In 1961, local residents Jack Peirce, Henry Sawyer and Stephen Maddock came together to save Bald Hill in Boxford from development. From that early organizing effort, the Essex County Greenbelt Association was formed.

With a special emphasis on creating “greenbelts,” or natural corridors that link large tracts of land, Greenbelt’s sole mission is conserving the farmland, wildlife habitat, and scenic landscapes in Essex County, Massachusetts.