10 December, 2012
On Wednesday December 5, Hopkinton received a land conservation grant in the amount of $400,000 that will go towards the purchase of approximately 70 acres of land known as the Elmwood Farm.
The grant was one of 13 Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) grants awarded by the state that will help protect a total of 862 acres of farms, wetlands, forests and wildlife habitat and will help to support a variety of projects, including the purchase of the Elmwood Farm by the town of Hopkinton. Selectmen voted to execute the Purchase and Sale for the property at their December 4th meeting in accordance with the vote taken at Town Meeting in May that authorized up to $1.3 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to buy the land. There is also a house and barn, not part of the 70 acres being purchased, which will be sold privately.
According to Jeff Doherty, Chairman of Hopkinton’s Open Space Preservation Commission, with the $400,000 grant and another $75,000 received by the Sudbury Valley Trustees that will also go towards the purchase price of $1.3 million, Hopkinton’s total commitment has been reduced to $825,000, leaving more dollars for other open space acquisitions.
What is also important to Doherty is the preservation of what was once the Abbott farm. The farm, located on Ash Street, dates back more than 200 years and is the former home of Bill and Rose Abbott, who began to donate vegetables from their farm during the 1970s to hunger relief organizations in the area, and eventually formed Food for the Needy, which became the Community Harvest Project in 2002.
In addition to protecting a portion of the aquifer for the town’s newest well, the land may also once again be used to support a CSA project in Hopkinton.
“The Open Space Preservation Committee worked on this project for at least ten years,” said Doherty, “and it is nice to know that the Abbott’s legacy, of generosity and helping others through community supported agriculture (CSA) farming, will now be preserved as well.”
“This grant is wonderful news for the Town of Hopkinton, which will now have the necessary resources to purchase and conserve Elmwood Farm, a beautiful, historic piece of land,” said Senator Karen Spilka. “This program is a collaborative effort among the Administration, Legislature and town officials and these LAND grants continue to be a priority for us.”
“This news is extremely great news for the Town of Hopkinton,” said Town Manager Norman Khumalo, who credited town staff, and specifically Elaine Lazarus, Director of Land Use, Planning and Permitting, for their support and hard work.
Since 1961, Energy and Environmental Affairs LAND grants have helped cities and town acquire land for conservation and outdoor recreational uses such as hiking, wildlife watching and more. Funding for the grants come from the Energy and Environmental Bond Bill signed by Governor Patrick in 2008. To qualify for the reimbursement grants, communities must fund projects upfront through local, federal or private sources and the protected open space must be open to the public.
