For Immediate Release Contact: Wendy Fox

July 23, 2007 617-626-1453

STATE ANNOUNCES NEW GUIDE ON PRESERVING HISTORIC LANDSCAPES THROUGH PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Historic landscapes throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are visible and potent reminders of what makes the Bay State special. Massachusetts is nationally recognized for its historic preservation efforts, and while the preservation efforts of the past have left Massachusetts with a rich heritage of historic landscapes, new strategies are required to ensure the preservation of these landscapes in the future.

For municipalities, organizations and individuals interested in exploring some of these new strategies, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Office of Cultural Resources today announced the publication of the fourth installment of the Terra Firma technical bulletin series, Terra Firma #4: New Models of Stewardship: Public/Private Partnerships.

“The partnership method has been proven across the Commonwealth to be an effective way to rally diverse stakeholders around critical land management issues,” said Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) Secretary Ian A. Bowles. “Historic landscapes in particular stand to benefit from these arrangements.”

“As a former mayor and land trust president, I know the benefits that come from developing these partnerships,” added DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan, Jr. “I see this process as an essential tool in protecting cultural and natural resources, particularly historic landscapes.”

Developed in partnership with the EOEEA Office of Public Private Partnerships, Terra Firma #4 broadens the scope of past Terra Firma bulletins, providing readers with some of the basic information needed to begin protecting historic landscapes in their municipality through public/private partnerships. Topics covered include numerous case studies, an overview of how to form a nonprofit charitable corporation in Massachusetts, and key elements of successful partnerships.

Prepared as part of DCR’s Historic Landscape Preservation Initiative’s ongoing public technical assistance efforts, Terra Firma publications are aimed at municipal staff, maintenance crews, friends groups and other landscape stewards, and are intended to provide pertinent, up-to-date information about the preservation, maintenance and management of historic landscapes in Massachusetts.

The first edition of the series, Terra Firma #1: An Introduction to Historic Landscape Preservation, was published in 2005; Terra Firma #2: Preserving Mature Trees in Historic Landscapes and Terra Firma #3: Identifying and Preserving Historic Roads were published last year. DCR plans to publish new Terra Firma bulletins annually. Future topics will include “stone walls and cellar holes” and “town commons,” historic landscape types that are in need of preservation both within the state park system and throughout the Commonwealth.

To obtain a free copy of any of the three Terra Firma publications, contact Shaun Provencher at 617-626-1376 or Shaun.Provencher@state.ma.us. Order forms for hard copies and PDFs of all four bulletins can be found at www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/histland/publications.htm.

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