The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has purchased a 21.92-acre parcel in Westbrook for $263,000.
The undeveloped property, at 551 Old Clinton Rd., is adjacent to the 340-acre Salt Meadow Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, which has a headquarters at 733 Old Clinton Rd.
The government plans to conserve the land, which will be an extension of the refuge, according to an announcement.
Kevin Geenty of The Geenty Group, Realtors in Branford was the sole broker in the transaction.
The property features woodlands and saltwater marsh along the Menunketesuck River.
According to the government, the overall wildlife refuge includes 10 units across 70 miles of the state’s coastline, for some 1,000 acres. The refuge provides habitat for many species of birds, including shorebirds, songbirds, terns and ducks.
The Sanderson Family Limited Partnership sold the property to the government agency.
The sellers are “pleased that the land will be used to further the unique educational and viewing opportunities provided to the public of native shoreline birds, plants and wildlife as well as the hundreds of species of migratory birds which visit the refuge each year,” the Geenty Group said in the announcement.
Mark Maghini, chief of the Division of Realty, for the North Atlantic-Appalachian Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the property was acquired with funding provided by the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The primary source of revenue for the fund is from federal oil and gas leases. The money is then used for conservation of parks, wildlife refuges, forests, open spaces, trails and wildlife habitat.
Rick Potvin, manager of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, said, “This acquisition protects the Menunketesuck River and provides habitat for a number of wildlife species.”
Attorney Russell S. Brinn of Madison represented the seller in the deal, while attorney David Tycz of Middletown represented the buyer.
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.