Barnstable Land Trust receives a $295,000 Conservation Partnership Grant to help preserve Santuit Woodland parcel
Barnstable, MA – The Healey-Driscoll Administration just announced awards for Conservation, Open Space, and Park Projects which included a $295,000 grant to Barnstable Land Trust (BTL) towards the acquisition of a nearly six-acre Santuit Woodland property in Cotuit.
Santuit Woodland property is an undeveloped wooded lot consisting primarily of deciduous oak, cherry, maple, beech and occasional holly trees, with a few pitch pines and white pines scattered throughout the site and contains a recently certified vernal pool. The property abuts BLT conservation land and sits squarely in the Zone II water protection zone for the Cotuit Water District. After a proposed 40B development was withdrawn, Barnstable Land Trust worked with the Cotuit Water District and Town of Barnstable Community Preservation Committee to secure local funding for the purchase which will now be matched by the Conservation Partnership grant.
“This property will allow for trails from the BLT Servis property on Santuit-Newtown Road to connect through to this additional site” said Janet Milkman, BLT’s Executive Director. “Additionally, land conservation serves as a natural filter and remains the single best way to protect water quality in perpetuity. This grant will help us leverage the additional support we need to preserve and protect this important parcel which is located within the Cotuit Water District’s protection zone.”
Additional information about the Healey-Driscoll’s Administration’s funding for park improvements and open space acquisitions across Massachusetts can be found here.
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Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) is a community-supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving open space and natural resources in the Town of Barnstable and nearby areas. BLT has protected over 1,250 acres in the Town of Barnstable and supported the Town in conserving over 11,000 more. Recognized as a regional leader in collaborative land preservation and stewardship, community engagement, training, and advocacy, BLT leverages its conservation expertise to inform local public decisions as they impact our ecosystems, community health, well-being, and quality of life. To learn more about the organization, see the full calendar of events, or to access one of its three popular trail map guides (Barnstable Trail Guide – English and Portuguese versions, Cape Cod Pathways/Barnstable Trail Guide, and Eagle Pond & Little River Sanctuary Trail Guide), visit http://www.BLT.org or call 508-771-2585.