Where does money come from to fund Winchester Conservation Projects?

In the past, town forests have been logged and the money from selling the timber was deposited to the WCC fund and was used for any expenses. There is still standing timber in town forests and some may be cut when it is mature, under the guidelines and advice of a licensed state forester but the WCC has decided to preserve the majority of our forest lands as open space and to focus on the establishment of trails and the protection of animal habitat in Winchester. 

A portion of the change of use tax received by the town is deposited into the Conservation Fund.

The change of use tax is not part of the tax bill that you receive from the town; it is a tax that is levied for taking land out of current use, usually for the purpose of building a house or commercial project. The intent is to use those taxes to balance the drain that development puts on a community's resources.

Open spaces are good for the municipal bottom line. Studies have shown that people in towns with more open space pay lower taxes than those in more developed communities. Open space costs towns less to provide services for than it generates in tax income, while year-round residential properties cost towns more for service than they generate in income.

Grants from federal, state, and private organizations concerned with conservation issues.

Whenever possible and practical, grants are applied for to cover part of the costs of the WCC projects.

Town budget line item (Conservation Commission)

This is part of your tax bill, and makes up about 0.1% of the town budget or 0.025% of your tax bill. It can be used for internal transfers to cover services and supplies by other departments.

Part of this fund is used each year to provide a scholarship to a student to attend Barry Conservation Camp.