Thanks to your hard work, 81 state Senators and Representatives signed on to co-sponsor An Act to Sustain Community Preservation. We extend our thanks to these legislators, and to the members of Community Preservation Committees statewide who reached out to their elected officials. You'll want to check our list and see if your legislators are supporting CPA. If they are, we encourage you to thank them publicly with a letter to your local newspaper.

Examining the procedures you must follow for historic appropriations
by Jennifer M. Goldson

"A past lacking tangible relics seems too tenuous to be credible. . . To be certain there was a past, we must see at least some of its traces."
David Lowenthal, The Past is a Foreign Country

Historic places and objects provide us with a tangible connection to the past, enrich our experience of the present, and can be fundamental components of community identity.

CPA funds can be used for the acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of historic resources. But, what exactly are historic resources within the meaning given by the CPA statute? Although Section 2 of the statute defines "historic resources," many communities have questioned what is and what is not eligible under the definition.

CPA Trust Fund Update
As we reported in earlier editions of the CPA Update, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) estimated last fall that the October 2009 first round trust fund match percentage will be approximately 35% (communities assessing the maximum 3% CPA surcharge will receive more, based on the Act's distribution formula). DOR's estimate assumes that the CPA trust fund will take in $27 million in revenue from fees charged at the state Registries of Deeds this year, the same amount collected last year.

In the current economy, however, reaching $27 million in deeds fee revenue may be a challenge. The state CPA trust fund year runs from September through August, and the collections have been down each month this year:

	2007-2008	2008-2009
September	2.70M	1.99M
October	2.03M	1.88M
November	2.27M	1.96M
December	2.08M	1.53M
January	2.01M	1.74M
Total to date:	11.09M	9.10M

The decrease in CPA trust fund collections highlights the need for the pending CPA legislation, which stabilizes the CPA trust fund and guarantees a 75% annual state match.

We will continue to monitor the trust fund collections each month, and report on the figures in future issues of CPA Update.

CPC Recommendations for your legislative body
It's the time of year when many CPCs are making CPA project recommendations to their legislative bodies. Committee recommendations should include the funding source for each appropriation. For example, the recommendation should read "$15,000 from the Community Preservation Act open space reserve account" rather than "$15,000 from Community Preservation Act funds." This wording is important because it clarifies which CPA account will be charged for project expenses, and it documents the account where excess funds will be returned if the project is cancelled or does not use the full appropriation.

Seeking photographs of CPA projects!
The Coalition is seeking digital photos of CPA projects to use in our newsletters and for other promotional purposes. If you have digital images that you're willing to share, please contact Alison Mitchell at alison.mitchell@communitypreservation.org. We look forward to seeing your pictures and hearing the stories behind them!

We were saddened to learn that three local CPC members recently passed away.

George Bailey of Sharon was a long-time citizen activist in local and regional environmental and transportation issues. An early advocate of CPA, George worked tirelessly over a number of years to bring CPA to Sharon. In addition to his service on the Sharon Community Preservation Committee, George served on the Sharon Planning Board for 26 years and was the town representative to the Massachusetts Area Planning Council, a member of the MBTA Advisory Board, a board member of the Environmental League of Massachusetts and a dedicated cyclist and passionate musician.

Bill O'Connor of Dartmouth was very active in a number of community organizations. With a particular expertise in supporting veterans, affordable housing and local history, Bill was an exceptionally effective member of the Community Preservation Committee. Bill was interested in all CPA purposes and was particularly excited about the recent acquisition of the Cornell Farm, a CPA assisted project that included agricultural and open space preservation, and the historic preservation of the Akin House. Bill was an inspiring and well respected member of the Dartmouth Community Preservation Committee who will be sorely missed.

Franklin "Lin" Pease of Chatham was appointed to the Chatham Community Preservation Committee as an At-Large member at the committee's inception in 2002. A consummate gentleman, he rarely missed a meeting, was always prepared, and carefully considered the goals of the CPA when reviewing applications. Lin's perception, thoughtful advice and sense of humor made him a valued member of his CPC. In addition to the CPC, he was an active member of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Chatham Retired Men's Association.

Their contributions to community preservation were significant, and they will be missed.

This issue's featured CPA project in Sturbridge is the largest open space acquisition in the history of CPA, measured by acres acquired. Sturbridge adopted CPA in April 2001 with a 3% surcharge. Since then, the Sturbridge Community Preservation Committee has recommended more than 20 projects with more than $9 million in CPA funds. The project featured here was completed in 2006, when the town acquired 826 acres of land from Old Sturbridge Village.