Land Trust Success Stories: Northeast

Working Together for a Greener Boston

Photo by Katie McMahon, courtesy of The Trustees

MASSACHUSETTS - The Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s oldest regional land trust, are based in Massachusetts but have never had a Boston presence…until now! They recently announced a permanent affiliation with the Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN).

The idea first came up in 2000 when The Trustees learned that some of Boston’s community gardening organizations were closing their doors. The Trustees had been thinking about expanding their urban conservation efforts, so they approached BNAN and asked how they could help.

BNAN accepted the offer and soon The Trustees were rehabilitating older gardens and building new ones in support of Boston’s 10,000 gardeners. As they worked together both groups realized how much they had in common and became interested in forming a long-term partnership to conserve the city’s character and diminishing natural landscapes.

Photo by Katie McMahon, courtesy of The Trustees

Six years after The Trustees' initial offer of help, the two organizations celebrated their permanent affiliation in September at City Natives Nursery (the nursery was started in 2001 by BNAN). Boston’s mayor Thomas M. Menino and Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Stephen Burrington headlined, with gardeners and open space advocates from across the city in attendance.

As an affiliate of The Trustees, BNAN will remain a separate nonprofit and continue to own its 37 community gardens. Valerie Burns will continue as president of BNAN, and will join The Trustees as a Vice President. BNAN staff will become employees of The Trustees. The Trustees’ board will now include two BNAN directors, and vice-versa. Supported by a new $4 million endowment they raised together, the groups have expanded resources to carry out their mission in Boston.

The Trustees’ President Andy Kendall stressed that they look forward to learning even more from BNAN, whose expertise and experience with community activism and urban conservation is a tremendous resource. He also explained that “our affiliation with BNAN is a key step in providing special places for people in urban areas, and mobilizing a greater force for conservation across the Commonwealth.” (posted 11/10/06)

Conservation Plan Gives Otsego Land Trust Award-Winning Blueprint
by Mary Ellen Kelley

Photo courtesy Otsego Land Trust

NEW YORK - It started with a chance meeting at an Land Trust Alliance conference between Cornell Visiting Lecturer Ole M. Amundsen, III and Otsego Land Trust Board President Earl Peterson. These two individuals with ties to Cornell shared a mutual interest in land preservation in New York State, and started talking…

The final outcome of this meeting? An innovative project that has won national recognition from the American Institute of Certified Planners and provided the Otsego Land Trust, based in Cooperstown, NY, with a conservation plan to focus its land protection efforts and meet its goal of conserving 10,000 acres by the year 2010. More (posted 5/10/06)

Protecting a Piece of History
by Elizabeth Manus

Aerial view of the historic Tuttle Farm on Dover Point Road Photo by Anna Boudreau, Strafford Rivers Conservancy

NEW HAMPSHIRE - At the end of February, William Penn Tuttle III planted the kind of perennial one just might expect of an 11th-generation American farmer. For this one, however, he used a pen, not a spade or a hoe, signing papers to protect his 120-acre farm from development forever with a conservation easement. With his signature he completed the first phase of a long-term conservation project being conducted by The Strafford Rivers Conservancy and the City of Dover Open Lands Committee.

Tuttle Farm is the nation's oldest continuously owned family farm. Mr. Tuttle's ancestor, John Tuttle, started working its soils in the 1630s. With each generation of Tuttles, a single person has owned the farm. More (posted 4/18/06)

Saving Block Island

RHODE ISLAND - The Providence Journal recently published a series of articles and photographs about the remarkable and timeless Block Island (RI), featuring founder of the Block Island Conservancy Rob Lewis and his son Keith, former head of the Block Island Land Trust (both organizations are longtime members of the Land Trust Alliance) . Rob and Keith fought alongside island residents to ensure that the land, including farms, fields, moors, habitat for two endangered species, beaches and coastline, was preserved for future generations. Because of their commitment to land conservation and the natural world, over 40 percent of the island is now protected. Here is Block Island’s story. (posted 6/17/05)

Project proves one good tern deserves another
By M.B. Pell
Watertown Daily Times

The cold spring rain pelting down on the St. Lawrence River did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of seven volunteers who had come out to do a, well, good turn.

Michael Fagans/Watertown Daily Times

On Saturday morning, volunteers from the Thousand Islands Land Trust and Save the River, both based in Clayton, constructed a gull exclusion grid on Eagles Wings Shoal to prevent the gulls from nesting on the granite protrusion. The grid of crisscrossing lines supported by metal poles is designed to allow the declining population of common terns, with their shorter wing span, to land and roost on the island while preventing the larger gulls from setting down.

The two organizations are working to harmonize the ecosystem by restoring the tern population and slightly restricting the gulls. More (posted 5/17/05)

Saratoga Open Space Planning Initiative

NEW YORK - The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors announced in March that they are creating the first open space planning initiative in the region, with help from the Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) land trust.

Saratoga PLAN executive director Alane Chinian believes that Saratoga County lands are so special because of the incredible diversity of landscapes, including rivers, valleys, northern forest, pine barrens, and springs. “The county is bordered on three sides by the Hudson and Mohawk River, with river valleys offering breathtaking views and panoramas….  And the agricultural landscape surrounding the [Saratoga National Battlefield] park is largely as it was 200 years ago.” More (posted 4/22/05)

Partners Work to Conserve 342,000 Acres of Productive Forestland

In a bold and historic step, the Downeast Lakes Land Trust and the New England Forestry Foundation formed a partnership to work with Wagner Forest Management and Typhoon LLC on a project that will conserve forever 342,000 acres of productive forestland in Downeast Maine. This project known as the Downeast Lakes Forestry Partnership, project is designed to sustain a rural economy and the lifestyles of people who live in this area. With this project the partners hope to create a new mold for forest conservation that brings in community support and involvement. More (posted 5/7/04)

766 Acres Protected In Southwestern New Hampshire

View of a great blue heron rookery on land with a conservation easement in Lightning and Thunder Hills in Nelson, NH Photo courtesy of The Monadnock Conservancy

NEW HAMPSHIRE - The Monadnock Conservancy has established four new conservation areas protecting more than 750 acres of land in southwestern New Hampshire.  The properties include two prominent hilltops and extensive fields and forests near Silver Lake in Nelson; a town-owned forest in Richmond; significant shoreline on Mountain Brook Reservoir in Jaffrey; and an historic farm in Greenville. 

"These lands offer a little bit of everything that makes the Monadnock Region such a special place," said executive director Richard Ober. "Wild lands, scenic hillsides, working forests, shoreline, trails, open fields - it's all here."

According to Southwest Region Planning Commission, development annually affects an estimated 1,400 acres of land in southwestern New Hampshire.  In the face of that growth, the Monadnock Conservancy is currently working on more than a dozen land conservation projects throughout the region. Ober predicted that the organization will protect at least 1,500 acres this year.

"Our job is to make sure this wonderful part of New Hampshire does not lose its valuable open spaces, working lands, and critical natural systems," Ober said. "Land conservation is a practical and tangible way to do that. We are very grateful to the owners of these lands for having the vision and foresight to do the right thing."

All of the properties were protected with conservation easements, which leave the land in private hands and on local tax rolls, while permanently prohibiting development.  As holder of the easements, the Monadnock Conservancy is obligated to uphold the conservation terms forever. (posted 12/4/03)  

Conservationists Partner With Youth Organization To Protect Mount Tom in Massachusetts

View of Mt. Tom from the Connecticut River

MASSACHUSETTS - Anyone who has ever driven along Interstate 91 in Massachusetts is familiar with the graceful silhouette of the Mount Holyoke and Mount Tom Ranges. Part of a 50-mile volcanic ridge formed 200 millions years ago, the shadow of Mt. Tom is western Massachusetts’ version of the “Old Man of the Mountain.”

For several years, the former Mt. Tom Ski Area in Holyoke – 396 acres on the mountain’s eastern flank – was for sale. The property was the largest private unprotected parcel on the mountain and arguably the most significant threatened open space in western Massachusetts’ Connecticut River Valley.

In the late 1990s, the owners proposed to expand a nine-acre “traprock” quarry to 90 acres, with potentially devastating ecological and scenic impacts. Mt. Tom contains more than 35 state-listed rare species and the parcel for sale was a key objective of conservationists and concerned residents.

A unique partnership was formed to acquire the site, involving a land trust, two government agencies and The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, which sought to convert buildings from the former ski resort into a summer camp. In July 2002, the partnership purchased the site for $3 million.

Although each partner acquired a discrete portion of the former ski area, they will work collaboratively to manage their respective properties for their high ecological value and compatible public use.

“It would have been devastating to look up at the range and see an expanded quarry,” said Charlie Wyman, a land protection specialist with The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees). “The partnership worked because we all desperately wanted it to succeed, and we trusted each other and developed a good working relationship during long and difficult negotiations with the owners.”

Visitors will find interpretive materials and trails suited for stimulating walks, nature study, and superb views of the valley below. The partners are currently conducting ecological surveys and management planning for the site. The Trustees are in the midst of a $520,000 fundraising campaign to underwrite its share of acquisition and management costs, and hopes to open its portion of the property to the public in the spring of 2004.

In addition to The Trustees and the youth club, the partners include the state’s Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (posted 6/20/2003)

Her Final Mark on Earth

MAINE - An unexpected gift to the Lower Kennebec Regional Land Trust is a gift to eternity.

At the direction of Eleanor Burke, who died in September, the land trust received 125 acres of waterfront property on Merrymeeting Bay and Chops Creek, habitat for migrating waterfowl, fisher, deer and wild turkey. It is home to several species of threatened "mud plants" that can only be found in freshwater tidal areas such as Merrymeeting Bay. The land will be used for nature study and provide space for hikers, bird watchers and cross-country skiers.

Mrs. Burke, who bought the land with her husband in 1952, lived in an old farmhouse on the property until 1991. The house was razed in the late 1990s.

"Eleanor wanted to pass her legacy on by keeping the land undeveloped,” said Will Brune, a member of the land trust's board of directors. “She wanted this to be the final mark she left on Earth." The property is within walking distance of the Robert P. Coffin Preserve, a 173-acre nature sanctuary managed by the New England Wildflower Society.

The land trust plans to build hiking trails and a parking lot for about a half-dozen cars on the Burke property. (posted 3/28/03)

Land: Where The Heart Is

NEW HAMPSHIRE - The two families have lived in proximity to one another for more than 40 years and yet never met – but their hearts were clearly in the same place. The Wolterbeeks and the Castles donated conservation easements on 400 acres to the Monadnock Conservancy, guaranteeing permanent open space in the fast-growing towns of Rindge and Fitzwilliam.

In Rindge, where population quadrupled from 1995-2000, Georgia and Jacob Wolterbeek donated a conservation easement on 302 acres of their historic farm, including fields, mature forests, wetlands and a variety of wildlife habitat. The Wolterbeeks have lived on the land since the early 1960s.

Down the road in Fitzwilliam, Jean and Richard Castles donated a conservation easement on 98 acres abutting Rhododendron State Park. The Castles have meticulously maintained trails on the property, where deer, bear, moose, wild turkey, bobcat, fisher, fox, coyote and other wildlife are common sights.

“At a time when many problems seem difficult to solve, these families have taken a lasting and tangible step right here at home,” said Richard Ober, executive director of the Monadnock Conservancy. “It’s especially gratifying to protect wildlife habitat, clean water and rural character in towns that are growing so quickly.”

The nonprofit Monadnock Conservancy works in 35 towns in southwestern New Hampshire and has protected more than 4,000 acres by conservation easements. (posted 3/21/03)

A Lifetime Devoted To the “Greater Glories”

MASSACHUSETTS - On a trail deep in the hemlock-shaded Stevens Glen of the Berkshire Mountains, George Wislocki, founder and for 34 years president of Berkshire Natural Resources Council, once voiced his great hope: Along with the wild turkeys, black bear and moose that graced the mountains, he hoped to see a mountain lion one day in the fabled mountains.

His impact on land conservation by the time he retired in December 2002 was measurable: the land trust owned 6,444 acres, held conservation restrictions on 5,326 acres to ensure their permanent protection, and had acquired, protected and conveyed to another organization or government agency 3,541 more acres.

Mr. Wislocki, surely a model for any one passionate about conservation, joined the Berkshire Natural Resources Council in 1967. Throughout his career, he displayed a nearly religious zeal for protecting the Berkshires and particularly Mount Greylock.

He often introduced himself in telephone calls as “George Wislocki out in the beautiful Berkshires.” His persistence in promoting the Berkshires and their “greater glories” led to such visionary successes as the Scenic Mountains Act, which Mr. Wislocki wrote and pushed through the state legislature in 1974. Today, it is being adopted in nearly a dozen other towns in the area.

“There are a hundred of us,” said one volunteer, “who did what he asked because he made you feel the success of the whole environmental movement in the Berkshires was hanging on your response.” (posted 1/31/03)

A Scenic Corner of Block Island

The coveted 24.8-acre property, which had been in the Hodge family for more than 50 years, fronts on Middle Pond and abuts another 42-acre parcel of open space owned by the town. The property, on the northern end of the island, includes a high point with scenic views of Block Island Sound.

The quasi-municipal Block Island Land Trust gave $3.5 million toward the purchase, which it will raise through bonds on a local real estate transfer tax designated for the land trust. The town put up an additional $1million bond, approved in the last election. The private, nonprofit Block Island Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy each contributed $2 million. The land will remain in joint ownership, and the town and conservation groups will steward it under a joint management plan. (posted 11/8/02)

"Every Town Should Have a Park"

MAINE - The 40-foot cascading Saco Falls on Pleasant River will be protected forever while the surrounding 14 acres will be open to the public for hiking, picnicking and as natural habitat due to the efforts of the Downeast Rivers Land Trust (DRLT) and several partners. 

The land will be deeded to the Town of Columbia as the Saco Falls Town Park, while the land trust will retain a conservation easement on the land to ensure its permanent existence as open space.  The project not only protects the river for recreational use, but also conserves habitat for the endangered Atlantic salmon,

The project is a significant first step in the land trust's vision of a Pleasant River Conservation Corridor.  Other organizations that worked on the project include the Pleasant River Watershed Council, the Downeast Salmon Federation, Quoddy Regional Land Trust and the Town of Columbia, which held a special town meeting where voters choose to dedicate $10,000 in tax dollars to the $76,000 needed to purchase the property and complete planning.

"Every town should have a town park.  We're a poor town, but we raised the money and thanks to the land trust and all the other funders, we're going to have a very nice one," said Selectman Donald Tibbetts. (posted 10/7/02)  

You Can See the Mountains From Albany

Photo courtesy of Christopher Olney

NEW YORK - After more than a decade of negotiations, the Durham Valley Land Trust and The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development accepted the donation of a conservation easement on nearly 1,000 acres of scenic fields and forests in the northern Catskill Mountains, in the Town of Durham. The easement guarantees permanent protection for the property's pastoral rolling hay fields, small streams and scenic ridgeline. A beautiful bass pond and its associated wetlands are also protected.

The Long Path hiking trail, which runs from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to John Boyd Thatcher State Park in Albany County, crosses the property along the Ginseng Ridge. Part of the property is located in the Historic District of the hamlet of Cornwallville.

The project was a partnership among The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, the Durham Valley Land Trust, the Albany County Land Conservancy, and the Cornwallville Conservation Corporation (CCC), formed in the 1960s by landowners who purchased small farms in order to keep the land as intact farms and forest.

The easement will allow traditional recreational uses, such as hunting and hiking, as well as forest management, agriculture, arboretum and educational activities, and limited space for a few new buildings. (posted 9/19/02)

FSM file photo

Project Protects Heart of the North Woods

MAINE - The Forest Society of Maine signed a purchase agreement to protect 329,000 acres in the heart of the North Woods along the west branch of the Penobscott River, an area that Maine residents treasure for its wildlife, recreation and timber production. The state will acquire 47,000 acres of the most ecologically sensitive and recreationally important lands. The Forest Society will obtain a conservation easement on the remaining 282,000 acres.

The project will cost about $34 million, including stewardship funding. Congress has appropriated $17.1 million in Forest Legacy funding for the project. The state is seeking an additional $2.9 million in fiscal year 2003. Additional funding will come from state appropriations and private donations.

The project protects the headwaters of the St. John's River and thousands of miles of stream, river and lakefront. (posted 9/13/02)

"Keep The Green In Greenfield"

NEW HAMPSHIRE - Two couples on neighboring farms, working with a group of neighbors who use the community slogan, "Keep the Green In Greenfield," have donated conservation easements on 528 acres to the Monadnock Conservancy. The easements create the largest contiguous conservation area in Greenfield. The land is a mixture of mature and young forest, wetlands, open fields and meadows, including walking trails.

Jeffry and Sara Timmons donated an easement on 416 acres on their Woodland Hill Farm, while neighbors Sheldon and Penelope Pennoyer donated two easements covering 112 acres on their Blanchard Hill Farm. Mr. and Mrs. Timmons both were reared in rural environments and want to see New Hampshire's beautiful landscape remain unblemished by development.

"We were both 4-Hers and love open space," noted Mr. Timmons. "We're seeing fields and open space disappear, and it doesn't have to happen." Both families became involved with the Monadnock Conservancy when a neighbor invited them to a meeting to discuss land preservation. "This shows the power of a neighborhood to conserve contiguous blocks of land," said Mr. Pennoyer, an architect.

New Hampshire loses about 15,000 acres of open space each year. (posted 9/13/02)

updated 8/07/07