The Wareham Land Trust is proposing a $1.3 million land purchase for the April, 28 Town Meeting that will provide a mile of walking trails and preserve endangered species.

Land Trust executive Director Alexandra Zollo presented the project to the Select Board Tuesday, April 15 and explained the benefits of the project and broke down the cost.

The project, titled the River Walk Conservation Area project would be the purchase of 19.37 acres of land situated between other protected parcels along the Weweantic River. If purchased it would create a 50 acre stretch of protected land.

"This property is very much in the flood zone and it's not appropriate for development," Zollo said.

She added that if it was purchased by a developer, the land is large enough to fit 12 residential lots but the structures would need a high base floor elevation, making it unsuitable for affordable housing.

"It's not a place for affordable housing because the homes would not be accessible," she said.

The total cost of the project is $1,325,000 and Zollo will be asking voters at spring Town Meeting to allocate $1.2 million out of the Community Preservation fund, a pool of money which is collected through a surtax on property values over $100,000.

The rest of the bill will be covered by grant funding and private donations, Zollo explained.

The land purchase also gives the town a rare opportunity to purchase land that salt marshes could migrate.

"Salt marshes are our first level of defense against sea level rise," she said. "So much wetland has been fragmented and this is a really great opportunity."

According to Zollo the town is currently receiving $40 a year in taxes on the land and if the town purchases it, nearby property values would rise due to the conservation restriction that would be placed on the land.