The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, in an opinion highly supportive of conservation and open space protection, has held that a parcel of forestland held by a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to conservation and protection of forests is eligible for charitable real estate tax exemption. It has reversed a decision by the local assessment board that had denied exemption on the ground that the property was not being used for a charitable purpose. The New England Forestry Foundation acquired a 120-acre forest as part of a larger purchase in 1999. It subsequently subdivided and sold off a 20-acre part containing a house and barn to private landowners, but retained a conservation easement...