Preserving Cape Cod’s Natural Heritage

The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts is the regional service center providing 30+ local land trusts and watershed organizations with technical expertise to protect open space, wildlife, and water resources.

39

Member Land Trusts and Partners

$1,630,000

Revolving Land Acquisition Fund

10,000+

Acres Permanently Saved

40

Years of Conservation Leadership

What We Do

Local land trusts know their towns best. The Compact provides the legal expertise, real estate planning, and financial tools to transform local conservation visions into permanent reality.

Technical Real Estate & Legal Expertise

We guide local trusts through complex land transactions, appraisals, title searches, and tax-incentivized gifts to protect critical open space and drinking water supplies.

Overlay Protection

We pioneered "overlay protection" to give local land trust acquisitions an added layer of permanent regional security, ensuring conserved land stays protected forever.

Revolving Loan Capital

Through our dedicated Thomsen Land Fund, we provide rapid, low-interest capital so member trusts can act fast when high-value conservation land hits the market.

Regional Planning & Acceleration

We conduct Cape-wide ecological planning—identifying wildlife corridors, kettle ponds, and municipal tax lands—while serving as a shared technical backbone for local volunteer trusts.

Saving Cape Cod’s special places today, so they stay wild and accessible tomorrow.

Featured Projects

Coastal marsh and open water on Cape Cod

Cape Cod Wildlife Conservation Project

Mapping and preserving high-priority wildlife habitats and ecological corridors across Barnstable County.

Kettle pond surrounded by autumn vegetation

Cape Cod Priority Ponds Project

Safeguarding fragile kettle ponds, coastal ponds, and public drinking water aquifers from surrounding overdevelopment.

Cape Cod beach and coastal dunes

Thomsen Land Fund for Cape Cod

Providing revolving loan capital so local land trusts can act immediately when high-value conservation land hits the market.

Leave a Land-Saving Legacy

Preserving your property protects Cape Cod's natural beauty for future generations while providing substantial tax advantages.

✔ Land Donations & Bequests:

Name a local trust or The Compact in your estate planning, or convey land directly.

✔ Conservation Restrictions:

Permanently protect your property’s ecological features while retaining private ownership.

✔ Tax Deductions & Credits:

Take advantage of federal charitable tax deductions, estate tax reductions, and state tax credits.

24 Local Land Trusts & Watershed Partners

From Bourne to Provincetown, we serve as the technical engine for local conservation organizations across Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts.

Support our Work

Every acre saved requires legal precision, rapid response, and deep local knowledge. Help us keep Cape Cod wild, clean, and protected forever.