The town of Arlington is hoping to buy 4,000 acres of Red Mountain woodland to create a town forest. The Arlington Recreational and Park Committee has been negotiating with the Town Activities Committee to purchase the land for $287,000.

According to New Haven Register, the project would give the community the chance to conserve a prime piece of forest land while giving the public access to a variety of outdoor activities.

“This is by no means a sure thing because of the way that this acquisition has gone through,” Zaiac said. “There are ongoing potentially perpetual public obligations that would come from the purchase of this property, and we feel that it would be really really important to make exactly clear to the public what we’re getting into.”

The money spent on woodland conservation is always money well-spent, however, Arlington town administration Nick Zaiac says the plan must still be approved by the select board. 

The first proposed trail would start at the public parking area at the end of Wilcox Road. The trail would help hikers reach three vistas, including “Flag Rock” which is a popular destination for many locals, too.

If everything goes as planned, the new forest will provide new recreational and educational opportunities as well as future connections to local and regional trail grids.