In the Ridgefield 1999 Plan of Conservation and Development, the Planning & Zoning Commission defined the critical conservation efforts to which the town has pledged its support. This "master plan" -- which carries both legal weight and civic responsibility -- identifies natural-resource preservation as a primary objective, specifying as key benefactors "watercourses, water bodies, wetland areas, flood plains, public water supply watersheds, aquifers, overall water quality, and unique biological niches (such as vernal pools and other sensitive habitats)." The plan also commits Ridgefield to "provide for adequate open space to meet present and future needs," charging the town to proactively acquire sufficient open space to achieve a town-wide goal of 30%. According to the plan, these acquisition efforts are to be aimed at "preserving large, unfragmented spaces for wildlife habitat," among other things.

The Bennett's Pond property offers an ideal fit on all fronts. The property abounds in natural treasures -- pure water, unusual flora, undisturbed habitats and a great diversity of wildlife among them. Furthermore, it is the last parcel of undeveloped land sizeable enough to afford the town any appreciable gains toward its goal of conserving "large, unfragmented spaces."

This article and one to follow next week will examine the diversity and environmental significance of the natural resources found at Bennett's Pond.

A rare last chance to preserve a wildlife "corridor"

The Bennett's Pond property lies contiguous to nearly 1,000 acres of already-protected land, including the 359-acre Wooster Mountain State Park and Ridgefield's own Hemlock Hills, Lake Windwing and Pine Mountain preserves. Together, these tracts create a wildlife "corridor" extending through nearly 1,700 acres of open space.

The terrain of this region is both rugged and diverse, embracing wetlands, high bluffs, rock-bound slopes and deep ravines. Elevations range from 500 to over 1000 feet above sea level.

Examination of the region's land-use maps reveals that the Bennett's Pond property is a link in a chain of open-space parcels and low-density lands, semi-mountainous in character, which effectively separate Ridgefield from Danbury. The area is also an important watershed; indeed, Bennett's Pond directly feeds the Saugatuck Reservoir, which supplies drinking water to 350,000 people in lower Fairfield County. Thus, conserving the property in its natural state will help safeguard the future environmental integrity of a key regional watershed while also helping to maintain Ridgefield's unique small-town character and independence from the urban sprawl to the north.

What makes Bennett's Pond vital as a wildlife habitat?

A variety of wetland types appear on the property, each varying in soil structure and, consequently, in the plant species supported. This diversity of flora, combined with the property's large size and relative isolation from human disturbance (thanks to a crucial but imperiled buffer of forested land), makes the area an excellent wildlife habitat.

The vernal pools identified on the property are of particular importance. Vernal pools are shallow depressions that fill with water during times of high ground water, then shrink and dry -- often completely -- during warmer, drier months. This seasonal appearance of water prevents fish and other predators from taking up residence, making the pools hospitable to animals that would otherwise become prey. Numerous species of amphibians, invertebrates and dragonflies -- many of them rare and endangered -- are wholly dependent on vernal pools for one or more phases of their life cycles. Importantly, vernal pools have been shown to exist in groups and cooperate as a functional whole.

Next week: More on the flora and fauna of Bennett's Pond, as well as the property's significance as a source of pure drinking water .


This is the third in a series of columns prepared by the Ridgefield Open Space Association (ROSA), a non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to the preservation of the Bennett's Pond property and open space throughout Ridgefield. For ROSA information, contact: P.O. Box 492, Ridgefield; email: ROSA@mags.net; phone: 431-6662; Web site: www.rosaopenspace.org.