Project Updates

The Land Protection team always has many projects in the works, at various stages. This is where you can find out the latest status on these projects.

Southeastern Mass, Cape and Islands

Wareham, Great Neck Conservation Partnership Initiative:
Fast on the heels of our announcement in the April newsletter of the first completed conservation restriction (CR) of this partnership initiative—we have more good news to report! The CR for the Sacred Hearts Healing Center—the centerpiece of the Great Neck Conservation Partnership Initiative—and three additional CRs on abutting properties are nearing completion and are expected to be recorded in the coming months. When completed, the Great Neck Conservation Partnership Initiative will result in the permanent protection of over 300 acres of land and salt marsh habitat fronting on Buzzards Bay.

Greater Boston and North Shore

Sailboat on Great Marsh

Rowley, Great Marsh and Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary:
Mass Audubon continues to advance the work required to protect an extensive area of salt marsh on the North Shore in the vicinity of the Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary. The land at stake represents a significant link connecting the Parker River Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island Sound, and other protected areas. The land contains habitat for several rare and endangered species, serves as critical migratory bird habitat, and may help accommodate salt marsh migration as sea level rises in response to climate change.

Central and Western Mass

Groton, Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary:
 Mass Audubon is actively working with several landowners on key additions to this new sanctuary (not yet open to the public) to secure important view-sheds and frontage on Long Pond and protect other surrounding scenic vistas and rare and endangered species habitat.

Sharon, Massapoag Sportsmen’s Club:
We have good news to report after the December newsletter update on Mass Audubon’s efforts to assist the town of Sharon with a land exchange and conservation plan involving land owned by the Massapoag Sportsmen’s Club (MSC). Successful completion of the project depended on a key town meeting vote and important state legislative action to protect an additional 90 acres of land near our Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. On November 10, 2009 the residents of Sharon ratified the land swap agreement and on May 7, 2010 Governor Deval Patrick signed the necessary legislation enabling the conservation land exchange to move forward. Our next step will be to finalize the required conservation restrictions for recording accomplishing permanent protection and enhancing a 200-acre corridor of open space and trails.

Mt. Tom from near Goat Rock

Hampden, Goat Rock:
Continuing our commitment to open space protection in Hampden, home of our Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, we are assisting the Minnechaug Land Trust and the Town of Hampden in protecting a prominent local landmark. The land trust has negotiated the purchase of 36 acres including Goat Rock, a popular hiking and picnicking destination overlooking Main Street. Mass Audubon is providing financial assistance to the land trust that enabled it to purchase the property in June; the trust is placing restrictions on the property and conveying it to the town, and the loan will be repaid to Mass Audubon with town CPA and state grant funds. This is the third open space protection project Mass Audubon has helped the land trust and the town complete since 2006.

Previous Updates

Southeastern Mass, Cape and Islands

Marshfield Airport Land, Marshfield: 
The Town of Marshfield and Marshfield Airport have approached Mass Audubon with a proposal to help them comply with increased Federal Aviation Administration takeoff and landing requirements. If the project advances, Mass Audubon could receive an additional 85 acres of ecologically significant and valuable land abutting our Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, which has long been a high priority in our land protection plan.

$320K in Wareham CPA funds approved for Great Neck Conservation Partnership Initiative:
This wonderful project is now a big step closer to being a reality, following the approval of $320,000 in Community Preservation funds by town meeting voters in Wareham in October.  This completes most of the funding needed to move forward with protection efforts.

More Protection for Cape Cod-Barnstable Great Marsh: Mass Audubon is currently working with a Barnstable family that has been a long-standing supporter of land and wildlife conservation to protect additional acreage to be added to the Barnstable Great Marsh Sanctuaries.

Massapoag Sportsmen’s Club, Sharon: We have good news to report after the August newsletter update on Mass Audubon’s efforts to assist the town of Sharon with a land exchange and conservation plan involving land owned by the Massapoag Sportsmen’s Club (MSC).  Successful completion of the project depended on a key town meeting vote and would protect an additional 90 acres of land near the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, creating a 200-acre corridor of open space and trails. On November 10, the residents of Sharon ratified the land swap agreement, securing the protection of additional land using conservation restrictions held by Mass Audubon.

Fuller Conservation Restriction, Norfolk: We are working with long-time Mass Audubon friends John and Janet Fuller on a conservation restriction on their property adjacent to Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary. The CR, which should go to record by year’s end, will permanently eliminate a potential house site opposite the sanctuary’s entrance, as well as adding pine upland and a red maple swamp next to one of the sanctuary’s main trails. 

Great Neck Conservation Initiative: Mass Audubon has been working with several partners to protect an amazing 300+ acre mosaic of properties fronting on Buzzards Bay. We are currently awaiting final notice on nearly $2 million in federal grant funds for this exceptional land — home to the eastern box turtle and numerous other rare species.

Lakeville, Assonet Cedar Swamp: Mass Audubon is currently negotiating the terms of a conservation restriction with the town of Lakeville to protect 20 acres of important rare species habitat, part of a critical potential link between our wildlife sanctuary and hundreds of acres of other protected land to the southwest.

Greater Boston and North Shore

South Lincoln Farms, Lincoln:  The partnership among the Town of Lincoln, the Rural Land Foundation, and Mass Audubon to protect 21 acres of farmland adjacent to Drumlin Farm recorded recent successes on several fronts: private fundraising efforts raised $930,000, the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program gave final approval to the APR purchases that will help fund the acquisition, and on March 27 Lincoln Town Meeting voted to authorize the final $1.2 million needed, an approval that town voters endorsed two days later in a town-wide referendum.

Weeks Meadow, Belmont:  Thanks to a very generous bargain sale offer from the Weeks family and sufficient financial commitments from neighbors and other friends of Mass Audubon, we are in a position to proceed with this 2.6-acre addition to Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary. The acquisition will provide habitat diversity and buffer on the eastern end of the sanctuary and a trail connection that makes it easier for walkers from Belmont Center to reach the sanctuary.

Northeastern University, Warren Woods land, Ashland and Holliston:
Last summer, representatives of Northeastern University approached Mass Audubon for help finding a conservation solution for 140 acres of undeveloped land in Ashland and Holliston owned by the university. The land is Ashland’s largest remaining unprotected tract of open land and connects Ashland State Park to hundreds of acres of conservation land and trails in Ashland and Holliston, a public drinking water reservoir supply, and Mass Audubon’s Broad Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. We have met with representatives of both towns and NU to discuss conservation options. We’re facilitating negotiations and have obtained an appraisal to help negotiate a purchase and assess public funding options with private funding assistance from Mass Audubon.

Increasing Plum Island Great Marsh Ecosystem, Rowley: Fast on the heels of the 125-acre Chandler land gift success story mentioned previously, Mass Audubon is currently working with a local landowner to protect a substantial area of additional marshland and wildlife habitat to be added to the Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary.

Massapoag Sportsmen's Club, Sharon: Mass Audubon is currently assisting the town of Sharon to protect 90 acres of land adjacent to Mass Audubon’s Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary and town conservation land. We are providing key technical assistance and will ultimately hold conservation restrictions on the property. This project rides on the heels of the recently completed Arguimbau Farm protection project, also in Sharon.

Great Marsh, Rowley: Mass Audubon is working to protect an extensive area of tidal wetlands on the North Shore which represent a significant link connecting the Parker River Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island Sound, and other protected areas. The land contains habitat for several rare and endangered species, serves as critical migratory bird habitat, and would help accommodate salt marsh migration as the sea level rises in response to climate change.

Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Rocky Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Groton: Mass Audubon is actively working with landowners on key additions to this new sanctuary (currently not open to the public) to provide extended frontage on Long Pond, protect scenic vistas, and protect rare and endangered species habitat.

Bald Eagle habitat along the Merrimack River: Mass Audubon is in early discussions with the owners of a 120-acre parcel of land along the Merrimack River, adjacent to other open space. The land contains important rare and endangered species habitat and nesting areas for the Bald Eagle.

Hamilton: Soon we’ll be acquiring from the town of Hamilton several lots in and adjacent to Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Some of these parcels are islands in the Great Wenham Swamp, and their acquisition will eliminate the threat of incompatible uses in the heart of this ecologically sensitive area.

Central and Western Mass

Yokun Ridge at Pleasant Valley, Richmond:
For many years, the Mahon family has owned 4.9 acres of steep hardwood forest adjacent to our Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary at Lenox Mountain in Richmond. The family has decided to generously gift the property to Mass Audubon for permanent protection. This land will be a wonderful compliment and addition to Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, one of our largest sanctuaries. It is anticipated that this project will be completed later this spring or early summer.

More Wildland for Whetstone Wood: Agreement reached to protect 15 acres adjacent to the 2,500-acre Whetstone Wood Wildlife Sanctuary in Wendell. This sanctuary is managed as a wildland, and serves as important habitat for native species, including moose, black bear, and bob cat. 

Somewhere in Worcester County: We are working with several conservation partners to explore conservation alternatives for a landowner with almost 300 acres adjacent to one of our sanctuaries. We recently shared appraisal numbers with the landowner, and discussions are continuing.

West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary near Dubuque State Forest

Additional Land in Plainfield for Dubuque State Forest near West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary: Mass Audubon has been working with state and local conservation partners for more than a year to secure a significant parcel of land for addition to the Dubuque State Forest. The land provides excellent forest habitat and would bring together a portion of the forest corridor that is currently divided by a road.

Dickinson Farm Woods, Hampden. As part of our continuing partnership with the Minnechaug Land Trust to protect land near Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon’s guarantee of a loan from the Norcross Wildlife Foundation enabled the land trust to close in June on the purchase of a 50-acre conservation restriction on Dickinson Farm Woods off Chapin Road, part of a greenway linking hundreds of acres of forest, fields and river corridor.

Bob Wilber, Director of Land Protection, with Mason Phelps at Whetstone Wood Wildlife Sanctuary, Wendell, MA

Bachand Property, Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester: Mass Audubon is partnering with a local developer to acquire a small, but very strategic, one-acre property adjacent to the sanctuary entrance. The large rear yard will be added to the sanctuary as buffer, and a house on current Mass Audubon property will be moved next to the existing Bachand house, preventing the former’s demolition while giving us much-needed space to reconfigure the sanctuary entrance.