FALPT Reprint 2010_32 pages - Acushnet

Fairhaven Neighborhood News
A
E!publication of all things Fairhaven
E
FR Including event listings from Cape Cod to RI
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The a big v
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Volume 5, Issue 25 • July 1, 2010
Teeming with information you need.
(And some you don’t need, but will be glad you have anyway.)
Walk and Roll in Fairhaven
Our Walk & Roll issue features walking, biking, and wheelchair accessible trails and tours in Fairhaven. ABOVE: Shipyard Farm on
Sconticut Neck Road is probably the most visible of the Fairhaven-Acushnet Land Presevation Trust properties (they added Acushnet
after the sign was made). See page 16 for FALPT properties. Photos by Beth David, 6/11/10. See them in color at www.NeighbNews.com
FALPT preserves open spaces throughout town and beyond
By John Garcia
Neighb News Correspondent
Photos by Beth David. See them in
color at www.NeighbNews.com
A recent Planning Board survey
noted that many Fairhaven residents
are concerned about their community being overdeveloped. However,
many of the town’s natural areas are
safe from development thanks to the
efforts of the Fairhaven-Acushnet
Land Preservation Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving open
space areas.
The FALPT
was founded in
1992.
Among
those
who
started
the
organization
was
current
president and
Fairhaven
The FALPT has begun resident John
marking trails with Darwin, who at
this unobtrusive sign the time was
at trailheads. This one serving on the
is at the Silva property town’s Conser on Sconticut Neck Rd.
vation Commission and looking for an opportunity
to preserve local land.
“I was approached to become one
of the founding members,” he said.
“This seemed like a better way to
save natural land.”
Today, the organization holds
numerous properties in its trust,
ranging in size from the Bonney
Street and Seaview Avenue lots,
which are a tenth of an acre each, up
to the 148 acre Keith’s Tree Farm.
Once a piece of land has been
acquired by the FALPT, it is closed to
future development.
More on the FALPT
“We specify conservation only,”
See page 17 for a list of FALPT
Mr. Darwin said. “We don’t allow
properties and page 23 for a map
building on it.”
of all FALPT properties.
He stated that the land is open to
Hikers are advised to take premembers of the general public.
cautions against mosquito and
“People can go anywhere that’s
tick bites. The FALPT properties
not posted as private property,” he
are natural areas and are not
said.
wheelchair accessible, nor are
However, the organization does
they maintained for any specific
not have the budget to set up
use. They have no restroom
parking outside the protected areas.
facilities. They are open to the
Mr. Darwin listed the Shipyard
public for low impact and no
Farm area, which is located near
impact uses only, such as hiking,
Sconticut Neck Road, as his favorite
hunting (where legal), birdFALPT acquisition. This 52.75 acre
watching, fishing; no motorized
piece of land, which was acquired in
vehicles.
1997, contains a diverse array of
views, including a wooded area and a
stream,
which
can be crossed
by climbing over
a small bridge
made by FALPT
trail expert and
Board of Directors member Ken
Lipman.
It extends to a
waterfront, which
yields a stunning
view of houses
across the water
at West Island. ABOVE: The view of Bella Vista Island and Earl’s Marina from the
Shipyard Farm is eastern shore of the Shipyard Farm property. BELOW: A path
also home to through the woods heading back to Sconticut Neck Road. Neighb
several species of News file photos from 10/25/08 .
birds, including
egrets, herrings,
harriers,
and
woodpeckers.
Mr. Lipman, a
former neighbor
Fairhaven’s steeples from the shoreline of Marsh Island, a.k.a. Tin
Can Island. The FALPT owns half the island, the Coalition for
Buzzards Bay owns the half with the radio tower on it. Officials are
working on a marsh restoration plan that includes hiking trails.
Neighb News file photo from 10/20/07.
of Mr. Darwin’s
who joined the
organization at
Mr.
Darwin’s
request, stated
that he tours
Shipyard Farms
two to three
times a year.
Though
he
said that he con-
siders it to be among the best
walking areas in the town, he noted
that it has yet to capture the
attention of the general public, and
therefore is not as widely used as
other areas.
“People know about West Island
and the Bike Path,” he said. “They
don’t know about this.”
Near Shipyard Farms is a section
FALPT: cont’d on next page
FALPT: cont’d from previous page
served land, and
is clearly marked.
Nearby
is
some marsh land
recently acquired
from
Linda
Badwey.
Step
onto this land
and one can see
two osprey nests
set up by a
neighbor.
The
birds can often
The Bonny Street West parcel is only 1/10th of an acre, but it’s big be seen flying
enough for a picnic, and just a short walk to the beach at the end overhead.
Ms. Silva and
of Bonney Street, which provides public access to the water.
Neighb News file photo from 11/2/07
Ms. Badwey are
not the only
of land the FALPT acquired from
residents to entrust land to the
Helen Silva in 1998. This leads out to
FALPT. Mr. Darwin stated that
a beach, where the ruins of a quahog
several in the area have donated or
factory once owned by the Silva
sold land to the organization in order
family lies. Those ruins, however,
to ensure that it is kept safe from
will not remain there much longer, as
development.
the National Oceanic and Atmos“They want it to stay in a natural
pheric Administration has plans to
state forever,” he said
remove them.
There are other ways to support
The water around the beach
the FALPT’s mission besides selling
contains a fence placed by the Lloyd
or donating land. For a yearly fee of
Center to protect the piping plovers
$25, one can become a member. Mr.
that live nearby. Sharing the living
Darwin said that membership is the
space with the plovers are oyster
closest anyone can get to being an
catchers, a slightly uncommon
owner of the land.
species of bird.
Marsh Island, also known as Tin
“They’re not rare, but they’re not
Can Island, is also open for hiking
everywhere,” Mr. Lipman said.
and exploration, FALPT style. State
En route to the beach, those
and federal officials are working on a
walking on the trail pass the ruins of
marsh restoration plan that will
an abandoned house, as well as
include hiking trails.
another, still intact structure that
The organization still owns the
Ms. Silva once lived in. She sold the
northern half, but deeded the
house to a new owner at the same
southern half to the Coalition for
time she was transferring the rest of
Buzzards Bay. The southern portion
the land to the FALPT; as a result, the
has a radio tower with a long-term
residence remains private property.
lease. Mr. Darwin said it made for a
Such property can sometimes be
complex issue beyond the purview
seen while walking through preof an all-volunteer organization.
“We
are
pleased that CBB
accepted
our
offer,” wrote Mr.
Darwin in an
email. “We intend
to continue our
ownership of the
northern portion
which is further
protected by a
conservation
easement held by
The Winsegansett Pond parcel has two osprey nests built by a CBB.”
neighbor. The fish-eating birds can often be seen flying around
Mr.
Darwin
Sconticut Neck. Neighb News file photo from 11/2/07.
FALPT Properties
The following is a list of properties
preserved from development by the
FALPT as of May 12, 2010. The list is
available at http://falpt.pbworks.com/
and updated as necessary.
The FALPT owns the parcels except
as noted by “CR.” CR means that the
trust does not own the land, however,
the trust has obtained and registered a
conservation restriction that precludes further development of it.
Listed by size; numbers denote acreage.
Winsegansett Pond and Winsegansett
Marsh, Fairhaven 175 (Wins. Marsh
is the Silva property; Wins. Pond is
the Badwey property)
Keith’s Tree Farm, Acushnet 154 CR
Headwater Forest, Acushnet 85
Viveiros Farm, Fairhaven 83 CR
Forest East of Highlander, Acushnet 70
Shipyard Farm, Fairhaven 53
Acushnet River Valley, Acushnet 50
Pines at Tinkham Pond, Acushnet 34
Aunt Bea’s Hollow, Acushnet 30
Viveiros Dairy Farm, Fairhaven 37
Weldon Woods, Acushnet 25
Hathaway Forest, Acushnet 22
Pine Grove, Fairhaven 20
Long Plain, Acushnet 20
Turkey Grove Forest, Fairhaven 19
Kempton Meadows, Fairhaven 18
Rte. 6/Pine Grove St./Perry, Fairhaven 14
Marsh Island North, Fairhaven 14
Bass Cove, Fairhaven 14
Nasketucket Creek, Fairhaven 8
Mononadach Marsh, Fairhaven 6
Bridge Street, Fairhaven 3
Wing Lane Woods, Acushnet 2
Whites Mill, Acushnet 2
Brant Point, Fairhaven 2 CR
Knollmere Beach, Fairhaven 1
Bonny Street East, Fairhaven 0.8
Priests Cove, Fairhaven 0.6
Cottonwood Street, Fairhaven 0.6
Smith Street, Fairhaven 0.5
Grape Street, Fairhaven 0.4
Doane Street Woods, Fairhaven 0.2
Bonny Street West, Fairhaven 0.1
Seaview Avenue, Fairhaven 0.1
Hathaway Street East, Fairhaven 0.1
HarborView Street, Fairhaven 0.1
explains often that adding layers of
protection, by including other
organizations, makes it more difficult
for the land to be developed in the
future.
For more information about the
FALPT, visit http://falpt.pbworks.
com/ or email Mr. Darwin at
[email protected] •••
.
Protected Lands in Fairhaven and Acushnet
Land Owned by Land Trust
Dietlin Woods
87 acres
Conservation Restriction held by Land Trust
Other Permanently Protected Lands
Freetown
Currently, the Land Trust owns 389 acres in Fairhaven, 262 acres
in Acushnet, and 87 acres in Freetown. The Land Trust also holds
conservation restrictions (CR) on 279 acres, for a grand total of
1,017 acres of protected open space.
New
Bedford
Reservoir
t
u
0
105
Long Plain
19.8 acres
New Bedford
Conservation
Commission
Land CR
2 acres
2,500
FAIRHAVEN-ACUSHNET LAND PRESERVATION TRUST
P.O. Box 491, Fairhaven, Massachusetts 02719
Rochester
Kelleher Property
70 acres
Aunt Bea's Hollow
30.2 acres
Wheldon Woods
25.6 acres
Marion
Keith's Tree Farm
5.7 acres
Acushnet River Valley
50 acres
Keith's Tree Farm CR
148 acres
White's Factory
1.63 acres
Hathaway Forest
22.47 acres
Tinkham Pond Woods
34.25 acres
Turkey Grove Forest
19 acres
New
Bedford
Mattapoisett
Wing Lane Woods
2.23 acres
Bridge Street
3.31 acres
Pine Grove
19.53 acres
Route 6
14 acres
¦
¨
§
195
Nasketucket Creek Marsh
8.5 acres
Marsh Island North
14.25 acres
Bonny Street East
0.76 acre
Kacy Lane
0.66 acre
Priests Cove
0.61 acre
Knollmere Beach
0.62 acres
t
u
Hathaway St. East
0.23 acre
6
Nulands Neck CR
95 acres
Hayward Marsh
5.8 acres
Harborview Street
0.11 acre
Bass Cove Marsh
14 acres
Doane Street Woods
0.12 acre
Brant Point CR
2.38 acres
Seaview Avenue
0.12 acre
Popes Beach CR
3.51 acre
Dartmouth
Feet
10,000
5,000
Bonny Street West
0.10 acre
Grape Street
0.35 acre
Winsegansett Marshes
160 acres
Viveiros Dairy Farm
36.65 acres
Smith Street
0.5 acre
Kempton Meadows
14.23 acres
Round Island
3.76 acres
Winsegansett Heights
12.51 acres
Mononadach Marsh
6.15 acres
Map prepared by Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program. September 29, 2010.
Shipyard Farm
52.75 acres
Viveiros Dairy Farm CR
11.15 acres
Douglass Farm CR
16.45 acres
Cottonwood Street
0.6 acre