200 acres of forestland by Lake Monomonac in Winchendon bought by trusts: What's next

After a year of partnership, North County Land Trust and Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust finally bought 249 acres of forestland in Winchendon around Lake Monomonac.

The two regional land conservation organizations raised $675,000 to buy the land as well as cover the cost of community outreach, surveying, and future improvements to recreational trails.

Lake Monomonac is a man-made lake that stretches into Rindge, New Hampshire. The long, skinny lake branches out to the Millers River watershed in Winchendon.

"We feel like we're in a big race to protect our forests and farmlands. So it's great to have such a good partner in North County to work with together to meet this need," Emma Ellsworth, Mount Grace Land Conservation executive director, said. "This is critical for climate mitigations, to keep our water pure and drinkable, for our wildlife and biodiversity."

Ellsworth said threats to open space across the state have increased rapidly as more land is used for new and solar development. She said organizations like hers have experienced a lot of pressure to move faster to protect more land in the North Central Mass region as more developers are looking out West.

More than a year ago, the two land conservation organizations estimated that they would need over $700,000 but were able to purchase it for less money.

How will the land be protected from development?

The land conservation trusts are establishing a land conservation restriction, a permanent deed restriction completed through the Registry of Deeds. The restriction is a strategy non-profits use to protect conservation areas from developers. A land conservation restriction identifies the significant ecological features of the land and how it benefits the public from preserving the land's natural state.

Anna Wilkins, NCLT executive director, said they decided that the MGLCT would be the organization that would hold the deed.

Land Warriors Capital Company bought and then sold the land

This land conservation project was not Mount Grace Land Conservation's first attempt to buy hundreds of forestland acres around Lake Monomonac. Wilkins said about 10 years ago, MGLCT was outbid by the previous owner of the Land Warriors Captiol Company. She said, at that time, the business was known as the Automobile Credit Rehabilitation Company, and the 350 acres of forestland were valued at $1.3 million.

In 2023, Land Warriors Capital Company put the land up for sale for $885,000. In February, NCLT purchased 71 acres from Land Warriors Capital Company for $260,000, and a Lake Monomonac resident purchased the remaining 280 acres for $625,000.

The two conservation land organizations negotiated with the resident that he would hold onto 178 acres of the land and sell it to the organizations at a bargain price of $267,000.

In January 2024, NCLT became owners of 249 acres and sold 65 acres to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for $84,000. The remaining 184 acres of forestland will be used as a conservation area with a small four-spot gravel parking lot, marked trails with trailheads, an information kiosk, and benches.

Ellsworth said the Mass Division of Fisheries and Wildlife plans to build a boat launch deck on the acreage they bought, extending the Winchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area.

How did they raise the money?

"What's really unique about this project is it was almost entirely funded by private money," she said. "We worked with private foundations and the community around the lake to fund the project."

Seven private charitable foundations awarded grants to the two land conservation organizations, which they put toward the fundraiser goal. Wilkins said the Winchendon Spring Lake Association and the Monomonac Lake Property Owners Association also contributed significantly to the project efforts.

"It was a real community project because a lot of Winchendon people cared about this area, and they recognized how special it was not only for wildlife but for the community," she said.

The Town of Winchendon was not eligible for state grants because it had no up-to-date recreation and open space plan.

When can people start hiking around Lake Monomonac?

Lake Monomonac is open for recreational purposes. Ellsworth said locals have established unofficial trails in the area and have used them for many years, but NCLT plans to clean up the trails and improve the recreational experience.

Wilkins said they plan to complete the small gravel parking lot and a marked main trail by June. She said most of the trails need a lot of clearing to make them accessible to hikers, so volunteers are crucial.

The next volunteer work days to clean up the trails at Monomonac Hill are Saturday, May 18, at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday, June 11, at 4:30 p.m. Snacks, water refills, and tools are provided. Wilkins said they encourage people to bring tools if they have any. To volunteer, please register through the organization's website.

The NCLT plans to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony in August to officially mark the grand opening of the Monomonac Hill Conservation Area.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Winchendon forestland near Lake Monomonac bought by conservation trusts