding the Greyledge Preserve to 265 acres, fulfilling the planned legacy of board member Ed Green. Rob Lacy, Cornwall Conservation Trust’s President, exclaims, “[We are] very excited to get that land. Ed Greene has been on the board forever, and it has come from someone with a longstanding commitment to the conservation trust. [It] adds a nice punctuation mark on that era.”
Located on Johnson Road, the land includes a unique portion of the Mohawk Trail. Rob Lacy describes the land as containing “the most attractive segments of the Blue Trail that go through Cornwall, a delightful ravine, and a scenic, attractive piece of land that fits into a very, very long network of hiking trails.” Greyledge is connected to several key preserves that are linked to Mohawk State Forest, including Red Mountain Preserve and Nancy Nauts Dobbs Preserve, totaling about 700 acres of forest containing headwater streams, core forest, rock outcrops, ridgelines, and ravines that provide important habitat for wildlife (CCT Newsletter 2025).
Land trusts across Connecticut, like Cornwall Conservation Trust, are a vital part of what it takes to keep our land protected and access to our trails open for everyone.
The conservation of these special places does not happen without partnerships, land trusts, and hikers like you. Thank you for helping the Connecticut Forest & Park Association conserve Connecticut’s hiking trails for today and tomorrow.