Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) and the Town of Wayland have announced that 10.22 acres of land on Hazelbrook Lane in Wayland will be permanently protected from development, thanks to the gift of a Conservation Restriction (CR) on the property from long-time residents John and Molly Beard. Under the terms of the CR, which was recorded on December 23, 2014, the Beards will continue to own and manage the land but it will be protected from development in perpetuity.
Lisa Vernegaard, Executive Director of SVT, recognizes the Beards’ “lifelong commitment” as dedicated conservationists. “By donating a gift of a Conservation Restriction on their land, John and Molly Beard have given the community and the visitors to Hazel Brook Reservation an extraordinary gift.” The wooded property is long and narrow and includes frontage on Stone’s Pond, through which Hazel Brook flows before eventually emptying into the Sudbury River. It includes trails that connect to SVT’s Hazel Brook Reservation, which have long been available for use by the public through the Beard’s generosity, and which are now permanently protected through this transaction. Across Stone’s Pond from the Beard property lie the Lincoln Road Fields, which were also permanently protected when the Town of Wayland purchased a CR on them earlier in 2014.
SVT’s Director of Land Protection, Christa Collins, notes the importance of the Beard CR as a link in a large network of protected land. “The Beard property serves as a gateway to over 500 acres of conservation land that includes several SVT properties, the Weston Town Forest, Wayland’s Plimpton Land, and the Town of Lincoln’s McDowell/VanLear Land and eventually, MassAudubon’s Drumlin Farm.”
”Molly and I are so lucky,” said John Beard, “to have had the opportunity to buy that gorgeous piece of property many years ago, and we are equally lucky now to have found a way to keep it just as is so that future generations can enjoy the trails, the scenery and the thrill of being outdoors. SVT and the Town of Wayland have been wonderful partners in our effort to preserve this property permanently.” Likewise, the Wayland Conservation Commission considers the Town of Wayland “extremely fortunate” for residents like the Beards.
Sudbury Valley Trustees, a regional land trust, is dedicated to conserving land and protecting wildlife habitat in the Concord, Assabet, and Sudbury river basin which encompasses 36 towns, including Wayland.
