Historic Collaboration Conserves Nearly 1,400 Acres in North-Central Massachusetts

This past year Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust celebrated its 35th year serving a 23-town region in northern Massachusetts by surpassing 37,000 acres of land protection, completing its first capital campaign, and receiving the National Land Trust Excellence Award from the Land Trust Alliance as well as the Allen H. Morgan Award for statewide environmental achievement from Mass Audubon.  Meanwhile, in 2023 Mass Audubon launched an ambitious $75 million land protection catalyst fund “to help the state and our land trust and community partners achieve the goal of protecting 30 percent of Massachusetts by 2030.”  In late December these partner organizations joined with the town of Winchendon and state of Massachusetts to conserve 1,365 acres of diverse forest, wetland, and stream habitat in north-central Massachusetts. The conserved parcels help fill an extraordinarily rich array of public and private lands conserved through purchase and conservation easements.

Map of the newly conserved land in north-central Massachusetts in relation to surrounding conservation properties protected by private families, municipalities, conservation organizations, and the state of Massachusetts. Source: Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust

This project exemplifies the complex and collaborative nature of successful conservation. The land was owned by a private family and poised for purchase, deforestation, and solar power development. However, a conservation easement on the land granted a right of first refusal to the town, allowing it to choose between permanent conservation and industrial development with an ongoing revenue stream to the town. With strong local support by a packed audience and Mount Grace staff, and with compelling testimony from researchers at Mass Audubon and Harvard Forest who drew from their recent study advocating for environmentally sound solar development¹, the town supported the conservation purchase. Mass Audubon provided funds to purchase the land and will pass it on to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game as a Wildlife Management Area, so that it will remain accessible to the public for recreation.

The following two articles provide further details on this substantial conservation success.

Mount Grace and Mass Audubon Celebrate Historic Vote to Protect 1,365 Acres of Forest in Winchendon

Mount Grace and Mass Audubon Partner for Historic Conservation Victory

¹ Manion, M., J.R. Thompson, K. Pickrell, L. Lee, H. Ricci, J. Collins, J. Plisinski, R. Jones, G. Kwok, D. Powell, and W. Rhatigan. 2023. Growing Solar, Protecting Nature. Mass Audubon and Harvard Forest. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.8403839