The Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced yesterday its grant recipients for the Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) grant program and Conservation Partnership grant program. Fortunately, two East Quabbin Land Trust conservation efforts underway were among those projects supported!
Wendemuth Meadow has been a joint conservation effort between the East Quabbin Land Trust and the Town of North Brookfield since the land first came on the market four years ago. After years of negotiations and strategizing about how to conserve the land, EQLT and the Town agreed that the land needed to be purchased from its former landowners and the Town would pursue a LAND grant to purchase a conservation restriction on the 30 acres of fields and wet meadow. Now we know that the Commonwealth has awarded the Town of North Broofield the grant that will cover 70% of the conservation restriction value!! Local fundraising efforts have already raised $15,000 towards the remainder of the cost.
The East Quabbin Land Trust received a Conservation Partnership grant to cover a portion of transaction expenses for the donation of a conservation restriction on 20 acres in west Hardwick. With this funding and other grants, the East Quabbin Land Trust can move forward with conservation of the land which includes part of Canterberry Brook and upland forest soils.