After the completion of the Eastside Easement, John Newcombe and Paul Geddes began working with the Harris Center for Conservation Education and the Silver Lake Land Trust to conserve the largest remaining undeveloped parcel on Silver Lake, the 50+ acre piece of land owned by SSLFT bordered by Westside Road, Breed Road and Wells Lake Road. Similar to the Eastside Easement project, the parties cooperated to draft an easement which protected a large tract of land while still allowing one house lot, which helped to meet the financial needs of the trust.
The Westside Easement includes nearly 800 feet of shoreline on the southern end of the lake in Harrisville. It also adds to a block of 6,000+ acres of contiguous conservation land in the towns of Nelson, Roxbury, Harrisville and Marlborough.
In 2019 there are now 915 acres conserved within the Silver Lake Watershed. Of these, 335 acres were formerly Edgar Seaver and then Paul Geddes land. With the completion of the Westside Easement, an astounding 80% of the Silver Lake Watershed, including 2.9 miles of shoreline, is now protected.
This easement was only possible because of generous donations by Paul Geddes and John Newcombe, by the Harris Center for Conservation Education and by many generous individuals.
