Nature Conservancy | Massachusetts Audubon Society | Trust for Public Land | Trustees of Reservations | Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts
The Nature Conservancy (Massachusetts Chapter)
The Nature Conservancy is a national non-profit conservation organization dedicated to preserving the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Highest priority is given to areas with large concentrations of rare species. Efforts in Massachusetts are currently focused on Cape Cod and the Islands, Plymouth/Kingston, the Connecticut River Valley, and the Southern Berkshires. The organization has a revolving fund for land protection that can be used for high priority projects.
Types of Assistance:
Areas of Interest:
Contacts:
Rob Warren, Land Protection Specialist, 617-227-7017, e-mail: massachusetts@tnc.org
The Nature Conservancy
205 Portland Street, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
The mission of the Massachusetts Audubon Society is to protect the nature of Massachusetts for wildlife and people. The organization emphasizes both conservation biology and environmental education. The current land holdings in their sanctuary system are more than 27,000 acres, including 36 wildlife sanctuaries open to the public. On Cape Cod, they have land holdings totaling approximately 1200 acres at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet, Sampson/Dead Neck and Skunknett in Osterville, Long Pasture in Cummaquid, Great Marshes in Barnstable Village, Ashumet Holly in Falmouth, Triangle Pond in Sandwich, and several smaller parcels in Dennis.
Types of Assistance:
Staff is available to assist with field evaluation of the habitat value of parcels -- confirmation of rare species, vernal pools, mammal inventories, species diversity, etc. They can help rank or prioritize parcels (for example helping a committee decide between two parcels), but are generally too busy during summer months. They are available to discuss protection of parcels abutting existing sanctuaries or other unusual opportunities in their areas of interest.
Areas of Interest:
A current priority is protecting additional land adjacent to existing sanctuaries in order to maintain and enhance biological integrity and to build connections with other protected open space. Their preference is managing large sanctuaries, rather than isolated parcels, particularly those with the potential to support educational programs. The organization is currently focused on land in Falmouth, Barnstable and Wellfleet around their existing sanctuaries.
Contacts:
Bob Prescott, Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 508-349-2615, e-mail: rprescott@wellfleetbay.org
or
Bob Wilber, Director of Land Protection, 781-259-9500 ext. 7640
Kathy Sferra, Land Protection Specialist, 781-259-9506 ext. 2157, e-mail: ksferra@massaudubon.org
Massachusetts Audubon Society
Lincoln Headquarters
South Great Rd.
Lincoln, MA 01773
The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit organization that was founded in 1972 to conserve land for people to enjoy as parks and open space. Their projects range in size and scope from large tracts of remote forestland to parks, playgrounds. In all, they have protected more than 1 million acres nationwide, including nearly 60,000 acres in New England.
Types of Assistance:
Rather than owning land permanently, TPL acts as a catlyst to bring properties into protective ownership. TPL uses its $75 million revolving fund to secure properties that are threatened with development and hold them off the market until they can be transferred to a permanent steward. TPL provides temporary protection either by purchasing the land outright or by negotiating an exclusive agreement to purchase the property. Each time TPL sells property to a permanent conservation owner, such as a town government, public agency, or nonprofit organization, its capital fund is replenished for use in future projects. On Cape Cod, TPL's goal is to be available as a partner that can help towns and community organizations complete particularly complex or difficult projects, such as large-scale acquisitions, multi-town projects, and projects hindered by legal, title, 21E, and other complications. They can act quickly and respond in a short timeframe.
Contact:
Valerie Talmage, 617-367-6200; e-mail: valerie.talmage@tpl.org
Trust for Public Land
33 Union Street
Boston, MA 02108
The Trustees of Reservations is a statewide nonprofit organization located in Beverly, MA. The organization was founded in 1891 to preserve, for public use and enjoyment, landscapes of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value and to protect special places across the state. Their mission also includes protecting private landscapes through the use of perpetual conservation restrictions. The organization maintains 83 publicly accessible reservations across Massachusetts totaling more than 21,000 acres and protects over 12,400 acres through 186 perpetual conservation restrictions. On Cape Cod they have two reservations, Lowell Holly in Mashpee/Sandwich and Mashpee River in Mashpee, totaling 378 acres. Th e Trustees has 3 conservation restrictions in totaling 285 acres in Yarmouth and West Barnstable.
Types of Assistance:
The organization frequently collaborates with other groups and government agencies. Its land conservation staff can offer expert assistance and advice on conservation and preservation techniques to town committees and help broker deals. They recently published Land Conservation Options, a guide for landowners and land trusts on land protection tools and techniques. It can co-hold conservation restrictions, or work collaboratively with towns to protect larger open spaces. They are generally unable to provide funds for local acquisitions, except as partners in a strong local effort.
Areas of Interest:
The Trustees is most interested in protecting properties with exceptional scenic, historic or ecologically significance and land near their existing reservations or conservation restrictions. It is interested in greenways, river corridors, wetlands, historic/cultural ecosystems, farms, forests, scenic views and wildlife habitat. The Trustees has a wealth of experience in the negotiation, monitoring, and enforcement of conservation restrictions. The properties acquired outright (in fee) must be open to the public.
Contacts:
Buzzards Bay/Cape Cod Unit:
Michael Labossiere, Superintendent, 508-679-2115 ext.13
Wayne Beitler, Land Protection Specialist, 781-784-0567 ext.7015
The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts
The Compact is a regional non-profit coalition of land trusts operating on Cape Cod. Founded in 1986, its staff provides technical assistance to local land trusts and Cape town governments on open space acquisition and land management, open space grant writing, private fundraising, liaison with state and federal open space agencies and other functions. The Compact does not acquire lands on its own, but assists other groups that do. The Compact also provides training and research assistance to all Cape land bank/open space committees in implementing the Land Bank Act. The Compact also has a Land Fund, which provides quick turnaround low-interest loans and mini-grants to member land trusts for buying land. The Compact is an acknowledged leader on the Cape in designing innovative bargain sales, public-private fundraising drives, off-site open space mitigation projects, and conservation restrictions. It has designed land management plans for towns on sites ranging from 7 to 300 acres in size. The Compact represents Cape Cod interests on the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, Secretary Durand's Land Conservation Working Group, and other state and New England forums. The organization is heavily involved in Cape Cod Pathways and has done extensive mapping of critical Cape wildlife habitats. The Compact has prepared open space plans for six Cape towns, enabling them to be eligible for state Self-Help grants.
Contacts:
Mark Robinson, Executive Director, 508-362-2565
or
Russell DeConti, 362-3422
e-mail: compact@cape.com
Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts
P.O. Box 443
Barnstable, MA 02630
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