549 Main Street, Acton

549 Main Street, Acton. Photo by Acton Water District.
549 Main Street, Acton. Photo by Acton Water District.
Isaac Davis Trail, Acton. Photo by SVT Staff.
Isaac Davis Trail, Acton. Photo by SVT Staff.
Success! July 2024

On July 18, 2024, approximately 57 acres of open space were permanently protected when the Acton Water District granted a conservation restriction (CR) on its 549 Main Street property to the Acton Conservation Commission and SVT.

The conservation of this property—which was critical to protecting the town water supply, the Nashoba Brook corridor, wildlife habitat, trail connections, scenic values, and public access—was years in the making. 

The collaborative effort was a success thanks to many partners and contributors: the Acton Water District, the Town of Acton, SVT, the Acton Conservation Trust, the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), Acton residents, and the Conant family, who agreed to sell the land at below its market value to the Water District in order to protect it.

The Acton Water District now owns the land, and the CR is co-held by the Acton Conservation Commission and SVT, ensuring the land's ecological integrity, water supply resources, and public access will be permanently protected. The trails were officially open for public use in Fall 2025--click here to download a trail map.

Thank you to everyone who supported this conservation effort. 

This land was protected thanks to a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program action grant and Drinking Water Supply Protection grant (both from the Commonwealth), Acton Water District funds, Town of Acton funds, funds contributed by Acton Conservation Trust, the Family of George and Doris Meyers, and additional funds contributed by a private foundation. Additional information on this project can be found on the Acton Water District’s website.

Project At a Glance

  • Location: 549 Main Street, Acton (at the corner of Main and Brook Streets). The property is traversed by the historic Isaac Davis Trail and sits adjacent to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, as well as Nashoba Brook.
  • Size: Approximately 57 acres
  • Land Type: Potential vernal pools, wetlands and riparian corridor for Nashoba Brook, wooded uplands, and scenic open meadow
  • Goal: Acton Water District to purchase, and the Acton Conservation Commission and SVT to co-hold the conservation restriction
  • Project Partners: Acton Water District, Town of Acton, SVT, Acton Conservation Trust

Project Map

549 Main Street Acton--Drone Map Image

Why Protect This Land

Protecting the 549 Main Street land:

  • Safeguards the quality and quantity of the local drinking water supply resources, allowing for the Acton Water District to fulfill their mission to provide water to the community.
  • Protects the riparian corridor of Nashoba Brook, which is situated adjacent to the property, and flows to the Assabet River.
  • Enhances the community’s resilience to the effects of climate change. The undeveloped woodlands sequester carbon, mitigate the impacts of inland flooding, provide cooling shade, and protect diverse habitats that allow native species to thrive.
  • Conserves areas identified as priority habitat for rare species.
  • Preserves the integrity of one of the last remaining unpaved segments still in existence of the historic Isaac Davis Trail.
  • Ensures public access to existing trails, and provides a key connection to the adjacent Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.
  • Maintains the scenic rural landscape along Main and Brook Streets with a view of the open meadow and wooded areas beyond.

Project Timeline

  • March 15, 2023: At the Annual Meeting of the Acton Water District, voters appropriated $4.9 million to acquire the property from the Conant family (this was a below market value sale facilitated by the Conant family).
  • May 1, 2023: At Town Meeting, Acton voters overwhelmingly approved the use of more than $1 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to purchase the conservation restriction from the Acton Water District. The CPA funds will help offset some of the purchase price for the Water District, in addition to other funding contributions, to include grant funds awarded to the Water District from EEA's Drinking Water Supply Protection program and EEA's Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program.
  • December 7, 2023: The Acton Water District acquired the 57-acre property.
  • July 18, 2024: The Acton Water District formally granted a conservation restriction to the Acton Conservation Commission and SVT to ensure that the myriad conservation values of the property are permanently protected.