Conservation Restrictions a Useful Tool for Buzzards Bay Coalition

COURTESY OF THE BUZZARDS BAY COALITION: The Red Barn Farm in Rochester.

NEW BEDFORD – Russ Keeler calls his 65-acre farm in Rochester his magnum opus.

Ten years ago Keeler and his family worked with the Buzzards Bay Coalition and their local land trust on a conservation restriction on the Red Barn Farm.

Keeler continues to improve the property by restoring fields, managing the forest and adding gardens and livestock.

A conservation restriction is a voluntary land protection agreement on private property.

The legal agreements permanently protect private lands like woods, farms, salt marshes, shorelines and cranberry bogs from any future development.

Most of the land the Buzzards Bay Coalition conserves is protected using conservation trusts.

The restrictions allow property owners to protect their land forever while maintaining ownership and also provide tax benefits.

The Coalition currently holds or co-holds 39 conservation restrictions on more than 2,000 acres of land.

The restrictions are permanent once they are in place. Land owners can sell or pass down the land, but it must remain protected.

Anyone interested in protecting their land can contact the Coalition’s Director of Land Protection Allen Decker at 508-999-6363 extension 204.

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