The Harvard Conservation Trust has acquired the 45 acres on Sherry Road known as Horse Meadows Knoll for $700,000. The purchase was sealed on April 19, and on Tuesday HCT and the Sudbury Valley Trustees announced that the two groups have agreed to work together to preserve the area. The land has a beautiful beech forest, a historic reservoir, and wetlands. It is also home to several endangered species.
During the next 18 months, HCT plans to remove the abandoned house there and restore the demolition site to a relatively natural state. Meanwhile, the Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) have committed to raising more than $250,000 toward the nearly $900,000 total project cost. These funds will go toward the purchase of a conservation restriction to ensure perpetual public access rights and toward the management of Horse Meadows Knoll as a public conservation area.
A view of Horse Meadow Resevoir from the east. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The remainder of the funds will come from HCT, which is tripling its earlier financial commitment to roughly $350,000. The additional money comes from private donations and from the sale of a housing lot. To complete the transaction HCT also received a low-interest bridge loan from the Conservation Fund, a national conservation organization that helps smaller land trusts protect important habitat. The Merrimack Conservation Partnership has also provided financial assistance to help offset legal costs.
HCT’s earlier attempt to buy the land in cooperation with the Harvard Conservation Commission fell through last fall, when the state rejected the commission’s application for funds from the Massachusetts LAND (Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity) program.
“The tenacity, perseverance, and creativity of Harvard Conservation Trust to find a solution in the face of unexpected challenges and obstacles is inspiring,” said Caitlin Guthrie, land conservation loans associate with the Conservation Fund.
HCT and SVT are cooperating on a management plan for the property that will allow SVT to manage the land as one of its reservations. SVT currently manages 89 properties totaling more than 4,800 acres across the 36 towns in the Sudbury-Assabet-Concord river basin. Plans include eventual improvements at Horse Meadow Knolls such as a small parking area and bike rack, interpretive signs, and a trail system.
“It has been a long road to this point, but this exceptional land is well worth the effort,” said David Outman, HCT executive director. “We are grateful for all of the community support, and we look forward to working with SVT on the critical next phase.”
