Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill

Overview

The Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill was created through the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Town and the McLean Hospital. It consists of nine members, four from the Town of Belmont. four appointed by McLean Hospital and one from The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR), the holder of the Conservation Restrictions on the property. This Agreement was signed in November of 1999 and outlined the development restrictions for the McLean Hospital campus. It also reserved approximately 119 acres of the campus as publicly accessible open space, including a new municipal cemetery, and placed Conservation Restrictions (numbered B1 and B2) over the property. The Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill, originally known as the McLean Land Management Committee, was created to establish and implement a land use and management plan for the land to be held under Conservation Restrictions, on file with the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds for Massachusetts.

We are extremely fortunate to operate by grants, gifts, and volunteers; we have been the lucky beneficiary of:

• Grants and gifts from the Judy Record Conservation Fund on many occasions for projects such as the trail assessment, trail signage and the rebuilding of the rock wall along Concord Avenue, to name just a few
• Expert volunteer labor for trail creation and maintenance from a trail crew from the New England Mountain Bike Association
• Volunteer days sponsored by Belmont Citizens' Forum
• An interested and active group of Eagle Scout candidates with projects to propose and implement
• The group of Belmont Serves volunteers, numbering approximately 30 per year, who have chosen the Lone Tree Hill projects to assist in picking up trash and cutting invasives
• Belmont Conservation Volunteers join on spring weekend mornings to control the garlic mustard that damages our local plant communities and ecosystems and on other occasions to similarly protect our conservation lands throughout the growing season. To join and receive notices of our events by email, please go to our webpage. Events are also posted on our Google Groups website.

Current Progress

Working with Parterre, the Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill has undertaken a significant project to map and eliminate invasive and competitive species on Lone Tree Hill. Phase one work began in 2020 to expand the Great Meadow, reclaiming it from an overgrowth of glossy buckthorn. In addition, the committee has authorized the planting of a small wildflower meadow on Mill Street at the parking lot entrance.

By utilizing CPA funds to stabilize and secure the McLean barn, including removing graffiti and installing a security monitoring system, we hope that this gem of Mill Street will be able to be enjoyed by the masses.

As of September 24, 2014, the Bylaw to strengthen the relationship and enforcement abilities of the Belmont Police and our Conservation Agents has been approved by the Attorney General. View the Bylaw.

To Report an Issue or Problem

Want to report an issue or a problem with the Lone Tree Hill property you'd like to call to the Committee's attention? We want to hear from you.

If the problem involves a public safety issue requiring immediate attention such as a fire or a crime, please phone 911.

For all other Lone Tree Hill reports, please email us.

A member of the Committee will address the problem and get back to you. When reporting, please be as specific as you can about location, what you observed, when you observed it and any suggestion you have for the Committee to consider. We're checking this email regularly but not daily, so you can expect an answer in a few days.