Thirty-three years ago, in 1986, Eric Weber, Lincoln Fish, and Denise Cormier met in Chesterfield to discuss protecting a nearby historic sugarbush. This meeting marked the formation of Hilltown Land Trust, and the beginning of our mission to protect and steward land in the Hilltowns.
HLT has grown and evolved since then, but two things have remained constant: our commitment to protecting wild and working lands in the Hilltowns and Eric Weber’s guiding voice on our Board of Directors.
This past September, Eric retired from HLT’s board. Current and past Board members, staff, friends, and family gathered at Denise’s house to celebrate Eric and all he has done for our organization. People shared stories, including a humorous one about Lincoln Fish and Eric’s slow-motion, accidental, vehicular introduction in a ditch on the side of an icy road.
During Eric’s tenure, he helped HLT protect more than 40 properties totaling over 5,000 acres. Eric could likely draw you a detailed map noting key features of each of those properties.
While we will greatly miss Eric’s expertise and witty humor at our Board meetings, we are thrilled that he will remain on the Project Management Committee and continue to contribute his wisdom as we make decisions about future land conservation projects.
HLT relies on dedicated volunteers like Eric to guide organizational policies, help make decisions regarding which projects to take on, and ensure a property’s conservation values are best protected. Thank you to Eric and everyone who volunteers with HLT!