The Nature Conservancy Purchases Conservation Easements for Tiverton’s Well-Known Middle Acres Farm

Providence, RI — January 24, 2007— Lucien Lebreux has protected his Middle Acres Farm in Tiverton by selling conservation easements to The Nature Conservancy. Lebreux’s land forms a valley, edged on one side by Weetamoo Woods, part of one of the largest forest tracts in the East Bay. His cranberry bogs and open fields sit astride an aquifer that is a main source of fresh water for the West Branch of the Westport River. Spectacular views of the entire property are visible from the 19th century farmhouse, dairy barn and silos that sit high on the road.

Travelers of Crandall Road know Middle Acres Farm by its roadside stand. Lebreux sells tomatoes, corn, cranberries, and Christmas trees in season. He also produces hay, feed corn, and beef cattle. His cranberry operation, a new joint venture with his nephew Dana Lebreux, is the only one of its kind in eastern Rhode Island.

The property has been farmed since Lucien Lebreux acquired it in 1956. Though a portion of his property had been farmed since at least 1825, he expanded the operation, opened more fields to double its size, and had, for many years, one of Rhode Island’s finest dairy herds. Knowing that the land he improved for agriculture and the operation he built will be preserved for future generations of farmers was an important consideration to Lebreux.

The Nature Conservancy will hold one conservation easement together with Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on an area of about 150 acres within the Lebreux property. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will also hold an interest in the conservation easement.

The other conservation interest was acquired by the Conservancy on behalf of Rhode Island Agricultural Land Preservation Commission, which will hold a deed to development rights on about 90 acres of the Lebreux property, along with certain rights extended to the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Conservancy purchased these interests for $1.5 million from Lebreux in a bargain sale transaction. The difference between this purchase price and the appraised value of these interests represents a significant gift on the part of Lebreux. Some of this gift he will realize through tax benefits. This will protect his farm for future generations of farmers and consumers, while keeping the property in his family.

The Nature Conservancy, together with Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Natural Heritage Preservation Commission, will hold a conservation easement with Lebreux over 150 acres of his property which contain forested wetlands and uplands. Provisions of this easement will require that the forest be managed and maintained for its wildlife. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, has particular interest in maintaining the quality of waterways on the property and to its south, along Tiverton’s Adamsville Brook and the West branch of the Westport River, which birds depend on for its valuable habitat.

“Middle Acres Farm and its large forest represent nearly a lifetime of hard work and good business sense on the part of its owner,” said John Berg, The Nature Conservancy’s Sakonnet Landscape Manager. “It has been an honor to work with Mr. Lebreux toward his goal of preserving his work for the next generation of the Lebreux family.”

Protecting Middle Acres Farm has been a collaborative effort and The Nature Conservancy has enjoyed the support of many partners. Particular gratitude is due the Farmland Protection and Local Grants Programs at Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program at United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund at United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, the Champlin Foundations, and members and friends of The Nature Conservancy.

The Lebreux property borders and contains a large portion of the Tiverton Great Swamp, a 400-acre swamp which provides the single largest source of flow to the Westport River, an important coastal estuary at Buzzards' Bay, Massachusetts. Early endorsement for protecting this Rhode Island property by the Coalition for Buzzard’s Bay won support from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for The Nature Conservancy, with the funds being derived from penalties issued to the Bouchard company, whose negligence contributed to a 2003 oil spill, here.

The main stem and several tributaries of Adamsville Brook cross the Lebreux property from north to south. The West Branch of the Westport River originates in the tidal reaches of this brook, less than 3 miles to the south of the property. Tiverton Great Swamp comprises an important headwater in the watershed of the river’s West Branch, and the health of the West Branch is largely dependent on the health of the Tiverton Great Swamp.

The premises contain a supply of ground water that is more than adequate for continued farm use. Lebreux has built and manages a system of supply ponds, irrigation and drainage for his cranberries and for other farm production. These created waterways are contained entirely within the property. The larger property contains natural streams and a drainage channel which does not supply agricultural uses and these areas are subject to conservation easement. Surface waters on the property support amphibian species and fishes which are threatened or increasingly rare in this region.

Middle Acres Farm is mentioned by Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission in its 2001 Report, "Historic Landscapes of Rhode Island”. The home dates to 1837 having been built by John Hart. This stretch of Crandall Road has been identified in the Town of Tiverton's Comprehensive Plan as worthy of protection for its agricultural character and scenic views. The property is crossed east to west by an ancient cart path once called the Saw Mill Path, which extended from Westport to a ferry landing at Punkateest Neck.

The Nature Conservancy and the Lebreux family will plan some walks of the property in the near future, to let people experience rich biodiversity of the area, includes birdlife, game, migratory species, and fishes.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.