The Concord Land Conservation Trust seeks to conserve the natural resources of Concord and the town’s traditional landscape of woods, meadows, and fields.
The Concord Land Conservation Trust is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization devoted to the preservation of open land in the Town of Concord. Founded in 1959, The Land Trust has eight trustees and over 600 member families. The Land Trust seeks to conserve the natural resources of Concord and the town’s traditional landscape of woods, meadows, and fields.
Since its inception, the Land Trust has acquired through gift or purchase over 983 acres and holds conservation restrictions on an additional 354 acres. All of this land will be protected from development and remain in its natural state forever; once a property or a conservation restriction on a property is acquired by the Land Trust, it is never relinquished. An affiliate, the Concord Open Land Foundation (COLF), was founded in 1988 to engage in conservation transactions where the land acquired, or a portion of it, may be subsequently sold or swapped.
How we protect land
Gifts of land
Gifts of land to the Land Trust are tax deductible for federal income tax purposes and can lower federal estate taxes by removing property from the estate. Recent gifts to the Land Trust include the Douglas and Adele Miller Farm near Nine Acre Corner and property on Kennedy Pond in West Concord.
Purchases of land
The Land Trust also purchases land, either directly by raising funds through contributions, or indirectly by organizing persons to sponsor a purchase which is then gifted to the Land Trust. Recent acquisitions by purchase include the 80-acre October Farm Riverfront, a joint project with the Town of Concord…
A property owner who sells property to the Land Trust or COLF at less than its fair market value (a “bargain sale”) may receive an income tax deduction equal to the difference between the fair market value and the sale price.
Conservation restrictions
By placing a conservation restriction or easement on their property in favor of the Land Trust, a property owner agrees to limit the type and amount of development that can occur on the property. Most restrictions are permanent and remain in force in perpetuity, but some restrictions may be for a term of years…
Some easements may be restricted to a particular activity, such as a trail easement across an owner’s property. The value of the restrictions granted, which reduce the fair market value of the property, may result in income tax deductions and lower property taxes for the owner.
Options and rights of first refusals
A property owner interested in protecting their property from development can grant a purchase option or right of first refusal in favor of the Land Trust or COLF. An option gives the Land Trust the exclusive right to purchase the property at a set price within a period of time, providing the Land Trust an opportunity to solicit donations and…
raise funds for the purchase. A right of first refusal gives the Land Trust the opportunity to match a bona fide offer to purchase a property. Either device ensures that the Land Trust will have an opportunity to conserve a property without having to act immediately.
Land stewardship
Management + caretaking
The Land Trust engages in activities to maintain and protect Concord’s natural resources. This includes mowing meadows, maintaining trails, and controlling invasive plant species on the Land Trust’s land. Water chestnut removal from Fairhaven Bay and Sudbury River occurs annually in the summer through the River Steward Program. In the past, beetles have been used as a biocontrol for the invasive purple loosestrife. Restoration is also an important part of caretaking. A reforestation project in the Wright Woods commenced in September 2021 and the trees planted will be looked after for the next several years to ensure their successful establishment.
Volunteering and seasonal work
From retirees and families to working professionals and students, the Land Trust welcomes the support of volunteers to fulfill our mission. Join a growing cadre of stewardship volunteers to help maintain trails and manage invasive plant species. Share your photography skills — professional and amateur photographers are equally welcomed! Guide a walk or give a talk. Get involved in citizen science projects. Send an email to info@concordland.org, if you are interested in volunteering with us.
Farmers and fields
The Land Trust leases more than 90 acres of protected land for agricultural use. Haying, vegetable farming and animal husbandry are actively practiced by area farmers and contribute to our local economy. Meet the farmers and learn about the Land Trust meadows, fields and lands they cultivate and use across Concord. Click on: Farmers and Fields Posters
In acting to preserve open space, the Land Trust concentrates on large tracts that provide a critical mass of protected land, parcels that abut or link other protected properties, and parcels in areas of the Town where open space is scarce. Woods, fields and ponds are all suitable for protection. Not every parcel of land in Concord, however, is appropriate for protection. Isolated building lots are generally not regarded as suitable for acquisition by the Land Trust unless they enlarge or link existing conserved areas.
Trustees
Pauline Cross Reeve
Polly has a plethora of experience in fundraising and nonprofit management which makes her a wonderful asset to the Land Trust board. Working over at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary as the Director of Development, she knows her efforts are going towards conserving land and wildlife. Polly and her husband Brock have lived in Concord since 1994 and raised their three children here.
Jeffrey Wieand
Jeff has been heavily involved in Town affairs, serving on the Select Board, the Public Works Commission, the Historic District Commission and the Board of Appeals. He is currently on the boards of Concord Art and the Concord Chamber Music Society and has continuously practiced law in Massachusetts since 1985. Jeff and his wife Janet Silver have lived in Concord for over 30 years.
Lynn G. Huggins
A lifelong resident of Concord, Lynn cares deeply for the town and for preserving its rural character. She is currently serving on the Natural Resources Commission and in the past has served on Concord’s Planning Board, Community Preservation Committee, Heywood Meadow Stewardship Committee, and was a former president of the Garden Club of Concord. Lynn is a staff attorney for the New Hampshire Supreme Court. At any chance, she loves to head out for a hike on the Land Trust’s trails.
John M. Stevens, Jr.
As a retired lawyer, having practiced environmental law for 42 years, John understands the importance of preserving natural resources and conveys that importance in the most compelling and eloquent way. Since his retirement, he has continued to serve as a director of the de Beaumont Foundation and as co-counsel for the Mass Water Resources Authority. He and his wife Dinny have lived in Concord for over 40 years.
Joan D. Ferguson
As a retired landscape architect, Joan knows the landscape of Concord well. Joan has served on the Concord Natural Resources Commission, the Concord Planning Board and several of the task forces that wrote Concord’s Open Space and Recreation Plan. Joan and her husband, John, have lived in Concord for over 40 years.
Frederic Mulligan
As an avid outdoorsman, Fred believes in protecting nature for his grandchildren so they can paddle down the Concord River and experience unspoiled wild riverfront. Fred is the retired Chairman and CEO of Cutler Associates and brings a Civil Engineer’s eye to our organization. Fred and his wife Victoria moved to Concord in 2011, and are dedicated Emersonian/Thoreauvians.
F. Robert Parker
Rob has always been an outdoorsman and became interested in land conservation when he watched places he enjoyed in his childhood begin to change. He is a commercial real estate lawyer and investor in his professional life and enjoys fishing, skiing and hiking with his family in his leisure time. Rob and his family moved to Concord over 15 years ago and take advantage of the open spaces and many trails found in Concord and surrounding towns.
Thomas C. Tremblay
A long-time resident of Concord, Tom has been actively involved in land conservation for over three decades. He is the president of a growing manufacturing firm and brings business as well as financial expertise to the Land Trust. When not enjoying the fields, woods and trails in Concord, Tom can be found whitewater paddling, downhill skiing, fly fishing, or road biking.
Gordon H. Shaw
As a 3rd generation Shaw, Gordon has lived his entire life in Concord. He was invited into the Land Trust early on by David Emerson and Elizabeth Lowell and with his experience at Conway School of Design, has cared for the land ever since. Gordon served many years on the Town’s Natural Resources, was a Selectman for two terms and was made Honored Citizen.Directors
Thomas C. Tremblay
A long-time resident of Concord, Tom has been actively involved in land conservation for over three decades. He is the president of a growing manufacturing firm and brings business as well as financial expertise to the Land Trust. When not enjoying the fields, woods and trails in Concord, Tom can be found whitewater paddling, downhill skiing, fly fishing, or road biking.
F. Robert Parker
Rob has always been an outdoorsman and became interested in land conservation when he watched places he enjoyed in his childhood begin to change. He is a commercial real estate lawyer and investor in his professional life and enjoys fishing, skiing and hiking with his family in his leisure time. Rob and his family moved to Concord over 15 years ago and take advantage of the open spaces and many trails found in Concord and surrounding towns.
Lynn G. Huggins
A lifelong resident of Concord, Lynn cares deeply for the town and for preserving its rural character. She is currently serving on the Natural Resources Commission and in the past has served on Concord’s Planning Board, Community Preservation Committee, Heywood Meadow Stewardship Committee, and was a former president of the Garden Club of Concord. Lynn is a staff attorney for the New Hampshire Supreme Court. At any chance, she loves to head out for a hike on the Land Trust’s trails.
Jeff Adams
Jeff has served on numerous Town boards and committees, including the NRC, Public Works and Planning Board, and he is currently active on local nonprofit boards. Jeff is a residential builder, and he and his wife, Andrea, have lived in Concord since 1982.
Molly Constable
Molly and her family love Concord, in large part, because of the open land. A trail steward for both the Land Trust and the Town, she walks properties every day with her black lab Birdie. In addition to working with Colby College and a variety of local organizations, including ThinkGive, a non-profit she co-founded to promote kindness, she works professionally in project management and event planning and enjoys photography, writing and editing, hiking, running, sailing, pickleball, and pretty much anything involving community engagement and leadership.Team
Jane Gruba-Chevalier
Jane brings more than twenty-five years of experience in the nonprofit sector to the Land Trust. Mission driven work has been her life's passion. She was Manager of Volunteer Resources for the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross in California, Program Manager at the Clayman Institute at Stanford University and most recently served as the Director of Outreach for the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. She presently serves as a member of the Native Pollinator Task Force of the MetroWest Conservation Alliance. Jane loves spending time in the outdoors and enjoys hiking on Land Trust land with her family; she'll see you on the trails!