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    Gaining Ground

    Massachusetts

    466,157

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 353,149 football fields!

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Visitors to Land Trust Properties

    2.8 million

    More and more people are enjoying the benefits of nature.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    82%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    469,331

    Land trusts provide programs and activities to get people outside and learn about the land.

    Miles of Trails

    1,663

    Walking, hiking and other outdoor recreation improve people's health and well-being.

    Miles With Universal Access

    28

    Universal access trails are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

    86%

    Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

    • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

    • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

    • People who identify as LGBTQ+

    • People living with disabilities

    • Veterans

    Land Trusts Are Helping Address Community Needs, Including:

    • Youth education and development

    • Community and economic development

    • Food security and agriculture

    • Health and wellness

    • Social and environmental justice

    Demographics

    Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

    Massachusetts land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that help the entire state.

    Active Land Trusts

    130

    A land trust is a nonprofit that conserves land by acquiring and stewarding land or conservation easements.

    Learn more about land trusts
    Alliance Member Land Trusts

    73

    Land Trust Alliance members commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Learn about the land trust alliance
    Accredited Land Trusts

    12

    Accredited land trusts undergo a thorough review of their practices in governance, finance, transactions and stewardship.

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 389,469

    • 17,913

    • 721

    • 610

    • 1,194

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 133 years old (1891)

    • 16 years old (2008)

    • 41 years old

    State Association
    Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition
    View website
    State Association
    The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Inc.
    View website
    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

    86%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    31%

    Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change

    • Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Program

    • Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management

    • Coastal Zone Management

    • MassWildlife

    • Division of Ecological Restoration

    Land Protected

    There has been a 35% increase in Massachusetts land protected by land trusts since 2010.

    Acre by acre, land trusts are helping to conserve Massachusetts lands, waters and ways of life.

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    344,257
    437,569
    466,157
    +35%
    Under easement
    79,737
    104,257
    117,774
    +48%
    Owned
    122,216
    142,200
    154,166
    +26%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    78,500
    67,482
    90,108
    +15%
    Protected by other means
    63,805
    124,151
    104,111
    +63%

    Disclaimer: Land trusts conserve land in many different ways and every project is unique. Category totals may change depending on how acres are reported by survey respondents to reflect the most current data and minimize double-counting. In some instances, the total may be greater than the sum of the separate categories due to organizations that provided total acres not broken down by category.

    Percent of Land Owned and Under Easement Held by an Accredited Land Trust

    31%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $1.6 billion

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    24,600

    Source: NRCS - Natural Resources Inventory

    This information reflects data collected in the National Land Trust Census, the longest-running comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Learn more about the Census and see which land trusts participated in the 2020 National Land Trust Census.

    Making a Difference

    Massachusetts land trusts are gaining ground.

    Land trusts across the state are helping find solutions to some of Massachusetts' most pressing issues.

    • Tackling climate change: The accredited Nantucket Conservation Foundation, in collaboration with the Town of Nantucket Natural Resource Department, completed the final step in a two-year-long restoration project to create a new oyster reef in Polpis Harbor. The first reef of it’s kind in Massachusetts, this project will show one way to bring more stability and resilience to shorelines around New England.

      Read more

    • Providing access to land for all: To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to connect with nature, many of the accredited Mass Audubon's wildlife sanctuaries feature universally accessible trails. These trails incorporate universally designed interpretive features including educational stops, wildlife viewing boardwalks and platforms, picnic and play areas, and navigation resources such as audio directions, guide ropes, curbing and handrails.

      Read more

    • Protecting family farms and ranches: Partnerships between the accredited Kestrel Land Trust and two nonprofit groups that work with refugee and immigrant farmers are helping to build a more just food system in Massachusetts..

      Learn more

    Land Trusts Working in Massachusetts

    Land Trust Alliance member land trusts, listed below, commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Access Fund
    Access Fund
    Boulder, CO
    7 acres protected in MA
    Acton Conservation Trust
    Acton Conservation Trust
    Concord, MA
    205 acres protected in MA
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    2,509 acres protected in MA
    Andover Village Improvement Society
    Andover Village Improvement Society
    Andover, MA
    1,021 acres protected in MA
    Appalachian Trail Conservancy
    Appalachian Trail Conservancy
    Harpers Ferry, WV
    2,084 acres protected in MA
    Ashburnham Conservation Trust
    Ashburnham Conservation Trust
    Ashburnham, MA
    3,655 acres protected in MA
    Ashby Land Trust, Inc.
    Ashby Land Trust, Inc.
    Ashby, MA
    1,658 acres protected in MA
    BTA/BOLT
    BTA/BOLT
    Boxford, MA
    1,465 acres protected in MA
    Belmont Land Trust
    Belmont Land Trust
    Belmont, MA
    25 acres protected in MA
    Berkshire Natural Resources Council
    Berkshire Natural Resources Council
    Lenox, MA
    44,313 acres protected in MA
    Bourne Conservation Trust
    Bourne Conservation Trust
    Cataumet, MA
    215 acres protected in MA
    Boxborough Conservation Trust
    Boxborough Conservation Trust
    Boxborough, MA
    417 acres protected in MA
    Buzzards Bay Coalition
    Buzzards Bay Coalition
    New Bedford, MA
    8,977 acres protected in MA
    Chelmsford Land Conservation Trust
    Chelmsford Land Conservation Trust
    Chelmsford, MA
    94 acres protected in MA
    Cohasset Conservation Trust, Inc.
    Cohasset Conservation Trust, Inc.
    Cohasset, MA
    100 acres protected in MA
    Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust
    Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust
    Dartmouth, MA
    5,523 acres protected in MA
    Dover Land Conservation Trust
    Dover Land Conservation Trust
    Dover, MA
    441 acres protected in MA
    Dunstable Rural Land Trust
    Dunstable Rural Land Trust
    Dunstable, MA
    1,116 acres protected in MA
    East Quabbin Land Trust
    East Quabbin Land Trust
    Hardwick, MA
    4,766 acres protected in MA
    Essex County Greenbelt Association
    Essex County Greenbelt Association
    Essex, MA
    18,526 acres protected in MA
    Franklin Land Trust
    Franklin Land Trust
    Shelburne Falls, MA
    37,000 acres protected in MA
    Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Inc.
    Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, Inc.
    Concord, MA
    Grafton Land Trust
    Grafton Land Trust
    Grafton, MA
    940 acres protected in MA
    Great Barrington Land Conservancy
    Great Barrington Land Conservancy
    Great Barrington, MA
    398 acres protected in MA
    Groton Conservation Trust
    Groton Conservation Trust
    Groton, MA
    1,786 acres protected in MA
    Harvard Conservation Trust
    Harvard Conservation Trust
    Harvard, MA
    784 acres protected in MA
    Harwich Conservation Trust
    Harwich Conservation Trust
    South Harwich, MA
    407 acres protected in MA
    Hilltown Land Trust
    Hilltown Land Trust
    Ashfield, MA
    5,085 acres protected in MA
    Hingham Land Conservation Trust
    Hingham Land Conservation Trust
    Hingham, MA
    177 acres protected in MA
    Hopkinton Area Land Trust
    Hopkinton Area Land Trust
    Woodville, MA
    855 acres protected in MA
    Housatonic Valley Association
    Housatonic Valley Association
    Cornwall Bridge, CT
    Hudson Land Trust
    Hudson Land Trust
    Hudson, MA
    103 acres protected in MA
    Kestrel Land Trust, Inc.
    Kestrel Land Trust, Inc.
    Amherst, MA
    27,000 acres protected in MA
    Lincoln Land Conservation Trust
    Lincoln Land Conservation Trust
    Lincoln, MA
    1,560 acres protected in MA
    Littleton Conservation Trust
    Littleton Conservation Trust
    Littleton, MA
    606 acres protected in MA
    Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust
    Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust
    Lowell, MA
    38 acres protected in MA
    Manchester Essex Conservation Trust
    Manchester Essex Conservation Trust
    Manchester, MA
    1,437 acres protected in MA
    Marblehead Conservancy, Inc.
    Marblehead Conservancy, Inc.
    Marblehead, MA
    121 acres protected in MA
    Mass Audubon
    Mass Audubon
    Lincoln, MA
    38,928 acres protected in MA
    Mattapoisett Land Trust, Inc.
    Mattapoisett Land Trust, Inc.
    Mattapoisett, MA
    889 acres protected in MA
    Metacomet Land Trust
    Metacomet Land Trust
    Franklin, MA
    1,857 acres protected in MA
    Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
    Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
    Athol, MA
    34,804 acres protected in MA
    Nantucket Conservation Foundation
    Nantucket Conservation Foundation
    Nantucket, MA
    8,947 acres protected in MA
    Nantucket Land Council, Inc.
    Nantucket Land Council, Inc.
    Nantucket, MA
    1,500 acres protected in MA
    Nashoba Conservation Trust, Inc.
    Nashoba Conservation Trust, Inc.
    Pepperell, MA
    525 acres protected in MA
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    23 acres protected in MA
    New England Forestry Foundation
    New England Forestry Foundation
    Littleton, MA
    14,200 acres protected in MA
    Newton Conservators, Inc.
    Newton Conservators, Inc.
    Newton, MA
    85 acres protected in MA
    Newton Tree Conservancy, Inc.
    Newton Tree Conservancy, Inc.
    Waban, MA
    Nichols-Smith Conservation Land Trust
    Nichols-Smith Conservation Land Trust
    Hollis, NH
    2,500 acres protected in MA
    Nonquit Street Land Trust, Inc.
    Nonquit Street Land Trust, Inc.
    Boston, MA
    1 acres protected in MA
    North County Land Trust, Inc.
    North County Land Trust, Inc.
    Leominster, MA
    4,908 acres protected in MA
    Northeast Wilderness Trust
    Northeast Wilderness Trust
    Montpelier, VT
    349 acres protected in MA
    Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
    Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
    Schoharie, NY
    Opacum Land Trust
    Opacum Land Trust
    Sturbridge, MA
    3,511 acres protected in MA
    Pascommuck Conservation Trust, Inc.
    Pascommuck Conservation Trust, Inc.
    Easthampton, MA
    203 acres protected in MA
    Princeton Land Trust
    Princeton Land Trust
    Princeton, MA
    307 acres protected in MA
    Rehoboth Land Trust
    Rehoboth Land Trust
    Rehoboth, MA
    125 acres protected in MA
    Richmond Land Trust
    Richmond Land Trust
    Richmond, MA
    6,544 acres protected in MA
    Seekonk Land Conservation Trust
    Seekonk Land Conservation Trust
    Seekonk, MA
    897 acres protected in MA
    Sheffield Land Trust
    Sheffield Land Trust
    Sheffield, MA
    5,008 acres protected in MA
    Sheriff's Meadow Foundation
    Sheriff's Meadow Foundation
    Vineyard Haven, MA
    3,212 acres protected in MA
    Sippican Lands Trust, Inc.
    Sippican Lands Trust, Inc.
    Marion, MA
    1,370 acres protected in MA
    Southborough Open Land Foundation
    Southborough Open Land Foundation
    Southborough, MA
    183 acres protected in MA
    Stow Conservation Trust
    Stow Conservation Trust
    Stow, MA
    542 acres protected in MA
    Sudbury Valley Trustees
    Sudbury Valley Trustees
    Sudbury, MA
    8,695 acres protected in MA
    The 300 Committee Land Trust
    The 300 Committee Land Trust
    Falmouth, MA
    3,219 acres protected in MA
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    8,103 acres protected in MA
    The Horticultural Society of Boxford
    The Horticultural Society of Boxford
    Boxford, MA
    7 acres protected in MA
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    25,362 acres protected in MA
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    10,744 acres protected in MA
    The Trustees of Reservations
    The Trustees of Reservations
    Boston, MA
    74,500 acres protected in MA
    Truro Conservation Trust
    Truro Conservation Trust
    North Truro, MA
    290 acres protected in MA
    Tuckernuck Land Trust
    Tuckernuck Land Trust
    Nantucket, MA
    115 acres protected in MA
    Upper Charles Conservation Land Trust, Inc.
    Upper Charles Conservation Land Trust, Inc.
    Medfield, MA
    300 acres protected in MA
    Wareham Land Trust, Inc.
    Wareham Land Trust, Inc.
    Wareham, MA
    719 acres protected in MA
    Wellesley Conservation Land Trust
    Wellesley Conservation Land Trust
    Wellesley Hills, MA
    55 acres protected in MA
    Wellfleet Conservation Trust
    Wellfleet Conservation Trust
    Wellfleet, MA
    410 acres protected in MA
    Westborough Community Land Trust
    Westborough Community Land Trust
    Westborough, MA
    196 acres protected in MA
    Westford Conservation Trust
    Westford Conservation Trust
    Westford, MA
    367 acres protected in MA
    Westwood Land Trust
    Westwood Land Trust
    Westwood, MA
    222 acres protected in MA
    White Oak Land Conservation Society
    White Oak Land Conservation Society
    Holden, MA
    1,447 acres protected in MA
    Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation
    Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation
    Williamstown, MA
    869 acres protected in MA