The 120 acre Ocean View Farm is one of the last large unprotected parcels of land on Allens Pond in Dartmouth.

The funding will go toward the purchase of the 120-acre Ocean View Farm, which lies on the shores of Allens Pond and Buzzards Bay. This magnificent waterfront farm is one of the last large parcels of undeveloped land in this area, and it has narrowly missed being covered with new homes several times in recent years. Now, the farm and its stunning natural views will be protected forever.

But conserving this land isn’t just about scenery. Allens Pond is one of the most significant coastal habitats in southern New England. Egrets and herons hide among the pond’s unspoiled salt marshes, and the pond’s rugged Buzzards Bay beaches are home to nesting terns and piping plovers.

The Coalition is working in close partnership with the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT) to save Ocean View Farm and two other parcels of land: the tree-filled shoreline of the Powel family’s 58 acres, and 39 acres of sustainable farmland at Round the Bend Farm.

Over the past year, the Coalition, DNRT, and Round the Bend Farm have assembled a patchwork of federal, state, and local government funding to protect these 217 acres for future generations. Last fall, Dartmouth residents voted to contribute $600,000 in Community Preservation Act funding to save 60 acres of Ocean View Farm. The state also provided a $400,000 grant, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the project nearly $2 million. Now, with this $1 million in funding from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service combined with private fundraising, the project has raised a total of $8.5 million toward the total $9 million price tag.

The Coalition and DNRT are working to raise the remaining funds and close on these properties this summer. After the properties are purchased, DNRT will open a new public trail on a 60-acre portion of Ocean View Farm so everybody can discover this spectacular place.