The Hopkinton Area Land Trust (HALT) is a non-profit conservation organization directly involved in helping to protect natural, scenic, recreational, agricultural, historic and cultural property.

The Land Trust was established in response to the many growing issues that are facing our rural town and surrounding areas. We seek to give landowners a conservation option when they are making decisions on the use of their land. Our growing community is facing the many pressures that development brings, and to keep the balance we see the need to preserve open land and natural resources in order to keep the rural character that makes the Hopkinton area so attractive to all of us. As a private non-profit organization outside the realm of politics, The Land Trust can assume leadership in wise land management and flexibility in dealing with the specific desires of land donors.

To preserve, protect, conserve, and enhance the natural resources within and around the town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, including water resources, marshlands, swamps, woodlands, underground water supplies, open spaces, land areas of historical significance, and wildlife habitat, in order to maintain and improve the quality of life in the town of Hopkinton for present and future generations;

to educate the public in the area of conservation, ecology, forestry practices, wildlife preservation and land use planning in order to protect open space, plant, and animal life therein;

to encourage and facilitate the use of land conservation, recreation, and wildlife preservation by cooperating with the town of Hopkinton, its elected officials and committees, Hopkinton landowners, and other individuals and organizations having similar purposes;

to acquire, hold, maintain, and enforce such conservation and preservation restrictions, easements and other interests in land, water areas, and structures as it deems appropriate and in the public interest; and

generally do all acts and things incidental to or in furtherance of, the purposes of the Corporation of Chapter 180 of Massachusetts General Laws and section 501( c )(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Landowners who love and care about their land and about its future, may consider the Hopkinton Area Land Trust as a vehicle for preservation of their land. Property owners who give land or grant conservation restrictions on their land to the Land Trust will benefit from reduction in real estate and income taxes.

Whether you have lived in Hopkinton all your life or just moved here yesterday, we can all agree that we love this town for its beauty, natural resources, and for the pride and the commitment to the community to deal with the rapid expansion and resulting needs of the Town. Experience has shown that land set aside as permanent open space has a restraining influence on future tax rates. New homes tend to increase the tax rates by making demands for more town services than they can pay for in taxes. Hopkinton can maintain its rural character and natural resources only if protection of our natural values are coordinated with planned town expansion.

We hope we can count on your choice to become a Friend of the Hopkinton Area Land Trust. We all have a lot at stake in our Town’s constant battle to balance wise growth and conservation. The Hopkinton Area Land Trust is presently playing a very important role in that balancing act, and your involvement and support is vital to our success now and in the future.

Individual Friend $10         Senior Friend $15
Family Friend $25                Associate Friend $50
Supporting Friend $100     Sustaining Friend $300
Corporate Friend $500

All contributions to the Hopkinton Area Land Trust are deductible for income tax purposes.