resources - Barnstable Land Trust

RESOURCES
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A Gift for Generations
Perspective
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Of the two dozen undevelBoard of Directors
Page
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oped parcels on Long Beach,
President
Location, location!
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Joe Hawley
two are now dedicated to
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Herring
Run
conservation purposes. “It’s a said BLT Executive Director
Vice President
good start,” said Rob, identify- Jaci Barton. “Long Beach is
Page
6
Carol Carter
Coombs
Bogs
ing several benets. “Keeping that undeveloped spit of land in
Cotuit
the land in its natural state can the foreground. The Jones parPage
7
Treasurer
help improve the stability of cel, which is now entrusted to
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lihood that endangered shore- landscape.”
Clerk
Page 8
birds will be better protected,
Janet Eshbaugh
Gifts from the
And for the folks who walk
Osterville
and allow for public access.”
Sea 2012
along the shore from the Town
Board Members
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Page
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Director
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Long Beach
Jane Harvey
Page 14
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Resources
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inks.
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continued on page 2
conservation. The Association to
Page 2
www.BLT.org
Summer 2009
Barnstable
Land Trust
Office
407 North Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
508.771.2585
Mailing
P.O. Box 224
Cotuit, MA 02635
Email
info@BLT.org
Website
www.BLT.org
Board of Directors
President
Lee Ann Hesse
West Barnstable
Treasurer
Wendy Barker
Marstons Mills
Clerk
Sheila Place
Marstons Mills
Assistant Clerk
Thomas K. Burgess
Cotuit
Board Members
Polly Dana-Schumacher
Barnstable
Susanne Lavoie-Lagace
Cotuit
John Miller
Mashpee
Tom Mullen
Barnstable
James C. O’Conor
Centerville
Rob O’Leary
Barnstable
Terrie Reilly
West Barnstable
Mary-Gaines Standish
Osterville
W. Bruce Wallin
Cotuit
D. Joseph Wood
Hyannis Port
Robin Young
Osterville
Executive Director
Jaci Barton
Director of Development
Jane Harvey
Office Manager
Chris Adams
Land Management
Red Bansfield
Resources Editor
Olivia H. Miller
Graphic Design
Susan Oslund
Page 2
Gift for Generations...from page 1
through the details of preserving his family land, I was ecstatic,” said Jaci. “The land is
simply beautiful.”
Built in the 1930s, the
Sutherland home is surrounded by fields and pine/
oak woodlands interspersed
with hollies, rhododendrons
and tall spruce trees. As part Suzanne and Ken Sutherland
of their long-term planning, Ken & Suzanne had originally hoped
to carve out one new lot. However, since the land was just over
30 acres, it met one of the thresholds for Cape Cod Commission
review – if it was to be subdivided.
After weighing the options, Ken and Suzanne decided to simply reserve 2.7 acres around their existing home, keeping the remaining 91% of the land in its natural state. According to Ken,
“The conservation restriction was the perfect tool to permanently
protect our land so that it can be passed intact to the next generation. Now our son, who currently works for the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, will be able to enjoy this land as I have and as
my father did before me. And for generations yet to come, the
land will be protected.”
The Shubael Pond CR offers many
important community benefits:
•Protects over 300’ along a scenic roadway
(Osterville-West Barnstable Road)
•Protects 1300’ along a town way to water (Shubael Pond Road)
•Safeguards 570’ of vital shoreline on Shubael Pond
•Preserves important fish, wildlife, plant and rare species habitats
•Permanently protects a significant parcel within the Town’s
Greenbelt and Fingerlinks Corridor
•Enhances the water quality of Shubael Pond, a 55-acre
freshwater Great Pond, one of only four ponds in Barnstable
stocked with trout by the state
•Contributes to the protection of the scenic character and heritage
of Marstons Mills
•Protects drinking water quality (falls entirely within a DEP II Area
of Contribution and the Town’s Groundwater Protection Overlay
District, and partially within the Wellhead Protection Overlay
District of a C-O-MM Wellfield)
www.BLT.org
FALL 2012
Perspective: Saving Fuller Farm
by Jaci Barton, BLT Executive Director
first heard about Fuller Farm in 1985,
the year I started saving land here in
Barnstable. It was identified by villagers
as a high priority because of its size and location on Middle Pond. One
day I saw Alfred Fuller working in Cotuit and I asked him
about preserving his land. He
assured me by saying that,
“As long as I’m alive, you
don’t need to worry about my land.”
I
Years later when I finally saw Fuller
Farm, I was awestruck by the beauty of the
open meadow. It is a scene from a bygone
era that remains untouched by modern times.
According to Mark Robinson of The
Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts,
“The Fuller Farm field is the largest private
farm field left on Cape Cod that is neither
developed nor protected.” It is imperative
that it be preserved.
In the 1920’s and 30’s when the area was
known for its dairy farms, the fields at Fuller Farm were sown with hay and were home
to a herd of dairy cows. It was a pastoral
setting like many in rural Marstons Mills.
Standing there, in the midst of the golden
field, it doesn’t take much to envision the
contented cows in the field, ambling down
to the pond for a drink of cool water.
Although the cows are no longer present
the 15-acre meadow is still open and rolls
gently down to Middle Pond. South of the
meadow lie 9 acres of upland woods and
an abandoned cranberry bog with a built-in
trail system of old
cart paths. It’s the
perfect place for
a peaceful walk.
Beside the still
waters of the bog
are large ferns, a
stand of young
beech trees and
steep borrow pits
– remnants of the
time when sand
from the pits was
used to annually
refurbish the bog.
Mrs. Fuller still lives in the house with
old tractors in the yard. Her family has now
turned to BLT to help save the land that she
and her husband Alfred so loved.
BLT has agreed to purchase the house
and 24 acres of land. The total project costs
are estimated at $1,656,000. We have succeeded in a quiet phase of private fundraising and are now “going public” in hopes
that BLT members will help us raise the
remaining $93,000 to preserve Fuller Farm.
And who knows, perhaps someday the old
farmhouse will be transformed into an office for BLT.
We expect the Fuller Farm project to be
completed before year-end. When we succeed in raising all the funds and the land
is purchased, BLT will have achieved the
1000-acre LandMark!
Help save this quintessential Cape Cod property!
FALL 2012 www.BLT.org
Page 3
Help the Herring Run!
B
arnstable Land Trust is bound and
determined to protect the 1.17-acre
parcel that lies at the headwaters
of the Marstons Mills River. Acquisition
of this strategically important acreage will
provide a river-to-pond experience from an
existing trail on adjacent Town-owned open
space. More significantly, it will complete
protection of developable land along the
fishway, allowing for safe passage of river
herring for generations to come.
Protecting this land from residential development will also help preserve the water
quality of Middle Pond, the Marstons Mills
River, and the greater 3-Bay watershed.
Since the land falls in a zone of contribution to the public water supply, it protects
the health of our drinking water as well.
Last year, BLT reached an agreement to
purchase the land for $300,000 and submitted a request to the Town’s Community
Preservation Committee. In December,
the Town Council unanimously supported
our request for $150,000. Meanwhile state
funding for their Conservation Partnership
Program was slashed by 75%, and BLT’s
grant request became the #1 priority on
their waiting list. And we waited. Then, in
June, when it was clear that the FY 12 funding would not materialize, BLT was encouraged to reapply. Of course, we did.
Thanks to patient landowners, we have
been given an extension. A successful state
grant will take some of the pressure off.
Without it, BLT still needs to raise $96,000
to save this critical parcel.
An Annual Rite of Passage
The Marstons Mills River is the most
visible and active herring run in Barnstable.
Every spring herring travel up a two-mile
stretch of the river to a 1200’ fishway that
leads them to their spawning grounds in
Middle Pond.
In recent years, low herring counts have
caused considerable alarm. Factors known
to contribute to reduced populations include
over-fishing, poor water quality, inadequate
spawning habitat and physical obstructions
to migration. While speculating on reasons
why the Marstons Mills counts were low,
BLT began to worry that the river herring
might be Cape Cod’s version of the “canary
in a coal mine” and started working locally
to preserve the herrings’ habitat and protect
water quality. Saving the land along the
river will accomplish both…while ensuring
that the herring always have safe passage to
their spawning grounds.
Keeping the Momentum Going
Since 1992 a collaboration of state and
local groups has worked to preserve land
and maintain the Marstons Mills River and
the fishway that leads the herring to their
spawning grounds. When the work began,
the herring run was non-functional; within
two years, it was rebuilt and the pond was
restocked. But the work was far from over.
continued on page 5
Page 4 www.BLT.org
FALL 2012
Access to the head of the herring run is
critical for maintenance of the run because
siltation and/or drought conditions often
make the herrings’ passage difficult. Constant vigilance is required to monitor water
flow and overland access is needed to dig
out the run when necessary. So preserving
the land at the head of the run is crucial.
Herring Count
Once plentiful in New England, herring
were an inexpensive source of protein for
the colonists. Today they are highly prized
as recreational fishing bait for striped bass
and cod and continue to play an important
role in the ecology of the marine, estuarine
and freshwater systems they inhabit. Many
species of birds depend on herring for food
including osprey, herons and endangered
roseate terns (the largest North American
colony of which is located in Buzzards
Bay). So a viable population of river herring is essential for sustaining the balance
of the ecosystem.
The late Kevin Galvin,
a passionate local environmentalist, lived next to the
Mill Pond. He organized and
managed the herring counts
in the Marstons Mills River
until his untimely passing earlier this year. In his
blog he stated, “I’ve developed a pretty good sense of
the cycles that occur at the
pond and the behavior of the
swans, Great Blue Herons,
owls, migrating birds, osprey, turtles, frogs and toads.
“One thing I’m certain of is this: the
only time the aptly-named Herring Gull is
on Mill Pond is when the herring are running…and the gulls arrive exactly when the
herring do. I don’t even have to look; I just
listen. As with many animals, the easiest
way to find food is to try to steal it from one
who’s already found it.” When the herring
arrive, the food fight and screeching start.
That’s when the count begins.
FALL 2012 This spring temperatures were warmer
than usual and brought fish to Cape Cod
nearly a month ahead of prior years. The
annual herring count started on March 21st
and – Mother Nature being her unpredictable self – this turned out to be the best year
since formal counting began in 2006.
According to Marstons Mills Herring
Counts Blogspot, more than 50 counters reported “8829 fish…for the 58 days that the
run lasted, including 10 days in early April
when we stopped official
counting after several days
of zero counts [presumably
due to cold weather and water temperatures]. On April
11, 2012, the fish returned
in earnest with several hundred fish observed each day
for the next 2-1/2 weeks.
The 2012 count...was nearly
460% higher than the average of the last six years.”
Next year when the water
warms up and the screeching
begins, we’ll know the signs
and prepare to witness what
one counter called, “the surge of life renewing itself once again.” Hopefully by then,
the head of the herring run will be safely
under BLT’s stewardship, helping the herring run forever.
BLT needs you to Help the Herring Run.
Donate online at www.BLT.org or send
a check to BLT, PO Box 224, Cotuit MA
02635. Every gift counts!
www.BLT.org
Page 5
Coombs Bogs – A Natural Preserve
O
n January 31 Barnstable Land Trust
purchased Coombs Bogs, a charming 6.55-acre oasis located at the
headwaters of the Bumps River in Centerville. A $10,464 Conservation Partnership
grant from the State Executive Office of
Energy and Environmental Affairs, together with the generosity and support of our
members, made this purchase possible.
The cranberry bogs, once owned and
worked by Donald Coombs, are no longer
in production. With his passing, Don’s wife
Candy Coombs decided it was time to sell
the land. “We always thought it was a little
paradise,” she told us. “Don tried not to cut
things down [so] the birds and all the animals would have a place. He would be very
happy to know the land is preserved.”
According to BLT Executive Director
Jaci Barton, “Thanks to Don and his love of
the land, this truly is an oasis for wildlife.
Now that BLT has preserved it, our goal is
to ensure that the land remains a sanctuary
for humans and wildlife alike.”
Enjoying the natural setting of Coombs Bogs
succession. With a little imagination you
can envision the old mill that once stood on
the edge of Fuller’s Mill Pond. The mill –
one of three that graced the Bumps River
shores over a century ago – was powered by
a water force much stronger than that which
flows today.
Teeming with Life
With sounds of wildlife all around, the
old cart paths, once used to maintain the
cranberry bogs, now encourage the quiet,
contemplative walks cherished by those
who love being out in nature.
Despite the densely populated neighborhood that surrounds it, Coombs Bogs teem
with wildlife. Two ponds on the edge of the
property provide habitat for all manner of
wildlife. Here life begins for young tree
swallows whose parents nest in the cavities of dead trees. A myriad of other birds
raise their young in the bushes and among
the branches of the tall trees lining the bogs.
Kingfishers and red-winged blackbirds cavort with damselflies. Turtles emerge from
the cool water, sunning themselves on warm
rocks. Tadpoles turn into bullfrogs, which
nestle in the soft mud waiting for unsuspecting insects to come within a tongue’s
reach. It is the perfect place to study nature
and the cycles of life.
A natural trail system connects to twelve
acres purchased with Town Land Bank
funds in 2000. It offers views of two ponds
and three bogs, each in a different state of
With the acquisition of the Coombs Bogs,
BLT became the steward of 983 acres – all
flourishing with life.
Walk on the Wild Side
The Bumps River – one of twelve wetland corridors in the Town of Barnstable –
feeds fresh water into the Centerville River
and East Bay estuaries. The river begins just
north of the Coombs Bogs, where our aquifer – the only source of our drinking water
– percolates to the surface. Small streams
gather together to form the river, which then
wends its way through the bogs and further
south through an old trout hatchery.
Page 6 www.BLT.org
FALL 2012
For the Love of Cape Cod:
Martha Thompson donates family land in memory of her husband
W
illiam Thompson was a quintessential Cape Codder. He was
born at Cape Cod Hospital and
grew up in Marstons Mills. “Bill spent most
of his life on Cape Cod,” said his wife Martha, “until he went over the bridge to go to
college.” And not just any college. Bill went
to MIT. “He was proud of
being a graduate of Barnstable High School,” Martha added. “Whenever he
was asked where he was
from, he would bend his
arm, point to the middle of
his bicep and say, ‘Right
here on Cape Cod.’”
Bill passed away five years ago and Martha has continued the tradition of summering in Marstons Mills. In Bill’s memory,
she decided to donate the 1.27-acre parcel
of land south of the couple’s home.
The Thompson property is located off
Old Falmouth Road, just east of the Ellen
McBarron Recreational
Facility, and is accessible via Heather Lane.
Because it falls within a
Groundwater Protection
District, preserving this
parcel from development
will help protect the C-OMM wellfields at Weathervane Pond.
Although Bill’s career
as a professor at Penn
The scenic parcel feaState took the Thompsons
tures dense woodlands,
away from the Cape, as
white pines, oaks, Amerisoon as classes ended the
can Holly and Mountain
Indigenous Lady Slippers thrive in
couple and their four kids
Laurel, as well as delicate
the Thompson Woodlands
returned to Bill’s family
springtime Lady Slippers.
home on Old Falmouth
“I know this is what Bill would have
Road. And there they stayed until Labor
Day. The now adult children – and a total wanted to do,” Martha said. “Bill joined
of nine grandkids – live in other states but BLT (in 1988) because he was concerned
the next generation has sand in their toes as about development. We were particularly
discouraged by all the growth we saw. We
well.
wanted to do what we could to help save
Martha shares this recent story. “My
the land.”
granddaughter [who lives in Michigan] was
We are most grateful to the Thompson
graduating from high school. When they
asked her where she wanted her high school family. This donation brings BLT to 985
photograph taken, she said Sandy Neck. acres, moving even closer to the 1000-acre
LANDMark!
The love of Cape Cod runs deep.”
Barnstable Land Trust is a community-based
nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the
open spaces, natural resources, and unique character
of Barnstable for future generations.
FALL 2012
www.BLT.org
Page 7
DGifts
from the Sea d
Reaches a New High Tide Mark!
CORPORATE
Keller Company, Inc.
Platinum
Bartlett Tree Experts
Robert Paul Properties
Gold
Bank of Cape Cod
Cape Cod Five Cents
Savings Bank
Gargiulo/Rudnick, LLP
Rockland Trust
T
he 18th Annual Gifts from the Sea was held at
The Beach Club at Craigville Beach for the
second consecutive year. Located on picturesque
Nantucket Sound, the Club provided the perfect
setting for a steamy July evening. The sellout crowd
was treated to great food and libations, as well as
unique silent and live auction items.
We are thrilled to report that this was the most
successful Gifts from the Sea to date! Sincere thanks
to our sponsors, individual and business donors,
and our volunteers – all of whom made generous
contributions to help preserve Barnstable’s natural
treasures. We could not do it without you.
Proceeds help protect the natural landscapes,
critical habitats, scenic vistas and open spaces of the
Town of Barnstable.
Page 8 www.BLT.org
Silver
Bridge Creek Capital
Management
Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod
DePaola, Begg & Associates
E.B. Norris & Son
Hayden Building Movers, Inc.
Horsley Witten Group, Inc.
John-Lawrence Funeral Home
Roche Bros. Super Markets, Inc.
Thirwood Place
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Jim Hinkle & Roy Hammer
Rich & Debbie Howard
Justine & Jim Laugharn
Helen & Larry O’Brien
Bruce & Margaret Soltis
Robin and Laurie Young
Bronze
Bortolotti Construction, Inc.
Cape Associates, Inc.
Dunning, Kirrane, McNichols
& Garner
J. J. Delaney, Inc.
Lawrence Lynch Corp.
Lenk Ladner Investment
Solutions
Leonard Insurance Agency, Inc.
J Miller, Pictureframer & Gallery
Joyce Landscaping, Inc.
Sunderland Printing
FALL 2012
Alberto’s Ristorante
All Cape Cooks’ Supply
Robert & Susan Ambrose
Annie’s Crannies
Arts Foundation of Cape Cod
B.A.R.S.
Barnstable Restaurant & Tavern
Jaci Barton
Janet & Chuck Bauer
Beard Chevrolet-Subaru
Bike Zone
Bird Watchers General Store
Bistro 36
The Black Cat Tavern
Bleu Restaurant
Howard L. Bonington
Books By The Sea
Bookstore & Restaurant
Borello Travel & Tours
Bradford’s Ace Hardware
John & Barbara Buckley
Thomas K. Burgess
Bush Gardens
Cahoon Museum of American Art
Cape Air
Cape Cod Beer
Cape Cod Belt
Cape Cod Central Railroad
Cape Cod Cupola Co., Inc.
Cape Cod Life Publications
Cape Cod Museum of Art
Cape Cod Oyster Co.
Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra
Cape Cod Winery
Cape Playhouse
The Charles Hotel
Coastal Equipment Rentals
Coastal Flyrodder
Columbus Hospitality Group
Cotuit Athletic Association
Cotuit Center for the Arts
Cotuit Fresh Market
The Country Decorator Holiday House
CrossWinds Golf Club
Cummaquid Golf Club
Melanie Curtis
Earth House
Eastern Mountain Sports
Michael Egan
Mary Ellis
Fifteen Beacon Hotel
The Fireplace Restaurant
Forest Beach Designer Goldsmiths
Jim Mayne Freeheart
Anne Gould
FALL 2012
DDonors d
Elizabeth Gould
Grain & Vine Spirit Shoppe
Great Marsh Kayak Tours
Paula Grimes
Dan Hart
Cynthia Hayden
Holly Ridge Golf Club
Paul Howard
Hyannis Country Garden
Hyannis Yacht Club
Hyannisport Club
Hy-Line Cruises
Jim & Barbara Ingram
J Miller, Pictureframer & Gallery
Joan Peters of Osterville
Johnson’s Tree Farm
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
Land Rover Cape Cod
Lavender Bay B&B
Liberty Hotel
LisaJewel Corporation
Carol Travers Lummus
Lyric Restaurant
Mahoney’s Garden Center
Marjon Print & Frame Shop
Mass Audubon Long Pasture
Mattakeese Wharf Restaurant
Susan O’Brien McLean
Alison McMurry
Miacomet Golf Club
Mill Stores
Moran Woodworks
Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum
The National Marine Life Center
Nauset Lantern Shop
Marian Waldron Nicastro
Oceans Harborside Restaurant & Bar
Old Yarmouth Inn Restaurant & Tavern
Oyster Harbors Club
Anita Parker
Parker’s Discount Liquors
Karen Pinard
Puritan Cape Cod
R.A. Ribb Company, Inc.
Andy and Michelle Reardon
David & Cindi Reid
Gretchen Reilly
Bob Reynolds
Rialto Restaurant + Bar
The Riverway Lobster House
Robert Roark
Nancy Rowen
Ryan Family Amusements
Marty Sandler
Scargo Cafe
Sea Sports, Inc.
Siena Restaurant
Bruce & Margaret Soltis
Spanky’s Clam Shack
Sports Port
The Steamship Authority
Aleta Steward
Strategies for Wellness
Summer House Natural Soaps
Scott Terry
Thornton W. Burgess Society
Three Bays Preservation
Top of the Hub
Trevi Cafe
Tugboats
Village Orchids
Lance Walker
Lynn Wallin
Ed Webb
West Barnstable Fire Department
West Barnstable Tables
Wianno Club
James Wick
Wicked Restaurant
Chris Wood
Karol B. Wyckoff
Yankee Accent
Young’s Bicycle Shop
!
k You
Than
Fund-A-Cause: Fuller Farm
Historic Fuller Farm was the focus of this year’s Fund-ACause. Twenty-seven generous donors gave $18,500 toward
the purchase of 24 acres of rolling meadows, farmland and an
abandoned cranberry bog in Marstons Mills.
For more information about Fuller Farm, see Page 3.
To help, visit www.BLT.org or call Jaci at 508-771-2585.
www.BLT.org Page 9
Leaving a Legacy
K
T
he love of nature is in my blood,”
said BLT Board member and Treasurer Wendy Barker. “I’ve always
lived near the water and enjoy the peace
and solitude of being outdoors.” Growing
up in Duxbury, Wendy and her three siblings spent summers on her parents’ “tiny
boat,” sailing to places like Buzzards Bay
and Cuttyhunk. “We were always wet,” she
recalled.
“
Her connection to nature
dovetails with her decision
to join the BLT Board. “As
I think about my own purpose in life, I realize how
passionate I feel about BLT.
Its mission of preserving
land reflects my values.
My wish is that others will Wendy Barker
be able to enjoy the land and its beauty as
well.”
Wendy went to Elmira College, where
she studied sociology. Her most memorable
times were spent during her junior year
abroad at Trinity College in Ireland. She
recalled backpacking adventures in Europe,
where she was drawn more to the small
villages than the storied European cities.
While at Trinity, she appreciated the many
walking trails and fields in the little village
on the coast of Ireland where she lived. Nature, she said, has always been a source of
comfort and inspiration.
“My grandfather had two fishing shacks
in St. George, Maine. My parents would sail
up and the rest of us – my siblings, nieces,
nephews – would meet there. There was no
electricity so we used lanterns. We’d explore
our secret trails in the woods, light bonfires
and eat lobsters down at the rocks. At night
we’d look up at all the stars. I remember it
to this day. It was a dream time.”
Wendy tried a more urban lifestyle but
found city life lacking. Thirty years ago, she
was offered a job at a BankBoston branch
in Yarmouth Port. “It was
snowing as I drove down
6A,” she recalled, “and it
was glorious!” She took
the job and lived in several
villages in Barnstable before finding “the house of
my dreams,” nestled beside
a little pond in Marstons
Mills. “I love the tranquility and the beauty of the pond. There are
ducks and geese and Great Blue Herons. It’s
so peaceful here.”
Wendy is Senior Vice President & Senior
Trust Officer for Rockland Trust and manages the Client Service Team for the Bank’s
Investment Management Group. A major
part of her work entails advising clients on
financial affairs, including personal trusts
and estate planning. “People work all their
lives, and I assist with helping to ensure
their efforts are preserved. I also counsel
them about their financial legacy. We discuss issues such as the importance of knowing what you want to leave as your legacy
and make certain it goes to what you have a
passion for, believe in and care about.”
You can impact the future.
Create a bequest or other estate gift. Help shape BLT’s future without touching your lifetime assets.
• It’s easy. Make a simple retirement
account beneficiary designation or have
your attorney add a few words in your will.
• It leaves your lifetime finances intact.
Continue to fully enjoy your assets.
• It’s flexible.
Adjust your gift anytime you wish.
• It establishes the legacy you want.
Your gift will come to BLT after your
lifetime, to be used as you directed.
Learn more by contacting: Jaci Barton at 507-771-2585 or jaci@BLT.org
Page 10 www.BLT.org
FALL 2012
New Land Conservation Tax Credit
Exciting news for BLT and local landowners!
tarting in 2011, for the first time
ever, some landowners who engaged in conservation transactions
with the Barnstable Land Trust were eligible for a powerful new State income
tax credit worth up to $50,000. The first
22 applications were approved, returning
$976,000 in credits to landowners statewide, including one here in Barnstable.
S
While federal income tax deductions
have been available for land gifts, conservation restrictions and bargain sales,
this is the first tax incentive from the
State of Massachusetts.
To qualify, the land must be permanently protected and the State’s Secretary
of Energy and Environmental Affairs
must certify that the land preserved is
significant to protect drinking water supplies, rare species and other wildlife habitats, agriculture or forestry, recreational
opportunities and scenic or cultural values of state or regional importance. The
type of transaction (land gift, conservation restriction, bargain sale, reserved life
estate) is far less important.
Barnstable is still blessed with many
parcels with significant resource value
that have not been developed and should
be preserved. Many will qualify for this
new tax credit. The process requires the
landowner to have the land pre-certified
by the State before the gift or bargain sale
is completed. An appraisal is needed to
justify the land’s market value and establish the credit amount.
Any unused credit will be refunded
by the State in the first year of the gift.
That means that not only could the landowner’s State income tax be wiped out
for that year, but the State would issue a
check to the landowner for the difference
FALL 2012
between that year’s tax and $50,000 or 50
percent of the appraised value, whichever
is less.
Consider these examples:
• If you donated a parcel worth $30,000,
your tax credit would be $15,000. If
your Mass. income tax is $5,000, you
would pay no state tax and get a tax
refund for the remaining $10,000. • If you donate a conservation restriction that is appraised at $120,000, your
tax credit would be the maximum
$50,000. If your Mass. income tax is
$10,000, you would pay no state tax
and get a check for the $40,000 difference. (The total of tax credit and
refund check cannot exceed $50,000.) The landowner need not reside in
Massachusetts or even pay taxes here. If
the land is in Massachusetts, and the land
qualifies, the landowner qualifies for the
state tax credit.
A full $2 million is available statewide
in 2012. Access to the credit is available
until the full allocation is reached so if
you are interested, don’t delay. BLT can
help you determine if your land qualifies.
Remember that if the land does qualify, this new tax credit is in addition to
the federal income tax deductions for
charitable contributions of land. Contact
us for more details or for a free, confidential consultation. Phone 508-771-2585 or
send an email to jaci@blt.org.
Adapted from an article written by
Mark H. Robinson, Executive Director of
The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation
Trusts, Inc., and member of the Board
of Directors of the Massachusetts Land
Trust Coalition.
www.BLT.org
Page 11
Two Committed BLT Volunteers
A
fter Nancy and Ken Ridley retired
to Cotuit in 2007, they began looking around for something to do.
“We didn’t have to look for long. We heard
about Barnstable Land Trust, called the office for information, became members and
evolved into volunteers,” Nancy recalled.
“We wanted to continue the momentum
from earlier work we had done
with a local [Rhode Island]
land trust. Plus Ken loves to be
outside. BLT was a wonderful
match for us.”
land management and ongoing clean-up efforts, Ken is an Eagle Pond steward, caring for BLT’s 183 acres in Cotuit that have
Eagle Pond as their focal point. He helps
with stump grinding, establishing property
bounds, trail management and other ongoing activities. “I go about once a week,”
he explained. “There is always plenty to
do. Red Bansfield, BLT’s land
management coordinator, can’t
be everywhere.”
Nancy’s volunteerism involves “yeoman’s duty” before
The couple had moved from
and during BLT’s major annual fundraiser, Gifts from the
Burrillville, RI, a rural town
Sea, as well as helping with
in the northwestern part of the
other events. “BLT has a great
state. Their home was situated
team; the people are fantastic.
on a 27-acre wooded lot, which
Ken & Nancy Ridley on a path
You don’t mind working hard
backed up to 1600 acres of to Eagle Pond
for people who work as hard as
state-owned conservation land.
Due to a lack of zoning, they explained, you do,” she said of her willingness to help
the area was increasingly being encroached out. In addition to volunteering for BLT,
upon by what they described as unplanned Nancy is involved with the Cotuit Library,
things – car lots, body shops, trailers, mo- on the board of their local homeowners astorcycles, ATVs, and farms too small to sociation, and treasurer of the Cape Cod
Car Club. “I don’t have a problem raising
practice proper husbandry.
my hand,” she admitted.
Even more distressing than the “unAlthough both Ridleys grew up in Rhode
planned things” was a neighbor who ran a
sketchy sewage disposal business and was Island, Nancy’s family has rented on the
apparently dumping toxic materials and Cape since the mid-1950s; in addition, her
hazardous waste; it was, in fact, eventually mother owned a home in Osterville. Nanidentified as superfund site. “The memory cy, who was a regional director of human
of what can happen when the land is com- resources for Metropolitan Life, knew bepromised stays with you,” Nancy said of the ing retired in the middle of 27 acres in the
experience. “We thought there had to be a woods would not work for her. “I’m more
better way to keep things in check,” Ken of a social person,” she said. “I always liked
added. As a result, the couple got involved the Cape and thought it would be a nice
in the small Burrillville Land Trust. “It place to live.” As it turns out, they made
wasn’t sophisticated but because the area is the correct decision. “It’s a wonderful comso rural, it was ahead of its time,” he said.
munity,” Nancy said. “We love where we
To describe the Ridleys as active BLT are.”
volunteers is more than a slight understatement. Ken, a former construction superintendent, worked in the field for the
Burrillville Land Trust and he is back at it
with BLT. In addition to being involved in
Page 12 Thinking about volunteering? Contact
the BLT office at 508-771-2585 or email
info@BLT.org and let’s explore where your
interests and our needs might meet!
www.BLT.org
FALL 2012
Cape Cod Wildlife Collaborative:
Working Together to Protect Wildlife & Wild Habitat
T
wo years ago, the Cape Wildlife Center had a great
idea. They invited representatives of Barnstable
Land Trust and other environmental and wildlife
organizations throughout the Cape to gather and discuss
the possibility – and benefits – of creating alliances. From
that initial meeting, the Cape Cod Wildlife Collaborative
(CCWC) was born. Its purpose is “sharing thoughts and
ideas about forging new collaborations and pathways to
conserve and safeguard wildlife and their habitats . . .
within the wooded areas, in local freshwater ponds and in
marine waters along our shores.”
Every other month, representatives of 15 environmental
organizations meet to discuss
events, issues, challenges and
successes. A major CCWCsponsored event is the annual
Cape Cod Wildlife Festival,
which takes place every fall.
Held at Long Pasture in Cummaquid, this popular family event continues to attract over
300 kids and adults annually. Among the many activities
offered at the day-long festival are a herring maze, a lifesized Right Whale exhibit, live animal exhibits and shows.
For festival dates, check BLT’s events listing online or go
to www.facebook.com/CapeCodWildlifeCollaborative.
29th Annual Meeting
& Celebration
Mingle with fellow conservationists and find out about BLT’s
ongoing efforts to preserve Barnstable’s special places and
vital natural resources.
Friday, November 16, 2012 ~ 5:30-7:30 pm
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 421 Wianno Ave., Osterville
5:30
6:00
7:00
Wine, Hors d’oeuvres and Mingling
Reports to the Membership, Members’ Comments, Election of Directors, and Founders’ Award Presentation
Social Hour Continues
RSVP by calling 508-771-2585 or emailing info@BLT.org
For more information, visit www.BLT.org
FALL 2012 www.BLT.org
Member Organizations
•Barnstable Land Trust
•Cape Maritime Museum
•Cape Cod Museum of
Natural History
•Cape Wildlife Center
•Harwich Conservation Trust
•IFAW-Marine Mammal
Research & Rescue
•MA Audubon Long Pasture
Wildlife Sanctuary
•National Marine Life
Center
•New England Coastal
Wildlife Alliance
•Orenda Wildlife Land Trust
•Provincetown Center for
Coastal Studies
•Thornton W. Burgess
Society
•Three Bays Preservation
•Unity of Cape Cod
•Whale & Dolphin
Conservation Society
Believing that wildlife
has intrinsic value to our
region, the Cape Cod
Wildlife Collaborative
is a partnership of
non-profit organizations
committed to protecting
wildlife through rescue,
rehabilitation, science,
advocacy, habitat
conservation and
education.
– CCWC Mission
Page 13
Tributes And Memorial Gifts
In Honor of…
John & Vicki Abodeely
from Steve & Elaine Sheftel
Catherine Alexander
from Chris Alexander
Jaci Barton
from John & Barbara Buckley
Peggie & Cornell Bretz
from Marvin & Sandi Fredberg
Dee & Nancy Conroy
from Edward & Nancy Cobden
Rose Dugas’ 101st Birthday
from Joe & Edith Dugas
Quincy & Waylon Ellis
from Michael & Ann Lloyd
Don Engel
from Steve & Elaine Sheftel
The Fitzpatrick Grandchildren
from John & Judy Fitzpatrick
Bob Frazee
from the Citizens Leadership Academy
Thomas & Alice George
from Donald Henderson
Anne Gould
from Karen Rosenthal
Jim Gould
from the Citizens Leadership Academy
The Grandchildren
from Helen Curran
Mr. & Mrs. G.O. Harrison
from Bob & Delores Viarengo
Ian Ives
from Phyllis Cole
Joyce Kazanjian
from Carla Kazanjian
Sean Kelly & Helen Picard
from Mary Helen Cline
from Kenyon Kelly & Mary Helen Cline
Kathleen Kilduff
from Kristine Manning
Dorothy Magno
from Olivia Miller & Ken Kevorkian
Irene R. Morrill
from Leo & Randy Schmid
Gil Newton
from the Osterville Garden Club
Page 14 Jerry & Sheila Place
from Chris Graziano & Maryellen Meleca
from Heather Peters
from Scott Place
from Deborah Yorke
Sheila Place
from Marisa Hackett
from Susan Truitt
Bruce T. Richards
from Alexander Richards
James A. Ross’ College
Graduation
from Sylvia Furman
Kirsten Ryan
from Ellen Ryan & Beach Wires
from Frank & Mary Ryan
from Don & Jane Smith
Kirsten Ryan & the
Smith Family
from Lauren Lindsay
from Anna Tary
James & Virginia Ryan-Hoeck
from Anonymous
from Kathleen Ryan
from Dave & Betty Scanlon
Nancy Shoemaker
from the Citizens
Leadership Academy
Mary & Paul Simonetti
from Jason & Jill Longval
Don & Jane Smith
from Peter & Carolyn Stackpole
Jane Smith
from Henry & Kirsten Ryan
Mary-Gaines Standish
from The Honorable Judge William & Mrs. Standish
Rob Stewart
from the Citizens
Leadership Academy
Lillian Stone
from Troy & Pat Murray
Rob Wadleigh
from Anonymous
Phyllis Walsh
from Graham &
Joanne Harrison
Fletcher & Forrest Wartig
from Susan Klaiber &
Molly Bidwell
Dr. John B. Wright
from Betty Wright
www.BLT.org
Tina Wright
from Edward & Nancy Cobden
In Memory of…
Mrs. Charles Almy
from John Bidwell
Elizabeth Almy
from John Bidwell
Barbara Angus
from Clif Wolfe
Albert A. Austin
from George &
Stacy Reinhart
Allen H. Bachand
from Patricia Bachand
Richard Bagwell
from Mary Ellen Bagwell
Merton Bell
from Ruth Bell &
Merriann Bell
Charles & Dorothy Bodurtha
from Bo & Betsy Bodurtha
Marcus K. Bryan
from Dulce Bryan
Rev. Thomas J. Buckley
from John & Barbara Buckley
Bart Burgess
from Tom & Pieter Burgess
Lee Cohen
from Lewis & Nancy Solomon
The Coombs Family
from Margaret Hart Foley
Richard Crosby
from Dick & Jan Peterson
William J. Cullen
from Joan Cullen
Wilbur Curtis Cushing
from Mrs. Wilber C. Cushing
Mattie Sturgis Davies
from Jacquelyn Young
Anthony J. DeCrosta
from Susan DeCrosta
Patricia Colbert Donovan
from Jim & Nancy Colbert
Our Mothers,
Dorothy & Dorothy
from Doug & Nancy Butler
James K. Edwards
from Virginia M. Adams
FALL 2012
Tributes And Memorial Gifts
Jane Eshbaugh
from Jeff & Janet Eshbaugh
Mary Ellen Folsom
from Dr. William Folsom
Grandfather John Enos
Frazier, Father Frank Enos
Frazier & Wife Nancy
Elizabeth Frazier
from Robert Frazier
Kevin Galvin
from Tom & Pieter Burgess
from Mrs. Wilbur C. Cushing
Earl H. Grant
from Mae V. Grant
Ethel May Hammer
from Jarmila Kovanda
from Howard &
Virginia Woollard
Eleanor (Ellie) Hayes
from Todd Rossel
Thelma G. Heselbarth
from Ruth Anne Heselbarth
Stephen M. Hinckley
from Frank & Helen Hinckley
Thelma Holmes
from Ken & Marge Mercer
Martha Jane Huester
from Pete Huester
Frances L. Hunsaker
from Rich & Susan French
Carol Ann Hurley
from Lisa & Joseph Hanggi
& Family
from Joyce Kazanjian
from Vic & Jackie Mastro
from Peter & Susan Morgan
from Faith Stewart
Francis G. Jenkins
from Richard & Sarah Sammis
Pearl Johnson
from Dennis & Linda Cahoon
Rev. Winifred C. Jones
from Gordon Jones
Margaret M. Kates
from Amy McGuire Kates
Neil Keto
from Larry & Karen Nichols
Amy C. Knott
from Dan Knott
Sigrid Russell Koskinen
from Sam & Jean Keavy
FALL 2012 Kenneth Kramer
from Gail Allan
from Richard &
Winifred Kramer
Dr. Steven Kuperstein
from Carl Perlmutter
Jeannette L. Lanoue
from Kevin &
Nancy Minnigerode
Bridget Lawrence &
Brian Jones
from Maureen McPhee
Andrea Leonard
from Ray & Susan Burghardt
Anthony LoConte
from William & Anita LoConte
Luby
from Tim Coggeshall
Russ & Amy Mather
from John & Susan Brennan
Irma Meyer
from Rob & Anne Meyer
Herb & Helen Minkel
from Herbert Minkel
Mary Molyneaux &
Theodore Metzger
from Sara Molyneaux
& Don Law
John Newton
from John & Mary Daly
John & Hazel Newton
from Gil Newton
from Norma Sims Roche
John Wellington Nichols
from Mark Nichols
Evald Nilsson
from Benjamin &
Susan Gilmore
Jeffrey O’Neil
from HP & Cheryl Weber
Our Parents
from Chris & Lynn Jones
Penelope Philbrick
from Danielle Feuillan &
Lee Benaka
James F. Reynolds
from Elisabeth Reynolds
William & Jane
Riemenschneider
from Edmund &
Louise Foster
www.BLT.org
David Carmody Rooney
from Ellen Rooney
Frances Rosa &
Mac Pittendreigh
from Henry & Kirsten Ryan
Rudy Russo
from Jeff & Janet Eshbaugh
Jack Ryan
from Mary Ryan
Frank J. Ryshavy
from Barbara Ryshavy
Kathleen R. Shea
from Catherine Smith
Carol Ann Sisson
from Peter Sisson
Diana Slater
from David & Lora Ziemba
Al Stone
from Anita Weinblatt
Dave Strojny
from Julia McCormack
Kenneth F. Temple, Sr.
from Betty Temple
Sue Sara Tremer
from Timothy & Beth Herrick
from August &
Bernadette Tremer
Robert & Catherine Verge
from Jim & Nancy Colbert
Lucille H. Webber
from Frank Webber
Helen Wirtanen
from Michael & June Daley
from Dan & Janet Mullen
from HP & Cheryl Weber
from Mark Wirtanen &
Terrie Reilly
Helen & Martin Wirtanen
from Donald Anderson
Bobbie Wohlwend
from Leonard & Carol Carter
from Gloria Myers
Rose Wojciechowski
from Frank & Mary Wojciechowski
08.22.12
Page 15
BLT 2012 Annual Meeting
Celebrate our 29th year of land preservation success!
Photo: Fuller Farm
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LEOMINSTER, MA
PERMIT NO. 17
Friday
November 16, 2012
5:30 - 7:30pm
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
421 Wianno Avenue
Osterville
PO Box 224
Cotuit, MA 02635
Address Service Requested