The town’s new open space map, available for $2 at Books on the Common and the town hall.
The Ridgefield Conservation Commission has produced a new map of the town’s open spaces, which replaces the 1999 version.
“There have been many changes on the town’s lands since then,” said Ben Oko, commissioner.
The total acreage preserved is now 5,793 acres, representing an increase from 20% to 26% in the land area in Ridgefield that is permanently protected. The major addition is Bennett’s Pond State Park, 460 acres, which was added in 2001.
The town has also added two parcels using money donated to the Ridgefield Open Space Fund: Old Sib, an 18-acre parcel that connects to trails in Westchester County’s Mountain Lake Camps, and Ledges, a 29-acre parcel that preserves the ridgeline above Ledges Road and offers the potential of a walking trail through a grove of laurel with views over the valley to West Mountain.
A third sizable parcel of 26 acres, the Knapp Preserve, was added through donation. It, when coupled with a subdivision donation of five acres across the road, allowed the creation of a trail that connects Pierrepont State Park to Hemlock Hills, Pine Mountain, and thus also to Bennett’s Pond State Park and the Ives Trail that goes from Ridgefield through Danbury to Redding.
The lead work on the map was done by Dave Cronin of the commission. He was aided by Ben Oko and Susan Baker. The town’s assistant engineer, Jake Muller, provided the map data. The map locations are keyed to the Ridgefield Walk Book.
Maps of trails for the shown properties are also available on the Ridgefield Conservation Commission website: Ridgefieldconservation.org.
The map will be available for purchase at Books on the Common, the Town Hall information desk and the Conservation Commission office in the Town Hall annex for $2.
The Ridgefield Walk Book is also available at these locations.
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