Mayes Landing Dedication (VT)

Burlington, VT, 7/18/01: Today, a coalition of nonprofit organizations and Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle will host a celebratory event to mark the permanent protection of Mayes Landing on Lake Champlain as a community park. The event will begin at 12:00 pm with refreshments followed by a dedication ceremony at 12:15 pm. Speakers will include Mayor Clavelle, Colchester Selectman Marc Landry, Julie Iffland of the Trust for Public Land, Peter Espenshade of the Lake Champlain Land Trust, Jennifer Ely of the Winooski Valley Park Distrct, and Brian Costello of Local Motion. Attendees are invited to participate in Bike Ferry rides upon the conclusion of formal remarks.

Located along the Winooski River where it flows into Lake Champlain, the 1-acre Mayes Landing parcel serves as a scenic resting spot at the end of the Burlington Bike Path. In June 2000 the Trust for Public Land negotiated an agreement to acquire the Mayes Landing property and worked with the Lake Champlain Land Trust and Burlington Bikeways to raise $145,000 in private funds for the project. Today the property is owned and managed by the Winooski Valley Park District. Mayes Landing is also protected by a conservation easement held by the Lake Champlain Land Trust.

“The acquisition of this land greatly opens up public access to both the lake and the river,” said Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle. “It’s a crucial addition to Burlington’s waterfront, for bikers, pedestrians, and boaters alike.” The Mayor and the City of Burlington provided critical support for this project.

“We were thrilled to step forward in the effort to preserve Mayes Landing for the city of Burlington, neighboring Colchester, and anyone who bikes along Lake Champlain” stated project manager for the Trust for Public Land Julie Iffland. “The Trust for Public Land is grateful to all of the partners that worked together to make this project a success.”

Located just east of the Burlington Bike Path’s northern end, the Mayes Landing parcel was seen by local groups as an important conservation priority, both as open space and as a landing spot for the ferry. “Any land that we can conserve along Lake Champlain in Burlington is wonderful,” said the Lake Champlain Land Trust’s Executive Director Peter Espenshade.

The Trust for Public Land was founded in 1972 to conserve land for people to enjoy as parks and open space. Since then, TPL has protected more than 1.2 million acres nationwide, including approximately 15,000 acres in Vermont. The Wall Street Journal’s Smart Money magazine recently named TPL the nation’s most efficient large conservation charity, based on the percentage of funds dedicated to programs.