How Can Wildlands Assist Your Town?

Wildlands staff works to promote and facilitate open space preservation in towns throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. We work with residents interested in protecting the natural heritage of their towns, with town staff and committe volunteers on adopting and implementing the Community Preservation Act ("CPA"), and with landowners who wish to protect their lands and leave a lasting legacy.

We work with local residents interested in preserving open space in their towns by helping identify ecologically significant areas, providing letters of support for projects and grant applications, and providing project facilitation as needed. Wildlands also partners with other conservation organizations in the region, such as The Nature Conservancy, Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Trustees of the Reservations, state land conservation agencies, and local land trusts to further the preservation of open space in our communities.

Wildlands works closely with open space committees and community preservation committees to help protect the natural features, scenic views, and landscapes that characterize our towns. We assist towns with open space planning by identifying parcels for protection, contacting landowners, putting together deals, identifying potential partners for specific projects, identifying possible funding sources, writing grant proposals, and cultivating support for specific land acquisitions.

The CPA enables communities to create a locally-controlled fund dedicated solely to open space preservation, historic preservation, and affordable housing. Wildlands assists towns in adopting the CPA by providing information about its benefits and requirements, and making referrals to entities such as the Community Preservation Coalition that have assisted communities in passing the Act. For towns that have already adopted the CPA, Wildlands helps facilitate open space projects, from open space planning to contacting landowners and facilitating projects. Visit the community preservation coalition’s website for more information about the CPA: http://www.communitypreservation.org/index.cfm

Since 1973, Wildlands staff has been working with landowners to find the right conservation strategy to meet their needs and protect their property’s conservation values. For working lands such as agricultural lands or forest lands, we work closely with landowners and their families to preserve their property while ensuring they can continue to enjoy these traditional uses.