A host of institutions, public and private, stand up for the integrity of the land including the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Islands Land Bank, The Nantucket Land Council, The Sconset Trust and the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
Nearly 50% of the land on island has been permanently preserved for conservation. Several areas and habitats are rare to this region and even the world. Although several groups own the island's protected lands, with diverse missions, the goal of preserving Nantucket's unique natural resources for future generations is shared by all.
The Nantucket Islands Land Bank was created in 1984 to help the acquisition effort of protected land for the public to enjoy. The Land Bank is funded by a transfer fee of 2% on the sale of real estate, paid by the buyer. Since the Land Bank was established it has added over 2,134 acres of open space to other tracts of conservation land.
