Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust

ASLPT IS AN ACCREDITED LAND TRUST. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR MISSION STATEMENT.

LAND PROTECTION: ASLPT HAS ADOPTED A WRITTEN CONSERVATION PLAN WHICH INCLUDES A PRIORITIZED AND COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF PROPERTIES WORTHY OF PROTECTION. ASLPT PROTECTS PROPERTIES THROUGH BOTH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND FEE SIMPLE ACQUISITION. LAND PROTECTION INCLUDES REVIEW, EVALUATION AND DETAILED RESEARCH BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE PROTECTION OF A PROPERTY. ASLPT INSURES THAT EVERY TRANSACTION IS LEGAL, PROPER AND APPROPRIATE TO THE GOALS OF THE LAND TRUST. WE COMPILE A BASELINE DOCUMENTATION DETAILING AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF THE PROPERTY AND ITS CONDITION AT THE TIME OF ITS TRANSFER. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, ASLPT CONVEYED THE 5.56-ACRE STAMPER PROPERTY, ADJACENT TO THE RECENTLY CONSERVED SAWYER BROOK HEADWATERS PROPERTY, TO THE TOWN OF GRANTHAM ON JANUARY 14, 2022. ONCE THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED BY ASLPT IN JULY OF 2021, THE LAND TRUST WORKED TO PUT A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON IT. THE PURCHASE OF THIS PROPERTY, THE PROTECTION OF IT BY CONSERVATION EASEMENT, AND THE CONVEYANCE OF IT TO THE TOWN OF GRANTHAM, WAS THE GOAL. THE STAMPER PROPERTY HAS FRONTAGE ON THE CLASS 6 SECTION OF DUNBAR HILL ROAD, AND WILL ALLOW FOR SAFE ACCESS TO THOSE WISHING TO EXPLORE THE SAWYER BROOK PROPERTY.ON FEBRUARY 11, 2022, ASLPT FINALIZED A LAND CONSERVATION PROJECT THAT WAS ALMOST TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING. THE 88-ACRE "BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS PRESERVE" IS ON MOUNTAIN ROAD IN THE TOWN OF NEWBURY. IN OCTOBER OF 2020, THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED BY ASLPT, WITH THE ASSISTANCE FROM THE TOWN OF NEWBURY AND MANY INTERESTED PRIVATE DONORS. TO COMPLETE THE PURCHASE, AN ARM GRANT WAS APPLIED FOR AND AWARDED, PROVIDING $175,000 TOWARDS THE PROJECT. BEFORE THE GRANT FUNDS COULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE LAND TRUST, A CONSERVATION EASEMENT WAS REQUIRED TO BE PLACED ON THE PROPERTY. THIS PROPERTY ADDS TO AN EXISTING WILDLIFE CORRIDOR AND PROTECTS THE AREA WATERSHED. IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR LOW IMPACT PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND EDUCATION: ASLPT IS PROACTIVE IN BUILDING COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND EDUCATING ITS MEMBERS, LANDOWNERS, CONSERVATION PARTNERS, CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS. OUR GOAL IS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE PLACE TO GO FOR LAND PROTECTION EXPERTISE. WE SPONSOR AND OFFER CONSERVATION EVENTS/WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES AIMED TOWARD BUILDING CLOSE TIES AROUND TOWN LAND PROTECTION ISSUES, GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES, AND CONCERNS ABOUT LAND PROTECTION PRIORITIES. ADDITIONALLY, OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS INCLUDE HOSTING A CONSERVATION COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON'S ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION SEMI-ANNUALLY TO SHARE INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND EXPERIENCES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. WE UTILIZE A NUMBER OF COMMUNICATION RESOURCES INCLUDING A PRINTED NEWSLETTER, MAILINGS, FACT SHEETS, EBLASTS, WEBSITE, EVENTS HELD ON CONSERVATION PROPERTIES, SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS TO CIVIC GROUPS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERINGS. DURING THE COVID-19 PERIOD, PROGRAMS WERE VIRTUAL AND A DIY HIKE PROGRAM WAS INITIATED.

STEWARDSHIP AND MONITORING: STEWARDSHIP IS THE OVERALL MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF ALL AUSBON SARGENT CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND FEE-OWNED PROPERTIES. STEWARDSHIP INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, MONITORING AND DEFENDING EASEMENTS, RECORD KEEPING, BUILDING LANDOWNER RELATIONSHIPS, LANDOWNER, STAFF AND VOLUNTEER EDUCATION, RECTIFYING COMPLIANCE ISSUES, CONSIDERING RESERVED RIGHTS (APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL) AND PROVIDING REFERENCE MATERIALS TO LANDOWNERS. MONITORING IS THE ANNUAL PERIODIC PROPERTY INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED BY OUR TRAINED VOLUNTEER MONITORS OR STAFF, AS WELL AS THE PREPARATION OF DOCUMENTS FOR THE INSPECTION AND DOCUMENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP OF THE INSPECTION. MONITORING SERVES AS A REGULAR REMINDER THAT THE LANDOWNER IS LEGALLY BOUND TO KEEP THE PROPERTY IN THE CONDITION AS DEFINED IN THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT. ALL MONITORING REPORTS ARE REVIEWED BY STAFF AND IN THE EVENT OF A COMPLIANCE ISSUE, ASLPT STAFF CARRIES OUT AN INVESTIGATION AND WORKS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE.MONITORING IS DONE BY VOLUNTEERS; HOWEVER, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE STAFF VISIT 20 OF THESE PROPERTIES WITH THE MONITORS EACH YEAR. THESE VISITS VARY IN LENGTH DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE PROPERTY. WE GENERALLY HAVE A TRAINING SESSION IN EARLY JUNE FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS AND A REFRESHER SESSION FOR ALL EASEMENT MONITORS NEAR THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE TRAINING IS APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AND INCLUDES ONLINE TRAINING AS WELL AS A FIELD VISIT. DURING THESE SESSIONS WE INSTRUCT THE VOLUNTEERS ON THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN THEY ARE MONITORING THE PROPERTY. WE ALSO KEEP THE VOLUNTEERS UPDATED ON ANY CHANGES IN POLICIES WE HAVE IN REGARDS TO MONITORING.DRONE TECHNOLOGY IS USED TO AUGMENT ON THE GROUND MONITORING. THIS TECHNOLOGY IS INTENDED FOR THE LARGER PARCELS WITH TOPOGRAPHY THAT IS DIFFICULT TO MONITOR BY FOOT.