DNRT's 40th Anniversary Trail (and Geocaching) Challenge
In commemoration of its 40th Anniversary, DNRT is challenging individuals to walk the trails on 12 of our most popular Reserves during the year 2011. A DNRT "Pathtag" will be awarded to those who walk
at least one trail at
each Reserve. Those who walk
all the trails on these Reserves will also receive a free "Guide to Outdoor Recreation in Dartmouth" (to be published in June 2011) and a DNRT water bottle.
You can sign up for the Trail Challenge
here and keep track of your progress by checking off the trails as you walk them (see instructions at the site). A list of trails in the Trail Challenge are included below.* Only trails walked during 2011 count toward the trail challenge. Prizes can be collected at the DNRT office (404 Elm Street in Dartmouth) anytime after June 30, 2011.
For those who are interested in
geocaching, DNRT also has a special Geocaching Challenge. Any geocacher who discovers 40 or more geocaches hidden on DNRT Reserves and/or Town of Dartmouth-owned natural areas will receive a DNRT Pathtag. Interested geocachers or individuals wanting to learn more about this sport can log on to the geocaching website,
www.geocaching.com. In order to access this challenge cache page, click on “Play>Hide & Seek a Cache” and then search by the cache name: “DNRT's 40th Anniversary Geocaching Challenge.”
* The trails included in the Trail Challenge include:
Enter DNRT’s Photo Contest for our 2012 Calendar!
For the past 5 years, DNRT has been able to put together wonderful calendars from the many outstanding photographs sent to us by visitors to our Reserves. As long as you keep sending them in, we will keep making the calendars!
To have a chance at getting your photo in our 2012 Calendar, submit your 7 best photos to DNRT by August 1, 2011. The contest is open to all and entry is free. Photos must be taken on or of a DNRT Reserve. They may include people, animals, plants, historical features or landscapes. Each entrant may submit up to 7 photographs. High resolution digital photos are preferred, but 8” x 10” color or black-and-white prints may also be submitted. All entries must include the photographer's name, address, phone number, e-mail, where the photo was taken, when it was taken, and any comments the entrant wishes to make about the photo. The entrant must be the sole author and owner of the copyright in all photos entered. (Email photos to info(at)dnrt.org or drop off or mail disk to DNRT's office at 404 Elm Street, Dartmouth, MA 02748)
February 17, 2009
The Trustees of Reservations and Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust Announce Protection of 131-acre Cornell Farm in Dartmouth
 photo by Katie McMahon |
Thanks to the foresight of the Cornell family of Dartmouth, and to the
generosity of a multitude of conservation partners, The Trustees of Reservations and Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust are thrilled to announce the purchase and perpetual
conservation of the 131-acre Cornell Farm in Dartmouth.
more...(PDF file)
To all those who have generously supported this effort, THANK YOU!
2008 Farm Bill Extends Tax Benefits for CR Donations - May 2008
As part of the 2008 Farm Bill, which became law on May 22, Congress approved a two-year extension of the expanded federal tax incentives for conservation restriction (CR) donations. The incentives, first created in August 2006, had expired January 1st, but will now last through 2009.
The major reason most landowners choose to donate a conservation restriction is because they love the land; however, donating a CR is a major financial decision. The expanded incentives simply help make CRs possible for more landowners.
The amount that a qualifying CR lowers the market value of the land is considered a charitable contribution and the legislation allows CR donors to deduct a larger portion of their income over a longer period of time. Specifically, it allows donors to:
• Deduct up to 50% of their adjusted gross income in any year (up from 30%);
• Deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income if the majority of that income came from farming, ranching or forestry; and
• Continue to take deductions for as long as 16 years (up from 6 years).
According to the Land Trust Alliance, in 2006 and 2007 the tax incentive helped America’s land trusts increase the pace of land conservation by about a million acres a year. In Dartmouth, 2007 was DNRT’s second best year ever in terms of CR acres recorded.
Land trusts across the country and a diverse group of more than 50 national agricultural, conservation, and sportsmen’s organizations helped support this legislation. Our Senator John Kerry has been a strong advocate of these conservation incentives and is a co-sponsor of legislation to make the incentives permanent (Senate bill S. 469).
We are grateful to and inspired by those generous landowners who donate conservation restrictions to DNRT. The new law will make it even easier for others in our community to express their love of the land and permanently protect more of Dartmouth’s precious natural resources.
To learn more about conservation restrictions, please call Dexter at 508-991-2289.
For Release: January 18, 2008
DNRT HAS NEAR RECORD YEAR FOR CONSERVATION RESTRICTION DONATIONS
The year 2007 proved to be one of the best years ever for the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT) protecting land with conservation restrictions. During the year, DNRT signed conservation restrictions with 5 landowners, permanently protecting 162 more acres in Dartmouth, the second highest annual total of restricted acres in DNRT’s 37 year history and more than six times DNRT’s annual average. DNRT now holds 33 conservation restrictions and 5 conservation covenants on over 900 acres. This is in addition to the nearly 1500 acres that DNRT owns.
DNRT Executive Director, Dexter Mead, said, “We are extremely pleased to have been able to work with these generous landowners to forever protect more farmland, forestland, wetland and wildlife habitat in Dartmouth. The donation of a conservation restriction is an extraordinary gift to future generations.”
A conservation restriction is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust like DNRT which permanently limits future development of the land in order to protect its conservation values. DNRT does not own these lands—they remain privately owned—but DNRT has the responsibility to ensure that the donor and all future landowners abide by the terms of the restrictions. “We take on a huge commitment every time we accept a conservation restriction,” says Mead. “We have a duty on behalf of the donor, the public, and the town, state and federal governments to make sure that the restriction protects the property forever.”
Because of the recognized public benefits of a conservation restriction donation, which include the protection of wildlife habitat, waterways, scenic views and historic landscapes, landowners who donate qualifying conservation restrictions may receive federal and state income tax deductions. Conservation restrictions may also reduce estate taxes, helping those who wish to pass their land on to their heirs.
The restrictions recorded by DNRT in 2007 include:
• 18 acres of farm fields, woodlands and salt marsh between Slocum’s River and Gaffney Road, owned by John and Tally Garfield. This restriction was given jointly to DNRT and The Coalition for Buzzards Bay.
• 55 acres of agricultural land and forestland off Division Road, owned by the Sylvan Nominee Trust.
• Woodlands, salt marsh and a small open field covering a total of 11.5 acres, with about 1500 feet of frontage on Apponagansett Bay, owned by Walter and Emily Fay. One of the few remaining woodlands on Apponagansett Bay, this property has been in Emily Fay’s family since 1900.
• The addition of a 4-acre open field to an old 2.2 acre restriction owned by the Ross family. This property is adjacent to DNRT-owned property in the Nonquitt Marsh.
• More than 73 acres off Old Fall River Road, which will protect box turtle and four-toed salamander habitat adjacent to the Gendreau Estates housing development.
The Gendreau Estates restriction was required by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, while the other four restrictions were all voluntary donations.
Mead says that more conservation restriction donations are already “in the pipeline” for 2008. “Although the tax benefits are nice, most people donate conservation restrictions because they care deeply about their land.” Dartmouth landowners interested in considering this tool as a way to protect their land for future generations can contact him at 508-991-2289.
