The Massachusetts Land Court has upheld the town of Aquinnah in a pivotal case that will ultimately decide whether a large swath of rare, salt-blasted coastal heathland along Moshup Trail remains forever wild or is opened up for development.

Two Vineyard residents locked in a bitter dispute with the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation over title to a piece of land in Chilmark can use a tent and keep trailers on the property for now, but cannot do any further clearing or construction, a Massachusetts Land Court judge ruled on Friday.

A property owner at Sweetened Water Farm in Edgartown has appealed a recent planning board decision not to allow him to subdivide his property under the Form A (approval not required) process.

Dwight W. Arundale claims the planning board decision contravenes the law. The appeal was filed in Massachusetts Land Court.