What Does the Hilltown Land Trust Do?

The Hilltown Land Trust works to conserve ecologically important wildlands, economically and culturally important working lands, and the scenic beauty and rural culture of the hilltowns.  Since our founding in 1986 as a local, all-volunteer land trust, we’ve acquired 27 conservation restrictions (CRs) covering over 2,451 acres in seven of our thirteen towns, with more in the works to close in the next 12 months. We’ve also acquired and then sold to the state three agricultural preservation restrictions (APRs) on about 468 acres of Worthington (one of those towns) farmland. And we own six properties, two in Williamsburg on which we maintain hiking trails, two in Worthington wetlands which we plan to leave undisturbed, and two on the Huntington-Westhampton border totalling 379 acres on which we we are managing an eco-forestry project.

Our project committee and executive director work with landowners to develop conservation restrictions on their land and lead them through the process of permanent protection.

Contract monitor Caroline Raisler and board member Waino Tuominen, using a GPS to mark where they've traveled during a 2008 monitoring visit.

Besides providing information to landowners interested in preserving their land, the Hilltown Land Trust is responsible for regularly monitoring the land on which we hold conservation restrictions. This ensures land under restriction is not being used in ways it shouldn’t (such as the owner erecting buildings or clearing land in places the restriction doesn’t allow).  Our stewardship committee is responsible for monitoring the properties and completing all monitoring reports.

(left-to- right) Hattie Plehn, owner Plehn CR, and Katie Eiseman, volunteer monitor.

Monitoring is done in the spring and fall, when visibility is best because the trees have no leaves and there is no snow on the ground. Volunteers and our executive director monitor HLT’s conservation restrictions by visiting with the landowner and walking the property. With more than 20 properties, that takes quite a bit of time. In 2006, pilot Norman Baker of Windsor donated his services and the use of his Piper Cub, taking HLT Director Eric Weber on an overflight, providing an aerial overview of several properties. If you would like to volunteer to help monitor properties, contact HLT.

Winter Woodlands, Plehn Conservation Restriction, Worthington, MA

If you are interested in preserving your land, please visit the Land Protection Tools page for general information or contact the Hilltown Land Trust. If you want to read what others have done, visit the Conservation Stories page. You can also support the work we do by joining or volunteering.