Fundraising Campaign Launched For Coogan Farm Property

The (DPNC) and The Trust for Public Land are asking for the public’s help in preserving the Coogan Farm Property.

The is for sale and the The Trust for Public Land is hoping to purchase the property and then turn it over to the DPNC, which would manage the property. The hope is the property will be used for recreation, habitat protection, environmental education and historic interpretation.

“There is so much more to this land than just it’s natural and recreational resources,” Executive Director of the Nature Center Maggie Jones said. “Every day we are learning more about the fascinating story of this property."

But before any of that can happen funding to purchase the property needs to be raised. The but The Trust for Public Land has a contract with the Clara Morgan Coogan Trust to purchase the land for $2.8 million.

To date, the 50-member Committee to Preserve Coogan Farm has raised more than $1.2 million, but they are hoping to raise $3.5 million by March 2013. In addition to buying the land the funds will be used to cover stewardship, renovation and campaign costs.

“A very dedicated group of volunteers has worked quietly over several months to raise significant funds from a small group of generous conservation-minded donors,” Committee Chairman Steven Dodd said. “We have been delighted by the response so far to the campaign and are optimistic that we will reach our goal.”

To take the fundraising to the next level the DPNC and Trust for Public Land launched a public fundraising campaign, Thursday.

"We first needed to see if we could get good local support before taking it public," Jones said.

The DPNC wants to get as many people as possible out to see the property through gudied tours talking place at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and at 4 p.m. on Sundays.

"The property is of statewide significance," State Director of The Trust for Public Land Alicia Betty said.

For more information on Coogan Farm contact Maggie Jones at the DPNC at 860-536-1216, mjones@dpnc.org or Alicia Betty at 203-777-7367, alicia.betty@tpl.org.