North County Land Trust (NCLT) has protected 32 acres of land in a permanent Conservation Restriction (CR), located in Hubbardston, Massachusetts. This CR not only ensures that the land remains forested and natural forever, but also expands a protected contiguous forest and trail network.
A Conservation Restriction is a way for a private landholder to keep ownership of their property while ensuring that it retains its conservation value into the future. Landowners Tom and Jassy Bratko have generously donated this restriction to help preserve Hubbardston’s rural character and rich agricultural heritage. The now protected land lies between Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) watershed land and the Bratko’s existing Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR). This CR provides critical surface water protection of the Ware River Watershed, ensuring the land and water sources within the CR remain safeguarded. This will provide public benefit to those that rely on this watershed for safe drinking water.
This CR will also allow the public to benefit from the now protected trail network that is connected to DCR land. Accessible from Gardner Road Cutoff, members of the community will be able to take part in passive recreation through trails on CR land. Contiguous forest, or a forest that is undeveloped and unfragmented, play an important role in essential ecological functions, such as linking habitats and carbon storage. By protecting this forest and trail network, trail users will be able to benefit through access to preserved scenic woodlands.
The bountiful opportunities offered by this CR directly align with NCLT’s mission to safeguard landscapes that balance nature and recreation, as well as our continuous goal of connecting communities to natural spaces.
NCLT thanks the Bratkos for ensuring that the landscapes of Hubbardston remain wild, connected, and full of possibility. This project was also made possible in part by a grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.
