For the ease of monitoring, we've purchased a UTV.
Since our first easement in 2001, all annual monitoring had been done on foot or by pick-up truck. Over the years, the number of easements increased to our current 48, covering over 5,600 acres. Not all properties are accessible by truck (and some shouldn’t be), and managing the post driver, steel posts, weed-eater, chain saw, pin finder, and other monitoring paraphernalia had become increasingly difficult.
After years of delaying the expenditure, we were finally given the green light in 2023 by our scrupulous Treasurer Todd Vermilya to purchase a used utility vehicle. Jeff Wells, Vice President for Land Protection, did months of research before finding the diesel beauty pictured above for a reasonable price.
The acquisition came just ahead of the Fall Monitoring, and the monitoring team reports that the UTV has saved enormous amounts of time and has been invaluable for hauling equipment into otherwise inaccessible locations.