REDDING, CT — The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut has acquired 102 acres of undeveloped forest in Redding, adding to its network of protected lands and expanding the buffer around the Lucius Pond Ordway-Devil’s Den Preserve.The property, known as the Granskog parcel, borders the 1,800-acre Devil’s Den and is part of a broader 15,000-acre forested landscape. The acquisition was supported by a $1.1 million state grant and contributions from private donors and conservation organizations.“It’s a beau...
REDDING, CT — The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut has acquired 102 acres of undeveloped forest in Redding, adding to its network of protected lands and expanding the buffer around the Lucius Pond Ordway-Devil’s Den Preserve.
The property, known as the Granskog parcel, borders the 1,800-acre Devil’s Den and is part of a broader 15,000-acre forested landscape. The acquisition was supported by a $1.1 million state grant and contributions from private donors and conservation organizations.
“It’s a beautiful, undeveloped tract that adjoins our existing preserve and supports species that call Devil’s Den home. It helps buffer influences of nearby development, like invasive species,” said Cynthia Fowx, director of Saugatuck preserves for The Nature Conservancy. “Large, unfragmented forest areas are vital to supporting biodiversity, so there is great ecological value to this land. We will work to ensure it is as healthy and resilient as possible, long into the future.”
The land falls within the organization’s Resilient and Connected Network—areas identified as critical for long-term environmental health and biodiversity. It offers habitat for hundreds of plant and bird species, as well as mammals such as bobcats, coyotes and black bears.
The parcel was purchased from members of the Granskog family, who have now transferred three separate tracts to the Conservancy since 2001. “I am very happy that it finally came together. It is such a beautiful piece of land, and I’m glad it will remain that way and add to the Conservancy’s work,” said Jarl Granskog.
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Although the land is connected to Devil’s Den, it will remain closed to the public while trail development is assessed. A new trail is planned in collaboration with the Town of Redding, which granted a trail easement and has long supported preservation of the site.
“The acquisition of the Granskog property by The Nature Conservancy is cause for celebration. Almost 30 years ago, the Town of Redding’s Plan of Conservation and Development identified preservation of this parcel to be of the utmost importance,” says Redding First Selectwoman Julie Pemberton. “I am so pleased that all these years later, we were able to support TNCs efforts to preserve this land in perpetuity.”
The purchase was made possible by the State of Connecticut’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program, with support from local partners including the Redding Land Trust, the Summer Hill Foundation, and the Connecticut Land Conservation Council.
“This new property, in concert with all other nearby parcels, forms a really sizable area of land that is protected in partnership with so many groups,” Fowx said. “TNC and others have been working on this vision for Devil’s Den for so long, and now the preserve feels whole.”