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Hilltown Land Trust

Dedicated to protecting the working lands, native habitats and rural beauty of the Hilltowns since 1986

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You are here: Home / Protected Lands post archive / Land Stewardship

Land Stewardship

Land stewardship involves the responsible planning and management of protected properties. Hilltown Land Trust stewards 5,000 acres of permanently protected land including 9 conservation areas that we own and 34 properties in private ownership where we hold conservation restrictions (CRs). Additional properties are added to this list each year as we protect additional land. We strive to manage these lands for the benefit of the natural systems they support while also offering opportunities for public use and enjoyment of these areas.

When landowners place conservation restrictions on their land with HLT, we are responsible for visiting the property annually and enforcing the terms of the restriction forever. Each CR has a baseline report documenting the conditions of the property at the time it is protected. Walking each CR property annually allows us to make sure that the conservation values are intact, and allows us to note any natural or man-made changes to the property. Regular monitoring helps HLT address issues such as invasive species or unproductive human encroachment in a timely manner. Monitoring visits also give us the opportunity to connect with the landowners and discuss resource management options and rights retained by the landowner. Occasionally, HLT must work with landowners to enforce and resolve any violations of the terms of a conservation restriction. This is part of our legal obligation as the holder of a CR.

Conservation restrictions ownership and monitoring are further detailed in our Conservation Restriction Landowner Handbook.

Land stewardship at HLT also involves management of the conservation lands we own. This includes building and maintaining trails, marking property boundaries, removing invasive species and occasional timber harvesting based on a long-term forestry plan.

Monitoring all of HLT’s protected lands is a prodigious task that we are able to accomplish with a team of dedicated and experienced volunteers coordinated by our TerraCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator. If you are interested in getting to know our protected properties better, becoming a volunteer land steward is a great opportunity.

HLT’s CRs and conservation areas are protected forever making land stewardship a long-term financial commitment.  Most of our property monitoring and stewardship work is funded through a stewardship gift provided by each donor of a CR or conservation area. Accredited land trusts such as HLT are required to have such stewardship funds. However, not all of those who are donating land or a CR to HLT can afford such a gift after they have just donated a considerable land asset. HLT works hard to make up the difference when needed through grants and private donations.

Events Calendar

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10:00 AM - Spring Hiking Series: Bullitt to Chapel Brook
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6:00 PM - HLT Reading Group - Vesper Flights
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12:00 PM - Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk
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9:00 AM - Late Spring Bird Walk
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9:00 AM - Spring Hiking Series: Keystone Arches
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6:00 PM - HLT Reading Group - The Common Pot
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11:00 AM - Urban Invasive Walk with Cesi Marseglia
Spring Hiking Series: Bullitt to Chapel Brook
Spring Hiking Series: Bullitt to Chapel Brook
Apr 28th, 2021    
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Bullitt Reservation
  • Hike
Celebrate spring with a hike to the Chapel Brook Reservation! Join HLT staff and community members as we venture onto the trails together, in a [...]
More Info
HLT Reading Group - Vesper Flights
HLT Reading Group - Vesper Flights
Apr 29th, 2021    
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
  • Webinar
This spring and summer, join Hilltown Land Trust staff and community members as we explore some newly released works as well as some old favorites [...]
More Info
Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk
Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk
May 5th, 2021    
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Fare-Thee-Well Wholeness Center
  • Hike
On Wednesday, May 5th, Hilltown Land Trust will host a Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk from noon - 1:30pm at Fare-Thee-Well Wholeness Center in Huntington. Led [...]
More Info
Late Spring Bird Walk
Late Spring Bird Walk
May 22nd, 2021    
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Berkshire Trail Elementary School
  • Hike
On Saturday, May 22nd join HLT and members of the Hoffman Bird Club for a guided bird walk in Cummington. We'll visit promising observation spots [...]
More Info
Spring Hiking Series: Keystone Arches
Spring Hiking Series: Keystone Arches
May 26th, 2021    
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Keystone Arches Trailhead
  • Hike
Celebrate spring with a hike to the Keystone Arches - two keystone arch bridges recently designated as a National Historic Landmark! Join HLT staff and [...]
More Info
HLT Reading Group - The Common Pot
HLT Reading Group - The Common Pot
May 27th, 2021    
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
  • Webinar
This spring and summer, join Hilltown Land Trust staff and community members as we explore some newly released works as well as some old favorites [...]
More Info
Urban Invasive Walk with Cesi Marseglia
Urban Invasive Walk with Cesi Marseglia
Jun 5th, 2021    
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Anne T Dunphy School
  • Hike
Berberis thunbergii. Celastrus orbiculatus. Alliaria petiolata. The mere mention of these species can be enough to send any conservation professional into an agitated state. Invasive [...]
More Info
Events on Apr 28th, 2021
Spring Hiking Series: Bullitt to Chapel Brook
Spring Hiking Series: Bullitt to Chapel Brook
28 Apr 21
Ashfield
Events on Apr 29th, 2021
HLT Reading Group - Vesper Flights
HLT Reading Group - Vesper Flights
29 Apr 21
Events on May 5th, 2021
Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk
Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk
5 May 21
Huntington
Events on May 22nd, 2021
Late Spring Bird Walk
Late Spring Bird Walk
22 May 21
Cummington
Events on May 26th, 2021
Spring Hiking Series: Keystone Arches
Spring Hiking Series: Keystone Arches
26 May 21
Chester
Events on May 27th, 2021
HLT Reading Group - The Common Pot
HLT Reading Group - The Common Pot
27 May 21
Events on Jun 5th, 2021
Urban Invasive Walk with Cesi Marseglia
Urban Invasive Walk with Cesi Marseglia
5 Jun 21
Williamsburg
  • About
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      • Round Top Hill
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      • Two Mamas Farm Waterfall Trail
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  • Get Involved
    • Events
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© 2025 Hilltown Land Trust | Hilltown Land is a 501c3 nonprofit organization | Est. 1986