Laurel Ridge, Hopkinton

View of Whitehall Reservoir from Piazza Lane Property, Hopkinton
Piazza Lane Woods, April 2025. Photo by SVT Staff.
Piazza Lane Path Through the Woods, April 2025. Photo by SVT Staff.

Situated on a peninsula that extends into Whitehall Reservoir, the 20.5-acre Laurel Ridge features diverse wildlife habitats, a wonderful trail network, and stunning water views.

When the landowners offered SVT a chance to permanently conserve this property, we immediately said "yes"!

The Laurel Ridge property is situated along Piazza Lane and is part of an important corridor of conserved lands in the Hopkinton-Upton area. In addition to storing carbon and mitigating the effects of climate change, this forested land adds a buffer of protection to the pristine water in the Whitehall Reservoir. And with trails that connect to those on Whitehall State Park, the property is already a popular place for hiking, birdwatching, and fishing.
 

Project At a Glance
  • In September 2024, the landowners offered to sell a conservation restriction (CR) to SVT for the bargain price of $150,000.
  • This is a small fraction of the appraised $3.3 million value if Laurel Ridge were to be sold for development.
  • SVT is currently raising funds to purchase the CR by the end of the summer.
  • Our fundraising deadline is July 30.
  • The CR will permanently protect Laurel Ridge from development and ensure that it continues to protect the water quality, provide habitat for wildlife, and offer recreational opportunities to area residents.
     
Please help protect this land!

Your donation, in any amount, will help SVT purchase the CR, ensure the land can never be developed, and guarantee permanent public access to the trails.

Donate Today

Your gift to this land protection project will cover a variety of associated costs such as the fully allocated cost of staff time, transaction costs, and a contribution to the long-term land stewardship expenses and legal defense to protect the conservation values of any SVT property. Your donation may help cover any previously incurred expenses connected with this project. Any funds raised beyond what is needed for this specific land protection project will be allocated to future similar conservation efforts.

Laurel Ridge Project Map

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Property Description

Laurel Ridge is part of a 70-acre forested peninsula that boasts high biodiversity, intact ecological integrity, and important ecosystem functions. 

  • The property itself features high-quality woodlands with diverse shrub and tree species, including mountain laurel, American chestnut, oaks, maple, and Eastern hemlock.
  • The land and the nearby conservation areas provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including several Species of Greatest Concern in the Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan.
  • Both breeding birds and migratory species find habitat in this undeveloped area.
  • Portions of Laurel Ridge have also been identified as Aquatic Core Habitat by BioMap3, a tool produced by MassWildlife to identify the habitats and lands that are most important to protect for rare species and other biodiversity values.
  • BioMap3 also identifies the abutting Whitehall Reservoir as Rare Species Habitat Core.
  • The high quality of the water in Whitehall Reservoir is facilitated by the surrounding protected lands.
  • The property also provides important natural services, including carbon sequestration, water purification, and flood mitigation.

In addition, Laurel Ridge has an existing trail network that connects to the trails in Whitehall State Park that encircle the Reservoir. The trails are popular with area residents, many of whom may not realize that they are crossing unprotected, private land. 

Why Protect This Land

The 20.5-acre Laurel Ridge sits on a peninsula of land that extends into Whitehall Reservoir and is located in a region with several important conservation areas: Upton State Forest, Hopkinton State Park, Whitehall State Park, Whitehall Conservation Area, Cameron Woods Conservation Area, and SVT’s Whitehall Woods.

By purchasing a conservation restriction on Laurel Ridge, we will permanently add another parcel to this extensive conservation corridor. 

  • The CR will permanently protect the the forest from development so it can continue to sequester carbon and provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife.
  • The protection of the land will also add protection to the water quality of Whitehall Reservoir and two nearby public water supply wells.
  • The CR will also permanently guarantee public access to the trails that cross this land and connect to those in Whitehall State Park. The property will continue to be open to the public for hiking, birdwatching, and fishing.

The Conservation Effort

The current owners of Laurel Ridge have long recognized the value of conserving land on this peninsula in order to protect wildlife habitat and the reservoir. In 1993, the landowners began acquiring parcels on the peninsula with the intention of eventually adding the parcels to the regional conservation complex.

Now, the landowners are ready to act on those plans by selling the conservation restriction (CR) to SVT. In September 2024, they approached SVT with an offer to sell the CR for $150,000, a significant bargain over the appraised development value of the land.

SVT wants to act quickly to accept this offer to ensure the land is permanently protected. If we fail to do this, the land could eventually be sold to someone who would prefer to develop it. This would devastate the ecological features of the land and impair the water quality of Whitehall Reservoir, and it could prevent public access to the current trail network.
 

Benefits of a Conservation Restriction

When SVT acquires the CR, the CR will become part of the deed for the property and will be binding on all future landowners. The land will be permanently protected from development, and the trails will always remain open for public access. SVT will be responsible for enforcing the terms of the CR and ensuring the conservation values of the land remain intact forever. 

Fundraising Campaign

SVT's total project cost for the acquisition of the CR is $174,330:

  • $150,000 purchase price of the conservation restriction
  • $15,330 project costs, including legal fees, real estate transaction, and administrative costs
  • $9,000 long-term stewardship costs to ensure the ecological features of the property remain protected 

To raise this amount, we are seeking $110,000 in grants from private foundations, and the SVT Board of Directors has agreed to contribute $54,330 of internal funds. 

We need to raise $10,000 to close the gap and purchase the CR.

Please help us reach our goal and permanently protect Laurel Ridge!

Thank you to the William P. Wharton Trust for its $15,000 grant in support of this project and to an anonymous funding source that contributed $80,000 to the project.

Your gift to this land protection project will cover a variety of associated costs such as the fully allocated cost of staff time, transaction costs, and a contribution to the long-term land stewardship expenses and legal defense to protect the conservation values of any SVT property. Your donation may help cover any previously incurred expenses connected with this project. Any funds raised beyond what is needed for this specific land protection project will be allocated to future similar conservation efforts.