Welcome to our new website! Learn more

Land Conservation Options

Land Conservation Helps Retain Character of Our Town

  • Princeton’s open spaces are sustained through a variety of land and habitat conservation programs intended to protect our most vulnerable natural resources.
  • The Open Space Committee (OSC) brings together residents and recognized conservation partners to preserve and support responsible land stewardship with options that benefit the community today and for generations to come.
  • Independent regional and state-supported organizations include:
    • Princeton Land Trust (PLT)
    • Mass Audubon
    • Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
    • MassWildlife Land Protection Programs
    • MassWoods (University of Massachusetts)
  • Landowners have several options to conserve property while retaining certain rights and benefits.
    These include:

Land Protection Considerations

When considering to protect land, property owners can consider options such as:

  • Protecting the land permanently or temporarily
  • Selling or donating land
  • Seeking tax benefits

Some Land Conservation Options

Chapter 61

  • Keeps land undeveloped
  •  Provides reduced property taxes
  • Requires a ten-year commitment to manage land for forest products, such as timber orChristmas trees

Conservation Restriction (CR)

  • Allows landowners to sell or donate future development rights while retaining ownership
  • Supports continued agricultural, forestry, and recreational use
  • May offer tax advantages and estate planning benefits
  • Can include public access for passive recreation

Donation or Sale of Land to a Conservation Organization

  • Landowners select a conservation organization of their choice
  • Ensures permanent land protection and stewardship
  • May provide significant tax deduction benefits

To Learn More

  • Conservation organizations are knowledgeable about these and other land conservation options and are willing to assist landowners
  • Contact any member of the Open Space Committee or the Princeton Land Trust for more information about these options for protecting open space in Princeton
Close window