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Photo courtesy of Hale Education. Boats line the shore of Hale Education's South Beach.
6-25-2026 9:48pm
Landmark Hale Conservation Effort Awaits Final State Signatures
Darlene Cancell
Editor
The communities of Westwood and Dover are at the threshold of a historic moment in Massachusetts conservation, as two conservation restrictions (CRs) that Hale Education, Inc. has envisioned for more than a decade to protect its land from development – one in Dover and one and Westwood - appear to be just around the corner from realization. When the CRs are in place, Hale-owned land will become the largest contiguous tract of land in the state to be protected in over a century, and the largest privately protected and publicly accessible piece of land in all of Greater Boston, according to conservationists.
Hale recently obtained unanimous approvals for the two CRs covering over 1100 acres of its land from both Dover’s Board of Selectmen on June 9 and Westwood’s Select Board on June 22.
That leaves the final step of presenting the CRs to the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) for final signatures.
Preliminary discussions have already been held with EEA, beginning at least a year ago. The state agency can be expected to already be familiar with the content of the CRs that it will be asked to sign.
Rob Warren, a conservation restriction specialist who has years of experience working with The Trustees of Reservations, appeared remotely before both Dover and Westwood leaders. He explained highlights of the CRs, noting that one CR covers 972 acres and the other CR covers 137 acres. The vast majority of the land will be protected from future development, he said. Development will be limited to 220 acres that have been defined as Hale’s program areas, where buildings and infrastructure may be added. He noted, however, not all 220 acres will actually be developed. That acreage also includes ledges, wetlands and unbuildable patches.
“It really is aimed at preserving the land and the landscape and the natural features of it while providing for the camp and educational use that Hale has long owned it for,” said Mr. Warren in his appearance before the Dover Board of Selectmen.
The holder of the CRs will be The Trustees of Reservations, described by the organization’s Regional Vice President-MetroWest D.A. Hayden as the largest land conservation organization in Massachusetts, oldest such organization in the country, and the “only partner” who could make the CRs become a reality in negotiations between the state and Hale. The Trustees recently introduced the public to another swath of protected land with the June 20 opening of Millborn Farm in Sherborn and Millis to the public, after recently acquiring the property.
Along with preserving open space, the CRs on Hale’s land are expected to contribute to habitat preservation and carbon sequestration.
“This is a wonderful legacy for the Select Board. Thank you very much,” Ms. Hayden said at the Westwood meeting.
"So proud to be a small part of this,” responded Westwood Select Board Chair Marianne LeBlanc Cummings.
“This is a generational achievement,” said Hale’s Executive Director Aaron Morehouse at Dover’s June 9 meeting. “By protecting this land, we’re really cementing our mission, which is ‘Nature for All’…access to this land in a way that provides transformative experiences for youth from across the region and for the communities right here.”
Dover Board of Selectmen member Robyn Hunter said, “I am absolutely grateful and couldn’t be happier with the outcome.” She added, “The taxpayers did not have to foot a bill, which is something we were very concerned about because we all agreed that conservation of the land was paramount to all of us. I do know that many Dover citizens privately contributed, and again, I would like to thank all of them for their commitment to open space in Dover and continuing the legacy of Amelia Peabody,” she said referring to the Dover philanthropist.
