SPRINGFIELD — On December 26, 2024, the Garfield family donated a conservation easement on their 314-acre property. Named the “Garfield Family Forest,” this property is adjacent to 2,200 acres of conservation land, including the abutting Star Lake Farm. Most of the acreage is Highest Ranked Habitat in the State. 

The donated acreage is home to a beaver pond and associated wetlands. The Garfield Family Forest contains good forestry soils, is managed for forestry, and is resilient to climate change. It has extensive frontage on Deer Hill Road and Nichols Hill Road.

Landowner Sylvia Garfield shared: “The completion of this conservation easement is a tribute, in particular to Lucy Hodges Garfield, who acquired the land for her son, John Mason Garfield, who also held a deep interest in land conservation and established a tree farm on the property. For 54 years, this land has been a cherished part of our family. The easement is now the gift of the Garfield family to our community and future generations, ensuring that the land’s beauty, biodiversity, and legacy endure for all to appreciate.”

Ausbon Sargent is thankful to the Garfield family for entrusting them with their special property. The Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust now protects 169 properties, comprising 14,156 acres of land in the 12 towns it serves.