  Nantucket, an island of 51 square miles, lies 30 miles out to sea, off the southern shore of Massachusetts. Its sister islands, Tuckernuck and Muskeget, also belong to Nantucket county. For centuries, Nantucket’s landscapes lay relatively undisturbed except in a few towns where small houses clustered. During the last thirty odd years, however, Nantucket has been discovered as a vacation resort, and its popularity has skyrocketed. As a result, since 1990, Nantucket has been the fastest growing county in Massachusetts, while, ironically, it harbors more rare and endangered species than any other county. Property values have soared, houses have been spread across the once rural island, and undisturbed natural habitat is becoming a precious rarity. Read more about Nantucket’s unique ecosystems.
Nantucket is fortunate to have several conservation groups with slightly different missions who cooperate closely to protect open space. During the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s a significant amount of Nantucket’s undeveloped land was conserved through gifts and outright purchases. Today, however, prohibitively high land prices make it increasingly difficult to buy land to add to the Island’s conservation holdings. The Nantucket Land Council, Inc. focuses on three aspects of conservation: Planning, Protecting, and Preserving.
|
