Norwich ― In its ongoing push to acquire more open space land in Norwich, the Avalonia Land Conservancy Inc. hopes to purchase 101 acres of forested land, including the former Benson Tree Farm, off Old Canterbury Turnpike in Occum.

The proposed acquisition is in the early stage, Avalonia officials recently said, with no firm purchase price yet. But the land conservancy last month received unanimous support from the City Council for a state grant application through the state Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant program. The grant program is run by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The land was described in the City Council resolution as, “a mosaic of habitats, including forested uplands, forested wetlands, meadows and shrub land that provide a wide range of conditions supporting a diversity of wildlife.”

The properties at 282, 292, 300-rear and 318-rear Old Canterbury Turnpike are owned by Paul, Kelly and Rebecca Wagner of Mystic. The land is near the controversial planned second Norwich business park in Occum.

Several speakers at the council meeting strongly supported the Avalonia plan, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral School fifth-grader Silas Hess, who asked the council to support the plan. Hess said land preserves are important for both people and animals, allowing animals to roam and people to explore the environment without worrying about trespassing on someone’s land.

“I like the idea of the land being preserved forever and no one being able to put stores, shops or other buildings on it,” Hess said. “Anything you bring in you will have to take out, including bottles, cans, food bags and plastic bags.”

Robert Phoenix, who owns property adjacent to the land, said the neighbors “are in complete support” of the plan. Neighbors of the planned Occum business park welcomed the Avalonia plan. Frederick Browning, spokesman for Preserving Norwich Neighborhoods LLC, said Avalonia is a responsible organization that will take care of the property.

“They are very good stewards of the land,” Browning said.

Dennis Main, president of the Avalonia board of directors, said the land conservancy is always looking to acquire large tracts of open space land, especially in urban communities.

Because Norwich is an economically distressed municipality, Avalonia needed city approval to acquire the land and remove it from the tax rolls, Avalonia board member Elanah Sherman said. The acquisition was supported by the Planning and Neighborhood Services Department, the Commission on the City Plan and Inland Wetlands, Watercourses and Conservation Commission, along with the City Council.

“We’re still a long way from closing on the property, because that’s a months-long process,” Main said.

Sherman told the City Council Avalonia is one of only a few land conservation groups working to preserve land in distressed communities. She said the organization offers free guided walks and promotes access to open space land for urban residents.

“Through events and programs, such as free guided walks, we regularly introduce people to their local natural environments,” Sherman said. “And we want that experience to be available to as many people as possible.”

If acquired, the former tree farm would have a public access entrance on Old Canterbury Turnpike, with areas of relatively level ground where handicapped accessible trails could be developed.

The Old Canterbury Turnpike property would be the third major acquisition for Avalonia in Norwich in recent years. The land conservancy recently opened the 47.27-acre Cedar Wood Preserve on North Wawecus Hill Road in the western area of Norwich, and in July it completed the acquisition of 26.99 acres, called Hunter Brook Preserve, on Hunters Road in Taftville from the city of Norwich. The land conservancy has started work to create public passive recreation trails on the property.

c.bessette@theday.com