Houghton Farm

Rules, Regulations and other Information
Houghton Farm

Assessor’s Map and Parcel(s): 6.D-32

Acres: ~38.29

Acquired: Open Space was deeded to the town an additional 5 acres was placed under a Conservation Restriction, as part of the FOSPRD development of Houghton Farm Subdivision in 2011.

Features: Mostly upland forest with a mixed forest cover, perennial streams and outcrops throughout.

Access: Houghton Farm Lane off of Sugar Road. One to two car parking area off of Houghton Lane by the Conservation property sign adjacent to the guardrail and stream crossing.

Trails: HERE

Regulations for Use of Conservation Land

It is the intent and policy of the Conservation Commission that conservation land be maintained in a natural state. Some areas where appropriate the commission establishes trails to allow for passive recreational use. Any alteration to a Conservation property or trail by persons other than the Commission's authorized agents shall require the prior written permission of the Commission. The Conservation Land Rules and Regulations shall be adhered to at all times. Inclusive of the Dogs on Conservation Land Rules and Regulations. You may find these regulations on our town website or by clicking HERE.

In addition to the regulations referenced above, the following restrictions apply:

A. Prohibited Acts and Uses: Subject to the exceptions set forth in Paragraph B below, the following acts and uses are prohibited on the premises, and neither Town of Bolton, nor its successors or assigns, will perform the following acts on the premises conveyed and hereby nor permit others to use or perform thereon:

  1. Constructing, placing or allowing to remain any temporary or permanent building, dwelling, tennis court, landing strip, mobile home, swimming pool, asphalt or concrete pavement, sign, fence, billboard or other advertising display antenna, utility pole, tower, conduit line, or other temporary or permanent structure of facility on or above the premises except as provided for in section B below;
  2. Mining, excavating, dredging, or removing the Premises soil, loam, gravel or other mineral resource or natural deposits except as may be required for the maintenance of the premises as a wildlife habitat and conservation area;
  3. Placing, storing, or dumping soil, gravel, sand, rock, or other mineral deposit or resource on the premises except as may be required for the and/or maintenance of trails or fire roads;
  4. Placing filling, storing or dumping on the Premises stumps, refuse, trash, vehicle bodies or parts, or rubbish;
  5. Cutting, removing or otherwise destroying trees, grasses, or other vegetation except as may be required for woodland management or as may be needed to prevent non native invasive species from obliterating native species;
  6. The application of pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides of any kind except as may be necessary in the opinion of the Grantee for the emergency control of a pest species, noxious and/or invasive plant species, or to prevent the spread of diseases;
  7. Activities detrimental to drainage, flood control, erosion control, or soil conservation;
  8. The hunting of wildlife, and/or trapping of same, except as may be permitted by the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and wildlife or other regulatory authority as part of a program aimed at preventing the over population of a certain species to the detriment of those species and/or others;
  9. The use of off-road and similar motorized vehicles including snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and motorcycles, except for emergency or maintenance vehicles;
  10. Subdivision of the Premises or the conveyance of a portion or a part of the Premises alone, or the division or subdivision of the Premises (as compared to the conveyance of the Premises in its entirety which shall be permitted), and no portion of the Premises may be used towards building or development requirements on this or any other parcel. The Premises may not be combined, included, or joined with or considered as part of the individual dwelling lot area of any adjacent property or used in the calculation or determination of the minimum dwelling lot area(s) of any property as described in Sections 2.3.5 or 2.3.6.7(a)1 of the Bolton Zoning Bylaw; and
  11. Any other use of the Premises or activity which woud materially impair the purpose of this restriction as set forth in Section I above unless such use or activity is necessary for the protection of the conservation uses that are the subject of the restriction portions of this Deed in Trust.

B. Exceptions to Otherwise Prohibited Acts and Uses: The following acts and/or uses of the premises otherwise prohibited by the provisions set forth in Paragraph A above are permitted but only to the extent that such acts or uses do not materially impair significant conservation interests or negatively impact habitat areas of species subject to protection under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act:

  1. The construction, erection, use, maintenance, relocation, and/or removal of fences or gates as necessary or desirable in the opinion of the Grantee to control unauthorized use of the premises;
  2. The right to conduct or permit others to conduct management of the Premises for the benefit of wildlife (including without limitation, the planting of native, non-native species, the selective cutting, mowing, pruning, burning, application of herbicide by a licensed applicator, or the removal of vegetation) all as is necessary or desirable to enhance and promote varied types of wildlife habitat.
  3. The construction, erection, use, maintenance, relocation and removal of structures which aid the use of said Premises as a wildlife sanctuary, including, but not limited to wildlife nesting areas or shelter, feeding or nesting boxes and wildlife barriers intended to direct wildlife away from roadways;
  4. The use and maintenance of existing trails, and the construction, erection, use, maintenance, relocation, and/or removal of additional trails, wood roads, observation blinds, boardwalks, bridges, and stone walls;
  5. The construction and maintenance of swales, outflows, watercourses, and appurtenant structures as may be necessary for flood control, wetland area management, and/or stormwater runoff (the latter only in areas delineated on the subdivision plan as portions of the Stormwater Management System).
  6. The construction, erection, use, maintenance, relocation and/or removal of signs identifying the Premises and setting forth restrictions on the use of the premises, identifying the ownership and donors of the premises, and educating the public about trails, locations, natural features, flora and fauna, and the conservation values protected by public ownership of the Premises;
  7. The conduct of studies and the installation of associated equipment on the premises by agents of and/or consultants to the said Conservation Commission, by the Conservation Commission itself, or by the Bolton Conservation Trust (provided that that notice is given to the Conservation Commission of such studies and the Commission approves of the installation of any such associated equipment) in relation to the habitat areas located thereon or to engage in any other research, monitoring, or management activities intended to benefit any state-listed rare species’;
  8. The creation and maintenance of nesting habitat for any species found on the Premises, including state-listed rare species by the said Conservation Commission, its agencies or licensees.

Adopted 12/21/2010
The maps and data displayed on this site are for reference and planning purposes only. The Town of Bolton assumes no legal responsibility for the information contained herein. The items specified above are restrictions specific to the conservation property. They are included for transparency purposes only. They do not give anyone the right to alter conservation property. That is ONLY the authority of the conservation commission or its authorized agents.