Dunlap land protected by the conservation restriction is shaded in gray in this copy of the town assessors’ map. The plots straddle Old Littleton Road and abut Carlson’s orchards.

Approximately 40 acres of land along Old Littleton Road, near its intersection with Pinnacle Hill Road, will be preserved due to a conservation restriction donated by Jim Dunlap of Old Littleton Road, the Harvard Conservation Trust announced this week. The land, which borders orchards owned by Carlson Orchards as well as a five-acre parcel of town conservation land, is composed of woodlands and a five-acre meadow (see map). Without the restriction, the land could likely be subdivided into at least 10 residential lots, according to the Trust.

“With this generous gift, Jim joins the ranks of truly notable Harvard residents who have set aside their own personal financial gain in favor of a legacy that helps preserve the rural character of our town, which is something we all enjoy and benefit from,” said Victor Normand, president of the Conservation Trust.

A conservation restriction allows landowners to protect land from future development but still retain the ability to sell or bequeath it to their heirs. In this case, Dunlap decided that no building can take place on this land at all, but that it will be available for recreational and agricultural use.

At their meeting Tuesday night, the selectmen voted unanimously to approve and sign the conservation restriction. While acknowledging the hard work of Conservation Trust members Larry Finnegan of Tahanto Trail and Dennis Delaney of Bolton Road, Chairwoman Lucy Wallace expressed appreciation for the “generous gift to the town of this important piece of real estate, which is both open and wooded.” Selectman Bob Eubank noted the Dunlap family’s long legacy of generosity to the town.

Delaney answered the selectmen’s questions about the 40-acre parcel’s permitted uses and told them he does not anticipate any problems with the state regarding the terms of the conservation restriction.

Dunlap traces his title to this land back to the Fuller family, which owned a large part of Pinnacle Hill during the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1931, one of the Fullers, the uncle of Dunlap’s first, now deceased, wife, gave Harvard University the Pinnacle Road land that became Oak Ridge Observatory.

The Harvard Conservation Trust, which is charged with enforcing the terms of the conservation restriction against future owners of the land, is a charitable organization made up of resident volunteers. It was formed in 1973 as a way to act quickly on land preservation. Unlike the Conservation Commission, the Trust is not part of town government so it need not wait for town meeting approvals before acting on land-preservation opportunities and challenges.

As originally conceived, the Trust would provide upfront funding for land preservation and then be reimbursed by a vote of town meeting. That way, the Trust would have funds available for the next preservation project that came along. However, with town spending under increasing pressure and the skyrocketing cost of land over the last 15 years, the Trust increasingly relies on private donations and alternative approaches to conservation.

Reporter Cynthia Heiland contributed to this article.