Walk the Land at Wendemuth Meadow

Blog readers may remember a post I wrote in February 2010 about a walk I took on Bates Street here in my hometown. The 30-acre parcel was on the market, and a group of residents were interested in purchasing the land for the town so that it would remain as open space. Although they originally wanted to, the owners weren’t able to sell the land for house lots, and eventually, through a protracted negotiation with the East Quabbin Land Trust, agreed to a sale that would involve a partnership between the Land Trust and the Town. On March 20, over four years after the idea was born, the property closed.

In this kind of land deal, Massachusetts law requires two parties. In this case, the East Quabbin Land Trust bought the land and will own and steward it, while the Town of North Brookfield will own the Conservation Restriction, which insures that the land will remain in its rural state. In honor of the family who farmed the land for many years, the property is now called the Wendemuth Meadow Preserve. It includes an old barn, a spring, streams, wetlands, pastures, and a hill with a wonderful view. Much of the land will remain agricultural and wildlife habitat. As we move forward, the EQLT will develop a Stewardship/Management Plan in conjunction with the Town’s Conservation Commission and with input from town residents. As someone who walks regularly on the weekends, I am looking forward to hiking trails that connect with the Town Forest, which is adjacent to this property.

Due to our expectations for financing the purchase, there will be no cost to the town. The sale price of $325,000 plus $7,500 in administrative expenses = $332,500. The four sources contributing to this total would be: East Quabbin Land Trust for $50,000, Massachusetts LAND grant for $192,500, 1772 foundation grant for $40,000, private fund raising for $50,000. (For those who can calculate in their heads and are interested, the LAND grant amount is 70% of $275,000, the value of the Conservation Restriction.) In other words, the Friends of the Wendemuth Meadow group, of which I am now a member, have committed to raising $50,000 within a year. Contributions in any amount are most welcome.

To introduce residents to the property, the Friends and EQLT hosted a “Walk the Land” event this afternoon, from 2 to 4 pm. Fortunately, we were blessed with a sunny and mild spring day. Many people showed up — by themselves, with friends, with children, with dogs, and I’d say it was a great success.

I helped with T-shirt sales all afternoon so was only able to snap a few photos at the end of the day. (By the way, the T-shirts are $15 each and are available in sizes S, M, L, and XL; I bought one for myself, but I don’t do selfies so you won’t see the lovely design here.)