Thanks to the outpouring of generosity and enthusiasm from our donors, friends, and neighbors, SELT was able to “Grow the Greenway” by purchasing the Gaziano Tract, a missing piece to the Piscassic Greenway puzzle.
Because of its rich soils, scenic beauty, immense watershed value, and diverse wildlife habitat, this beautiful 32-acre land had been identified as a conservation priority for years, especially considering its viability for development potential. This spring, SELT was alerted to a “lightning-in-a-bottle” opportunity to purchase and conserve this property and add it to the broader canvas of the Greenway.
To ensure we didn’t miss this generational opportunity, SELT took a leap of faith and purchased the tract using a $200,000 loan from a generous donor and SELT’s own conservation fund with the hope of covering the costs afterward through a fundraising campaign and several grant applications. We put out the call for support – and the community rallied with over 250 gifts! In addition, our good friends from the Town of Newmarket contributed $75,000 towards the purchase. To date, SELT is waiting on outstanding grant requests to complete the rest of the purchase price.