Campbell Land (Sargent Rd), Boxborough

Campbell Land

In a big win for area residents and local wildlife, a collaborative conservation effort prevented these 21 acres along Sargent and Littlefield Roads from being developed into five or more house lots.

This delightful, forested property plays an important role in protecting local water resources, and it also serves as a link between nearby conserved lands.

When the proposed housing development threatened to carve up the property in 2022, SVT, the Town of Boxborough, and Boxborough Conservation Trust worked together to save it, with assistance from the Massachusetts LAND (Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity) grant program.

The Town now owns the land, and in June 2023, it granted a conservation restriction on the property to SVT to permanently protect the ecological features. The Town also has plans for trails that will link to an extensive trail network through the surrounding area.

Thank you to everyone who supported this conservation effort.

At a Glance

Location: Boxborough, near the Littleton town line
Size: Approximately 21 acres
Land Type: Forested upland along one of Boxborough’s scenic roads
Goal: Town of Boxborough to purchase and SVT to hold the conservation restriction
Project Partners: Town of Boxborough, Boxborough Conservation Trust, SVT

Campbell Land Project Maps

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Project Background

In early 2022, the Town of Boxborough was given a 120-day window to exercise its option to purchase the property. Faced with the prospect of losing the land to development (at least five house lots), residents voted at Town Meeting in May 2022 to purchase the property with Community Preservation Funds and other Town funds.

The short window provided little opportunity for the Town to apply for state grants to help with the purchase. SVT agreed to purchase the property as an interim buyer until the Town could reimburse us, take ownership, and grant us a conservation restriction on the land.

Boxborough Conservation Trust (BCTrust) also spearheaded a successful fundraising campaign in the community, raising over $200,000 to offset the Town’s costs.

Property Description

Situated along Sargent and Littlefield Roads, this land stretches across two parcels that are bisected by the Fitchburg MBTA line. The property is prime forested upland, and it has been actively managed for forestry since at least the 1980s, creating a diversity of habitats and a healthy understory.

The land sits within a larger open space corridor, with Town-owned lands to both the north and south and a privately owned parcel protected with a conservation restriction to the east. Wildlife such as bobcats, fishers, and owls rely on large spaces like this as they travel in search of prey and nesting spots.

Additionally, these lands are identified as resilient for their potential to allow for aquifer recharge and to protect against inland flooding, helping mitigate climate change effects.

Why Conserve This Land?

Protecting the Sargent Road land has:

Provided a buffer against the effects of climate change. The undeveloped woodlands sequester carbon, mitigate the impacts of inland flooding, filter air pollution from nearby highways, and safeguard diverse habitats that allow native species to thrive.
Protected critical groundwater resources. The upland forest filters groundwater and helps recharge an important aquifer.
Maintained an essential wildlife corridor. The property creates a link among several already conserved lands; its protection will ensure this link stays intact.
Provided outdoor passive recreation opportunities. The Town has plans for trails that will link to an extensive trail network through the surrounding area.
Maintained the rural landscape along one of Boxborough’s designated scenic roads.

Project Timeline

March 2022: The Town of Boxborough was given a 120-day window to exercise its option to purchase the property for a price of $1,250,000.
May 2022: The Town voted to acquire the land for open space at Town Meeting, and the Boxborough Conservation Trust raised over $200,000 to help offset the Town’s costs.
September 2022: The Town received the good news that it was awarded a LAND (Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity) grant from the Commonwealth towards the purchase!
October 2022: SVT purchased the property as an interim buyer on October 25, 2022, until the Town could reimburse us, take ownership, and forever protect it as open space.
December 2022: The Town purchased the property from SVT.
June 2023: The Town formally granted a conservation restriction to SVT to ensure that the ecological features of the property are permanently protected.