Conservation Foundation Protects Buildable Lot On Muddy Creek

CHATHAM – More land at the headwaters of Muddy Creek has been protected from development.

 The Chatham Conservation Foundation (CCF) purchased a 1.7-acre buildable lot that abuts other conservation parcels along the creek. The lot is heavily wooded and was one of only two vacant parcels remaining adjacent to the waterway, according to the non-profit land trust.

 The parcel adjoins a “vast amount of protected land in the Muddy Creek headwaters (owned by CCF, [Harwich Conservation Trust] and the town), keeping it pristine for paddlers and a safe place for nesting birds,” a Foundation press release reads. Flora and fauna abound on the property, with native species such as oak, pine, blueberry and shadbush, according to CCF Executive Director Lauren Arcomano. Neighbors have reported seeing bald eagles in the area. It contains about 325 feet of frontage along the creek.

 “Luckily it has very few invasive species which need to be managed,” she added in an email.

Located off Countryside Drive, the land was purchased for $350,000 from the estate of Otis T. Russell on Dec. 6. It will not be open to the public, according to the Foundation.

 Land with a conservation restriction deeded to the Foundation in 1969 abuts the newly acquired property, which is just a few hundred yards across the creek from 5.7 acres of waterfront land owned by the trust. Also in the immediate vicinity is a 17-acre parcel with 1,400 feet of shoreline owned by the Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT), as well as a 1.75-acre town-owned parcel, according to the Foundation. 

 “At this time, CCF has managed to preserve many thousands of feet of shoreline of the Muddy Creek, including owning a number of parcels on the Harwich side,” Arcomano wrote. “ We have worked closely with HCT and helped fund their acquisitions along the Muddy Creek. We were also gifted the beach property by Jon Vaughn in honor of his late wife.”

 The Foundation also announced a new design of its website at ccfinc.org. The site includes a list of CCF properties, trail guides, webinars, news and events, educational resources and volunteer opportunities. Also featured on the site is a link to a Cape-wide conservation calendar, which includes programs and events sponsored by conservation organizations from throughout the region. The calendar was launched in September and is hosted by the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts. 

 Established in 1962, the Chatham Conservation Foundation is the region’s oldest land trust. The non-profit organization holds 224 properties either under ownership or conservation restriction totalling more than 800 acres of protected land. 

 With much of Chatham developed, opportunities to acquire open space are limited, Arcomano said, but the Foundation continues to seek “ecologically important properties which help maintain important features such as nesting sites, wildlife corridors, water protection and coastal resilience.”

 “We are always grateful for donations,” she added.

Arcomano said CCF is looking forward to organizing a kayak trip on the Muddy River next summer.