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About the Land Bank Page 1 of 2 ABOUT THF,_ LAND BANK Martha's Vineyard Island has witnessed unprecedented change in the most recent decades. Farming declined; centuries-old pastures and fields were Lett to knot into vines and shrubs. The "freedom to roam" was curtailed as fences were erected across trails, beaches were gated off and hunting was restricted. Few of these problems could be solved by planning boards and conservation commissions only; the Vineyard needed a new type of land agency. In the midst of an upspiraling building boom, island voters created the land bank in 1986 and charged it with reversing their losses. Nearly 15 years have elapsed and more than 1500 acres have now been conserved. Although this sounds impressive, it is actually mighty small; just two percent of the land area on the island. The commission's revenue--generated by a two percent public surcharge on most real estate transfers occurring in the six towns--is modest compared to need, ensuring that islanders can expect the land bank to protect only a fraction of their community. And this money must go far. Farmers, hikers, beach-combers, birders, hunters and many, many others are all constituents of the land bank and all deserve to have some land set aside for their specia] needs. 'l~he land bank's private-sector counterparts, fortunately, help out. Private trusts on the island such as the Sheriffs Meadow Foundation and the Nature Conservancy specialize in creating wildlife sanctuaries of their lands; their extraordinary work across the Vineyard frees the land bank to pursue a more diverse mission, where some land bank properties are reserved for wildlife while others are used for agriculture, hunting and/or many other types of conservation uses. Balance is key in land bank property management. Environmental protection leads the list of land bank goals with public access encouraged where and when possible. Trails avoid sensitive areas. signs advise of special precautions visitors need take, and attendants are hired when necessary to oversee use. The land bank is a rare breed. Neither a sanctuary program nor a park system, it is a middle ground where the highest virtues of conservation can be realized: public enjoyment of nature, where limits and restrain secure the natural world's future and prosperity. VISITING LAND BANK PROPERTIES Land bank properties are, except during the hunting season, open daily to the general public from sunrise to sundown. Trails are marked throughout and boundary markers indicate where public land ends and private land begins. The land bank posts map signs at many properties' trailheads and is installing others where needed. Hand-held maps of each property showing their trail networks and natural features are available at the land bank office and at some trailheads. The land bank has begun to make a number of its properties more accessible to people who use , wheelchairs and to people who have difficulty walking or other disabilities. Pecoy Point Preserve (off Pulpit Rock Road in Oak Bluffs) and Greal Rock Bight Preserve (off North Road in Chilmark) feature http://www.mvlandbank.com/infopage.htm 4/28/2005