The state of Vermont is working with a conservation group to create a 1,346-acre stretch of state forest in Shrewsbury and name it after the late U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords.
The state is working with the Trust for Public Land to create the forest which will link the Coolidge and Aiken State Forests, resulting in a 188,000-acre block of conserved land.
Forest Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder says the forest will be an enduring legacy to Jeffords and his long commitment to environmental stewardship and land conservation.
Jeffords, who was from Shrewsbury, served in the U.S. House and Senate. He retired in 2007 and died last summer.
The Burlington Free Press reports the $1.1 million deal should be completed by fall.
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