A land trust is an organization that is authorized by the Rhode Island House and Senate to hold land in fee simple terms and actively conserves land by undertaking or assisting in land acquisition or conservation easement acquisition, or by its stewardship of such land or easements. Land trusts have been in existence in the United Sates since 1891. However, it is only in the last four decades that land trusts began to proliferate, and they now form one of the fastest-growing and most successful conservation movements in American history. In Rhode Island, there are 54 land trusts. About 18 of them are “municipal” land trusts, meaning land trusts organized, funded and staffed by the town or municipal government in which they reside. The rest are private land trusts, like the Burrillville Land Trust.

The Burrillville Land Trust is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) public charity, non-profit private land trust in the Town of Burrillville. We were established in 2000 to maintain the rural character of our town. Private citizens, the town and statewide agencies all recognize that a private land trust can keep land in its natural state more so than a municipal land trust where land development is pressured by political, financial or short term needs. Our mission is to preserve and protect the rural character of the Town of Burrillville. By purchasing land outright, receiving donations or through conservation easements, the land trust acquires land and then preserves and protects the land from development. Once the land is held in a land trust, the land is managed and stays in a natural state, forever.

A conservation easement is a legal agreement, similar to a contract between a landowner and a qualified organization such as a land trust. The conservation easement, like all easements, restricts future activities on the land to protect the land’s conservation values and biodiversity while also allowing the landowner to continue owning the land. The landowner still owns the property and is able to sell the property, deed the property or modify the property according to the tenets of the conservation easement. The land trust holds two conservation easements that total 35.66 acres.

Land trusts conserve property that town’s people readily recognize as having beautiful views, high biodiversity, flowing streams, lakes and ponds that typify the rural character of a town of village. Once a property is protected, the land remains free from development. There are state and federal tax benefits as well. Studies have proven that municipal governments pay more for municipal services than is taken in through residential taxes. It makes sense. Land that is free from development costs less to maintain than land that is designed for residential development. There is also the benefit of having a local "boots on the ground" volunteers who monitor, manage and maintain the town as rural. As a land trust, our membership regularly walks our property or drives by to check on the land that the land trust owns. Our volunteers live in town and do so out of love for the place they call home.

Yes, a landowner who donates a conservation easement or land to a land trust, and meets certain criteria, may realize income tax benefits, property tax benefits and/or estate tax benefits. But before deciding if land conservation is in your best interest, always check with your legal and tax advisors.

First and foremost, we want to meet you and talk to you about your property. Landowners have different needs when it comes to deciding what to do with their land. Some want to sell for economic reasons, some want to donate their property for estate planning or to end paying taxes, and some want to memorialize their parents, a loved one or a good friend. The Burrillville Land Trust seeks out landowners who are willing to work with a land trust for the preservation of their property. When it comes to the land, the Burrillville Land Trust works to conserve lands in town that has specific conservation values: helping to maintain working farmland, or agricultural values, enhancing water resources, maintaining or improving wildlife habitats, maintaining or improving scenic vistas and more that benefit a neighborhood, a community and our town. Our goal is to maintain our sense of place.

Two of our properties have walking trails that are open to the public from dawn to dusk. You can find out more by clicking on the Hike Our Trails, here on the web site. Some of our properties are also open during guided hikes, snowshoe and cross country skiing, bird and nature walks and other events. The Burrillville Land Trust has also conducted, yoga classes, natural dye workshops, cemetery walks and more on our properties. Our goal is to make all trust property link with town, state and private open space land.

As of August 1, 2024, the land trust owns properties in fee simple arrangement totaling 293.14 acres. The land trust also holds two conservation easements that total 35.66 acres.

All of our funds come from grants from foundations, membership dues, donations from private citizens, the sale of bird and bat houses, rain barrel workshops and fund raising activities.

Within Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns, there are 55 land trusts. 18 of those are municipal land trusts directly connected to the municipal government they represent. The rest, 37 of them, are private non-profit land trusts like the Burrillville Land Trust. The Burrillville Land Trust is an all volunteer, public charity, private 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust. Our volunteers are just like you. The land trust is not connected with the Town of Burrillville government but enjoys a good working relationship with Town government and its Departments.

We hope that you consider joining the Burrillville Land Trust or keep us in mind in your estate planning process. Volunteers help the Burrillville Land Trust accomplish its mission. We actively seek out all volunteers who can attend our monthly meetings, take part in our special events, help create and maintain our trails, help out at the Burrillville Farmers' Market and take an active role in other activities. If you want to make a difference in the town where you live, we want you.

Our meetings take place the 2nd Monday of each month online using Zoom. Our meetings take place from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. We welcome visitors to our meetings. Just let us know ahead of time that you are coming so we can expect you. Call Paul A. Roselli at (401) 447-1560 or write burrillvillelandtrustfriends@gmail.com.