In order to preserve the quality of life in their communities, protect natural landscapes, and to provide additional opportunities for recreation, Blackstone Valley officials and residents are actively increasing the amount of protected open spaces in their towns. The process of land acquisition often involves several entities working in partnership to negotiate complex and expensive deals. In addition to local government, participants may include civic-minded land owners, for profit developers, a non-profit land trust, state offices of environmental affairs/management, and other groups such as the Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, or the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Another approach to the protection of open spaces requires that developments preserve a certain amount of land as part of their project's approval, usually in exchange for some flexibility in local zoning regulations. Typically referred to as "conservation subdivision" or "cluster development," municipalities can realize substantial gains by requiring new growth to minimize impact on natural resources while creating newly accessible green space and conforming to community character. A similar strategy, known as "flexible development," can allow land to remain in private ownership, but requires permanent protection for green vistas or wooded, undeveloped land.

The Blackstone Valley is fortunate to have a number of land trusts leading the mission of open space preservation. Among these are:

• the Metacomet Land Trust
• the Cumberland Land Trust
• the Lincoln Land Trust
• the Glocester Land Trust
• the Grafton Land Trust
• the Mendon Land Bank
• the North Smithfield Land Trust
• the Greater Worcester Land Trust
• the New England Forestry Foundation (located in Groton)
  

[ top, right photograph by R.Christopher Noonan, Preservation Services, Inc.]