After a rigorous fundraising campaign, the Essex County Greenbelt Association has raised the $3.7 million needed to permanently protect 66 acres of ecologically significant land at 133 Essex Street in Hamilton, adjacent to Chebacco Woods. A long-standing conservation priority, this acquisition will expand protected lands around Chebacco Woods by more than 20%, safeguarding this cherished regional resource and the many environmental benefits it provides to the community.

“This conservation project truly captured the community’s interest, with nearly 700 individual donors contributing — a record for any Greenbelt land campaign — and generating extraordinary support from across the region,” says Greenbelt President Chris LaPointe. “It’s incredibly heartening to see this level of enthusiasm for a project we’re so excited to bring to life.”

In addition to individual contributions, the land campaign received strong grassroots support from a range of community organizations, including Save Chebacco Trails & Watershed, the Chebacco Lake & Watershed Association, and the New England Mountain Biking Association. 

Having now successfully met its ambitious December 31, 2025, fundraising deadline, Greenbelt  finalized the land acquisition in January 2026. In the months that follow, efforts will focus on mapping the property, improving signage, and enhancing trails, with a community celebration planned for later in 2026.

For those of us with Save Chebacco Trails & Watershed, we could never express enough gratitude for those who ran the race with us all these years, held on to the goal to save this valuable land and saw it to the end. Greenbelt is a remarkable land conservation organization that will fulfill all our dreams moving forward to protect this open space, the farmland and the natural resources of 133 Essex.

THANK YOU ALWAYS

SCT&W