Keeler Pond Property

NRLT acquired its sixth conservation easement in 2012 by closing with The Nature Conservancy on a 22-acre property encompassing Keeler Pond in Wolcott. The four-acre pond drains into Keeler Brook, which then drains successively into Tucker Brook, Alder Brook, Hardwick Lake, and finally the Lamoille River. Woodland comprises 15 acres of mixed hard- and softwoods. The remaining acreage contains surrounds a small, seasonal cabin.

More than 1,700 feet of frontage along Keeler Pond Road allows lovely views of the pond, which is framed on the southwest side by forest. Two rare aquatic species have been identified in the pond.

TNC acquired the parcel as “trade land,” meaning that the former owners donated it to TNC to conserve the property and allow a resale to utilize the proceeds elsewhere. In 2012 the TNC sold the parcel to David and Pamela Ely of Massachusetts, who continue to manage the property.

While Keeler Pond does not drain toward Wolcott Pond—a watershed of special interest to NRLT—it sits less than a mile away in an upland area in a pivotal location between two different sections of the Lamoille River watershed. This corner of Wolcott contains significant protected lands around Bear Swamp and the state’s East Hill Wildlife Management that drain southward toward the Lamoille River in Wolcott. Beyond Keeler Pond to the east sit large tracts of undeveloped land in Hardwick that flow northward toward the upper Lamoille River. Keeler Pond drains successively through Keeler Brook, Alder Brook, Tucker Brook, and Hardwick Lake.