Our generous donors have been critical to our success. Thank you!
You can help by making a donation online or by mailing a donation to:
Winding River Land Conservancy
c/o Franklin Land Trust
P.O. Box 450
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Checks should be made out to "Franklin Land Trust" with "WRLC" in the memo line.
Your donation will be earmarked for projects in the Winding River Land Conservancy service area.
Another way to permanently protect land is to donate it to a conservation organization or agency that will care for the land in the future. This option relieves you of the tax burdens and management responsibility of owning land. Choosing the conservation organization or government agency that will own your land is an important consideration in this decision making process, as management priorities and objectives may vary from organization to organization. It may be possible to sell your land to a conservation entity if there are significant ecological, aesthetic, or cultural features on your land. Tax incentives for land conservation:
A: A conservation restriction (or CR, also known as conservation easement outside of Massachusetts) is a legal agreement that extinguish the development rights of the land forever but does not change the ownership of the land. This agreement is recorded with the deed and is passed along to all future owners. It is enforced by the organization that holds the conservation restriction, typically a public conservation agency or private nonprofit organization such as a WRLC. Conservation restrictions are important options for landowners because they provide permanent agreements to protect the land with significant flexibility. Often the exact terms can be tailored to an individual property and the specific concerns and interests of the landowner.
A: An agricultural preservation restriction is a program administered by Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Preservation that allows farm owners to permanently protect their agricultural property. It allows them receive funding to pay for potential development rights of the property thereby allowing them to continue their commitment to farming the land. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts does have a program which can pay farmers when they put their land in agricultural protection or a family can donate an agricultural restriction. The land is generally accepted for the agricultural preservation restriction program if it has significant value as an agricultural property.
A: By Mail: 56 North Canal Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
By Email: Windingriverlc@gmail.com
A: By Mail: P.O. Box 450 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
By Email: tcurren@franklinlandtrust.org
A: There are many groups working on conservation in Massachusetts including private groups, local municipalities and state agencies. Some of the links to gather more information are available here.
A: Visit the Resources Page
A: For more information see our donation page.
A: For more information see our donation page.
Many of our protected lands are open for hikers to enjoy.
VIEW PLACES TO VISIT Or Hike
Questions about preserving a piece of property? We can help.
How TO PRESERVe YOUR LANDWinding River Land Conservancy (WRLC) is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve and protect natural open space and farmland in Western Hampden County and parts of southern Hampshire County for present and future generations. Winding River Land Conservancy has protected over 3,000 acres since its inception in 1998 and continues to preserve properties annually.
