Harwich Conservation Trust seeks $450,000 to preserve 2.3 acres near Hawksnest State Park

Michael Locke of the Harwich Conservation Trust said the organization is raising $450,000 to acquire 2.3 acres of land offered for sale by Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church so the parcel can be preserved rather than developed.

Locke said the parcel abuts an existing 400-acre assemblage of conserved land that includes Hawksnest State Park, town conservation land and Trust holdings, and sits within the Pleasant Bay watershed and the Six Ponds district of critical planning concern. "The total project goal is 450,000," Locke said.

The Trust bid for the property after the church decided to subdivide the five-acre site and place 2.3 acres on the market to raise funds for a parsonage. Because the church required a quick closing, the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trust Regional Land Trust Service Center agreed to act as a buy-and-hold agent while the Trust raises funds, Locke said. The buy-and-hold arrangement temporarily removes the parcel from the market while the organization seeks donations and grants to cover the purchase price.

Locke said preserving the parcel would create a convenient trailhead to improve public access to miles of trails in the Six Ponds area, calling the proposal the "Six Ponds Hawksnest Woods Project." He said the Trust’s website has project details and a link to the new newsletter with the story.

The Trust described the site as part of a landscape that includes Oliver’s Pond and Hawks Nest Pond and lies near existing conservation holdings, which the Trust says increases its conservation value. The organization invited community support and said interested donors can find more information at harwichconservationtrust.org.

Next steps: the Trust is continuing fundraising and outreach; no closing date or schedule for trail development was specified on the broadcast.