Photo from The Trustees
The Trustees of Reservations are $1.1 million away from preserving 20.5 acres of land adjacent to Crane Beach and Castle Hill in Ipswich. The new parcel would join an existing 2,100 acres, adding new walking trails, expanding the water frontage, and protecting the land from private development. If private donors contribute a total of $750,000, an anonymous donor has pledged an additional $500,000 to the cause. The group needs another $289,000 to meet the challenge.
“This place needs to be saved for current and for future generations,” said Barbara Erickson, president and CEO of the Trustees. “That’s the legacy we need to leave behind.”
The parcel, known as the Steep Hill tract, sits between the sweeping sands of Crane Beach, one of the North shore’s most popular outdoor spots, and the historical grandeur of Castle Hill, both of which were donated to The Trustees by the Crane family. With its wooded paths, maritime scrubland, fields, and a 1,000-foot stretch of beach, the land provides refuge to shorebirds, including the endangered piping plover; it has also been designated by the state as a habitat crucial to maintaining biodiversity.
Steep Hill is vulnerable to potential development because the land was not included in the original donation to The Trustees. If the parcel were acquired by a private party, it could be developed and existing easements could increase traffic on now-tranquil Castle Hill, a fate the land preservation organization hopes to avoid.
“If a private beach club or newly constructed home were to dissect this estate, it would not only be a shame for the ecology and the history, but also for the local community and the greater region,” Erickson said.
The current owner has agreed to sell the plot to the Trustees for $2.5 million. The group, however, does not have the money in its existing budget and is asking supporters and Ipswich residents to contribute to the purchase before the scheduled closing date of September 28, one of the tightest deadlines it has ever faced. The fundraising campaign kicked off in June and $1.4 million has been raised thus far.
To learn more and make a contribution, visit thetrustees.org/steephill and click on Save Steep Hill.