Conservation

Numerous agencies work individually and together to preserve the beauty and open space of Martha's Vineyard. Many of these lands are open to the public for enjoyment. Be sure to take time to explore the beauty of our conservation lands during your visit. And when visiting wildlife areas, please respect these conservation use guidelines.

The Martha's Vineyard Land Bank Commission
508-627-7141
P.O. Box 2057
Edgartown MA 02539
mvlbc@capecod.net
Hours: 9 am to 4 pm, Mon-Fri.

The Martha's Vineyard Land Bank was established by law in 1986 to acquire land and interests in land on Martha's Vineyard. The land may be acquired for any of the following purposes: protection of water supplies, aquifer recharge areas, farms, beaches, dunes, pond frontages and their adjoining backlands, agriculture, forests, marshes and other wetlands, scenic vistas, nature or wildlife preserves, trails (including easements for trails), and passive recreational uses.

The Land Bank Commission is composed of seven members, one elected by each of the six towns, who serve staggered three-year terms, and one appointed by the Massachusetts secretary of environmental affairs. Authority is shared by Land Bank advisory boards in each of the member towns. Each of the following town bodies appoints one member to its advisory board: selectmen, planning board, conservation commission, board of health, park and recreation commission, assessors, and (if there is one) water board.

The Land Bank is funded by a two percent fee on real estate transactions. One percent enters a central fund. One percent enters a fund directed by the town in which the transferred property is located. Certain kinds of transfers are exempt from the fee by law.

Land is nominated for acquisition by the Land Bank Commission, any Land Bank advisory board, or any individual. Both the Land Bank Commission and the town's advisory board must agree on any acquisition within that town and for any use of a town's Land Bank funds. Each piece of property acquired must have a management plan, and funds may be used to carry out such plans for administering the program. Once acquired, lands are managed for a variety of community benefits, ranging from low-impact passive public recreation, to aesthetics, to wildlife conservation.

The Conservation Partnership of Martha's Vineyard
The Wakeman Center
RFD 319X
Vineyard Haven MA 02568
508-693-9588
Five prominent Martha's Vineyard land conservation organizations—the Land Bank, the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, The Trustees of Reservations, and the Vineyard Conservation Society—work together to conserve the Island's open spaces and special character while time remains.

The Vineyard Open Land Foundation
RFD 319X
Vineyard Haven MA 02568
508-693-3280
Promotes conservation through innovative land-use planning.

The Massachusetts Audubon Society
P.O. Box 494
Vineyard Haven MA 02568
508-627-4850
felixneck@massaudubon.org
The Society operates the popular Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary off the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road on Felix Neck Drive. Open year-round, it offers miles of trails, an interpretive center, and active natural history programs for adults and children.

The Nature Conservancy
The Wakeman Center
RR1 Box 319X
Vineyard Haven MA 02568
508-693-6287
An international non-profit organization dedicated to preserving plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on earth by preserving the land and waters they need to survive. TNC is a science-based conservation organization that works with Island partners.

The Sheriff's Meadow Foundation
RR1 Box 319X
Vineyard Haven MA 02568
508-693-5207
info@sheriffsmeadow.org
www.sheriffsmeadow.org
A Vineyard land trust chartered in 1959 whose mission is to conserve, administer, and manage natural habitats for wildlife, and all other lands that represent the beautiful, rural, natural character of Martha's Vineyard. The Foundation has conserved a total of 2,300 acres in all six Island towns.

The Trustees of Reservations
135 Beach Road
PO Box 2106
Vineyard Haven MA 02568
508-693-7662
www.thetrustees.org
www.vineyard.net/org/Trustees
The Trustees own and manage five exceptional properties on Martha's Vineyard, totaling more than 2,000 acres. Long Point Wildlife Refuge, Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Wasque Reservation, Menemsha Hills Reservation, and Mytoi Garden offer opportunities for both active and passive recreation. Spend a day at the beach, explore Cape Poge lighthouse, go fishing, or take a hike at our properties. Guided natural history, lighthouse, and fishing tours by truck or kayak are offered at Cape Poge and Long Point or just explore on your own. The Trustees of Reservations is a member-supported non-profit conservation organization that preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value and works to protect special places across the state. When off-Island, be sure to visit one of our 88 other Reservations throughout Massachusetts.

The Vineyard Conservation Society, Inc.
The Wakeman Center
P.O. Box 2189
Vineyard Haven MA 02568
508-693-9588
vcsinc@vineyard.net
www.vineyard.net/org/vcs
The Vineyard Conservation Society is a member-supported, non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the environment of Martha's Vineyard through land preservation, education, and advocacy. Founded in 1965, VCS works with landowners, colleague organizations, and public officials to conserve land, monitor growth and development, promote environmental awareness, encourage public participation, and advocate on behalf of the natural resources of the Island of Martha's Vineyard.

VCS's efforts have resulted in the permanent protection of thousands of acres, including aquifer protection, recreational agricultural, and critical habitat lands. VCS accomplishes this through a variety of techniques, including bequest, outright gift, and through assembling financial packages drawing on state, municipal, and private funding sources.

VCS also sponsors a wide range of public activities, most of them free. These include the popular guided Winter Walks program, summer lectures at the Wakeman Center, educational seminars and workshops on a range of environmental topics, and the annual Earth Day all-Island beach clean-up.