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Press Release Date: January 4, 2008
MOUNT GRACE LAND CONSERVATION TRUST ADDS 2000 PROTECTED ACRES IN 2007Athol, MA -- Around the Quabbin—Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust finished its work for 2007 with a flurry of activity, completing five conservation restrictions (CRs) to protect a total of 746 acres in the last week of 2007. The five parcels protected at years end include a working organic farm and the forest around it, part of the headwaters of the east branch of the Swift River, land next to a scenic Northfield waterfall, and two properties abutting protected state lands in New Salem. The year saw a large increase in conservation restrictions due to an enhanced federal tax break for land conservation, which expired at years end, but may be extended in the next year. In total, Mount Grace closed 17 separate deals in 2007, protecting 2010 acres in 11 towns around the region. This was a jump above the Trust’s historic average of 1000 acres per year which Mount Grace Executive Director Leigh Youngblood attributed to an expansion of the Trust’s staff. “Following a year of transition and growth, it is exciting to see the results that increased support has made possible, not only more land conservation, but also better outreach and communication with landowners, partner groups, and our members.” Two CRs are in New Salem, owned by David Drake and Leslie Benson, and Leonard and Nansi Glick, who protected their land as part of a deal between Mount Grace and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The Commonwealth agreed to fund the protection of the133-acre West Hill area of New Salem if local landowners would join in donating CRs on an equivalent amount of land. Neighboring landowners, including Mount Grace, stepped up to donate CRs, putting together a bundle of conservation agreements that will lead to the protection of 243 acres around New Salem by the project’s end. In Petersham a total of 687 acres was protected in the last week, consisting of land owned by Frederick Day and by David and Karen Davis. Both landowners donated CRs on their land, the Davis Family to Mount Grace, which will monitor the lands in perpetuity and Fred Day to Massachusetts DCR. Here again both gifts are part of a larger ongoing strategy of conservation, the Quabbin Corridor Connection, which envisions protecting corridors of forested land to allow wildlife to move between the protected woodlands and wetlands around the Quabbin Reservoir and the Popple Camp, Prince River, and Phillipston Wildlife Management Areas. By project’s end, and including existing privately protected land like the Harvard Forest and the James W. Brooks Woodland reserve, the Quabbin Corridor Connection will create an interconnected network of 80,000 acres of protected habitat interlaced among the rural homes and farms of Petersham, Phillipston, Barre, and Southeast Athol. The Quabbin Corridor Connection project was chosen for funding by the federal Forest Legacy Program, which ranked the project 3rd out of 84 Forest Legacy proposals in the nation. Finally, in Northfield, Nancy Ames and her husband Bill, a board member of Mount Grace, have together donated a CR on 8.6 acres of woodland in Northfield. Protection of the woods ensures perpetual public access to view a scenic waterfall on a stream in the headwaters of Roaring Brook. A hiking trail is planned for the property, part of a potential spur trail that could connect to the M & M trail. “By giving the public a place to see the falls, the Ames gift has protected a spot of great natural beauty for Northfield and for lovers of nature throughout the region.” said Tom Wansleben, Mount Grace stewardship biologist, who is planning the trail with Ames. Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust (www.mountgrace.org) is a regional land trust that serves 23 towns in Franklin and Worcester counties and is supported by memberships and private, state and federal grants. It protects significant natural, agricultural and scenic areas and encourages land stewardship in north-central and western Massachusetts for the benefit of the environment, the economy and future generations. In 21 years through collaborations and partnerships, Mount Grace has protected 21,000 acres, more than 10% of the protected land in the region. ### Back to the Northeast regional page
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