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Conservation Commission

Conservation and More

              by Bruce B. Beckley

Issue #138, April, 2003
Empowerment

200 acres slipped away from the town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut and into a developer’s hands. Sound familiar? Now, the land has turned from upland woods into a golf course fringed by dozens of sprouting condos. The town leaders agreed this should not happen again. A land acquisition committee was formed with representatives from the conservation and planning commissions and the local land trust. This group, with the resources of the land trust and the conservation commission, is empowered to negotiate purchase and sale terms and place a binder on a parcel to hold it until the voters can approve the negotiated purchase amount.

Here in Amherst we have cooperatively accomplished the same result without another committee. The ACC has the land purchase fund which receives 50 percent of the change use fee when land is taken out of current use. The Amherst Land Trust has a reserve developed through prudent property management activities. These two organizations, one public and the other private, have been able to join resources to protect land parcels that then become managed for conservation by the ACC. The most recent success story is the acquisition of the Lindabury orchard that was made possible by combining funds from the ALT, the ACC with many generous private donations.

We are fortunate to have folks with a conservation conscience serving voluntarily on so many town entities and doing so without private agendas. The close communications between the Board of Selectmen, zoning and planning officials and the ACC have facilitated the Commission’s job and eliminated time spent second guessing. Outside the governmental structure, the land trust is equally blessed with members who also serve on the BOS, school and planning boards, the ACC and statewide conservation organizations. The Town can be proud of the wealth of resources it has working together for environmental protection.

The ACC will miss retiring members Walter Ohlson and Libb Crocker. As representative from the BOS, Libb has been an effective carrier of information and opinions. She took seriously her ACC membership and volunteered in many capacities when other commitment allowed. Walter used his skills from industry to design the Pond Parish bridge and then went on to procure materials and organize a cadre of volunteers to erect it in mid winter. Walter also took on shepherding the design and permitting for an addition to the Peabody Mill Environmental Center that is needed to accommodate expanding programs for an expanding body of users. Through all this activity, he was the ACC member responsible for the review of wetland dredge and fill applications.

We welcome recently-elected Selectman Bruce Bowler as the BOS representative to the ACC. His knowledge of the town and interest in conservation will be a benefit as we face an expanding list of challenges, or should I say opportunities.

You ask rightfully, “Why do we do it?” Why do we meet on Sunday nights and take Saturdays to cut back the puckerbrush crowding the trails. And why do we take black flies and mosquitoes on walks as we survey woodlands? Why? Each of us would answer in his or her own way but it would come out something like: I enjoy the efforts, and there’s a warm and fuzzy feeling when you know a piece of Amherst will always be open, and water is plentiful today and should be tomorrow so we want to protect its sources, and it’s fun and downright exciting to see young folks of all ages come to enjoy and learn about their environment, and lots more reasons too.

The results are worth every bit of the effort. We hope you agree.

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