VII. ANALYSIS OF NEEDS

A. Regional Community Needs

"A Regional Tool Box"

Regional Open Space Committee members identified a number of planning and growth related issues facing their respective communities. These issues ranged from loss of local character and the cultural landscape, to managing growth in terms of appropriate land use management and carrying capacity of the land.

In the course of discussion, both at Regional Open Space Committee meetings, public meetings and during visits to the city and town halls, a recurring theme emerged … the need to develop or incorporate better tools by which to implement conservation, preservation, growth management and related strategies. Regional Open Space Committee members also realized that this may be a daunting task in that local regulations, human resources and financial resources vary from municipality to municipality. Further, in order to apply "better" planning tools on a regional basis, it is absolutely necessary that the communities work from a common understanding of the terms, concepts and "tools" to be utilized.

The advantages of working from a regional toolbox in addressing "planning for growth" issues were pointed out by various committee members and included: improved communication between municipal governments and departments; an ease of transition into dialogue on regional conservation and planning issues; improved ability to view and plan for the watersheds as singular ecological and geographic communities; an increased ability to procure funding for regional projects and studies related to conservation, natural resource and growth management planning.

Over the course of several planning sessions, the various tools and language and approaches to growth and land use management were discussed by the Regional Open Space Committee. The following is a summary of the most commonly discussed terms and tools which the Regional Open Space Committee felt would be useful in a "regional tool box" context. Hopefully, a common understanding of these tools and terms will allow for intermunicipal and regional applications and innovations over the course of time.

Zoning Tools

The zoning approaches discussed below are some of the more common tools to guide development to or away from designated areas. They are commonly

used to conserve resource lands. These zoning approaches are typically used as elements in an overall growth management program.

Nonexclusive zoning features typically include large minimum lot sizes and wide range of uses allowed by conditional permit.

Exclusive zoning prohibits non-farm activities in farming districts. These zoning districts typically include very large lot sizes that approximate the minimum farm size necessary to maintain viable farming operations.

Agricultural buffers are used to reduce conflicts between urban and agricultural land use activities by providing a buffer between agricultural and urbanized uses.

Exclusive farm or resource zones are designated to exclude uses that are incompatible with farming and natural resource conservation. These policies include reduced property taxes based on their use as resource lands not on development potential.

Upzoning/downzoning allows land to be rezoned to its appropriate use. Land is upzoned to encourage denser urban development patterns. Land is downzoned to very large minimum size to conserve resource uses. Within agricultural regions the intent behind downzoning is to maintain viable agricultural operations and discourage the development of resource land for large lot residential and hobby farms.

Nontransitional zoning policies establish moderate and high density/intensity land uses. These zones are designed to facilitate nodal development along transit routes, reduce the scale of low-density development within urban areas, restrict the size and location of low and very-low density development outside the urban containment boundary, and keep development away from natural resource and environmentally sensitive land.

Minimum density zoning policies are designed to ensure that project densities on land zoned at medium or high densities are not negotiated downward to the point where they undermine urban containment policies and the economic provision of services.

Planned unit development (PUD) zoning is generally used with larger sites. It allows for more flexible site design by relaxing permitting and other site requirements. PUDs initially provide an overall general development plan that is implemented over time through a series of subdivision plans.

Overlay zoning applies additional development provisions in response to special conditions. Typical overlay zones include wetlands, wellhead protection, village and historic districts.

Floating zones include provisions for a district that is not identified unless certain project conditions are met. Floating zones are used to anticipate certain uses, which will not be determined until developers apply for zoning. Uses that may be considered for floating zones are retail centers.

Resource, Land Conservation, Critical and Special-Area Protection Tools

These tools are designed to provide a means for balancing the conservation and protection of resource lands and environmentally significant areas with the need to provide land development opportunities.

Transfer of development rights (TDRs) are meant to conserve resource and open space lands through a scheme in which the development rights for a piece of property in a sending zone are severed and sold to a property in an identified receiving zone. A sending zone is an area in which the development of land is considered less than desirable. A receiving zone is an area that is determined to be more suitable and desirable for development. Land owners who purchase these development rights are able to develop land at a density that is greater than what is typically allowed.

Purchase of development rights (PDRs) is the purchase of a property's development rights by a public or private institution. An economic drawback to the use of PDRs is that when a government agency purchases development rights the tax payer essentially pays twice for that purchase. The first is through the infrastructure investments that create property value and then through the purchase of those development rights.

Conservation easements conserve resource land and open space through the transfer of development rights from a property owner to a third party such as the Nature Conservancy or a Land Trust. Under conservation easements, the owner maintains title to the land and uses it for resource purposes. This reduces the potential tax burden to the land owner that results when property taxation is based on its development value rather than resource land value.

Land Trusts are organizations that play a major role in the conservation of land. Land trusts are often local organizations that form a partnership with public agencies to purchase, protect and manage land as open space.

Right-to-farm laws are designed to protect farmers from nuisance suits on farming activities by declaring that farming practices are reasonable land uses. However, they do not protect farm operators from trespass suits. They do not prevent conversion of farmland. They also may not apply to succeeding owners, or if land is allowed to lay fallow, or if agricultural practices are changed.

Special area designations apply the concept of public-good protection to support delineating areas requiring protection. Public-good features protected include protecting urban environment from natural hazards and disasters, preserving endangered or threatened species habitats, maintaining air, land and water quality, maintaining scenic views or vistas, conserving historically or culturally significant areas outside urban development and protecting scientifically or ecologically significant areas.

Critical area programs are built around mandates to protect the environment and encourage economic development. Three general types of critical-area programs are:

· Generic areas in which special state regulations are applied to all similar areas.
· Geographic areas have special local regulations under state oversight that are applied to unique areas.
· Potential critical areas are areas that require negotiations to provide solutions that avert potential problems.

Scenic view protection areas are designed to protect special visual characteristics that are related to an area's sense of place such as special vistas, scenic roadways, scenic corridors and community entryways.

Rural cluster developments are designed to preserve open space through the use of conservation easements and by awarding land an underlying density that can only be used in planned arrangement that clusters development and conserves open space. There are limitations to the use of cluster developments. They can limit the intensive use of farmland. Major use of rural clusters can take enough land out of agricultural production to reduce the critical mass of commercial farming to a level that is insufficient to support a regional farm economy. Also, cluster development is a form of leap-frog development that serves to disperse the population through the countryside.

Performance evaluation techniques involve the use of a land evaluation system to determine the suitability of land for resource and more urban uses. These systems initially evaluate the soil quality for a variety of agricultural and forestry uses which is next modified by other land use, farm size, accessibility to public facilities and zoning characteristics.

(Source: SRPEDD, Vision 2020 Project, CPW Consultants)

TRIBUTARY

"Managing Woodlands for Water Supply Purposes"

(The following material was excerpted from The Forest Use Manual, University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension System, 1993.)

Forests provide a very effective natural buffer that protects the purity of water in a reservoir. The trees, understory vegetation, and organic litter that fall on the forest floor reduce the impact of falling rain and ensure that soil will not be eroded and sediment will not collect in the reservoir. The forest (and especially surrounding wetlands) acts as a buffer to prevent flooding and allows the gradual flow of water into the reservoir. The tree canopy and forest soil also act as a pollution sink, protecting the purity of water in the reservoir.

A watershed covered by unbroken forest may provide less water to a reservoir than a watershed with open areas. Trees intercept some incoming precipitation, which evaporates to the atmosphere without reaching the reservoir. Also, trees take up moisture from the soil and release it through leaves to the atmosphere. In a given watershed, there is an optimal mixture of forested and nonforested (but vegetated) land that will deliver the most water to the reservoir and maintain acceptable water quality. There is no simple rule that prescribes this mix. It depends on soils, bedrock geology, topography, and species composition of the vegetation.

If your primary management goal is to maintain a supply of clean water, your objective should be to keep the forest in the healthiest condition possible. Forests with a diverse mixture of vigorous trees of different ages and species can best cope with periodic and unpredictable stresses such as insect defoliation, hurricanes, tornados, diseases, drought, and the more chronic stresses of air pollution.

Timber harvesting on forested watersheds must be conducted with the utmost care. Whether the goal is to improve spacing between trees, initiate the growth of young seedlings and saplings, or create permanent openings, precautions must be taken to ensure that erosion is minimized and that sediment does not enter the reservoir. Sediment causes turbidity, lowering water quality and raising the level of treatment the water needs to meet public health standards. Fortunately, it is possible to harvest timber without affecting water quality if "best management practices" are followed.

A booklet prepared jointly by the Department of Environmental Management and the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension System outlines the practices required by the Massachusetts Forest Cutting Practices Act.

A Regional Open Space Committee

In order to truly take advantage of increased regional opportunities, Committee members also voiced strong support for the establishment of a permanent Regional Open Space Committee. It was suggested that the Regional Open Space Committee could meet three to four times annually, or as necessary, in order to keep abreast of relevant issues and to implement the recommenda-tions of the Regional Open Space and Recreation Plan. The Regional Open Space Committee could also work with local members to support local activi-ties and initiatives that are important to or have the potential for regional impact (such activities and initiatives might include demonstration grant programs; innovative or alternative strategies or programs; land acquisition opportunities; etc.). The most important charge of the Regional Committee, it was suggested, would be to supplement the action agendas prescribed in existing local open space plans and to provide a medium by which to work with federal, state or regional entities such as the EOEA Basin Team.

A Regional Identity

In the midst of the planning process, one of the most important "community" needs became very apparent to those around the table…the lack of a true "regional identity." Unlike its neighbors to the west (the Blackstone) and to the east (the Taunton), the area for which the Regional Open Space Committee was working to build a plan could not be described in a singular fashion. The connotation of the single watershed address…the Blackstone with its Heritage Corridor…the Taunton, home of the Wampanoag Commemorative Canoe Passage…did not apply to the geographic and ecological area which was being discussed in the Regional Open Space and Recreation Plan.

Although a part of southeastern Massachusetts, the municipalities within the Ten Mile and Narragansett Bay Watersheds themselves have periodically suffered the recognition problems afforded border towns (at times being mistaken by broadcast and print media as part of Rhode Island!). The identity crisis may also be part of the reason for the relative lack of investment of state and federal funding of open space in this area, rich in cultural, historical and natural resources. The region is more often characterized by its separate rivers, for various reasons, than by its principal watershed (the Narragansett) and sub-watersheds.

With the creation of the Regional Open Space and Recreation Plan comes a unity of vision which regards the Ten Mile and Narragansett and Mount Hope Bay Watersheds as a single geographic and ecological entity; a common watershed address.

It has been suggested by members of the public and the Regional Open Space Committee that the Ten Mile and Narragansett/Mount Hope Bay Watersheds be henceforth referred to as the Narragansett Bay Basin (the geographically larger, encompassing watershed). Under this scenario, the Narragansett (which includes Rhode Island as well) would: afford the communities a large umbrella under which to plan (even on an interstate basis) and a true "regional identity"; maintain the important sub-watershed identities which characterize the Massachusetts portion of the Narragansett, and; erase the suggestion of a fragmented region as is implied by the current name(s).

B. Regional Conservation Needs

While the diversity of the municipalities within the watersheds creates a diversity of conservation related needs, in the context of the Regional Open Space Committee, a commonality of issues became apparent to all involved.

Farming and Agricultural Land Retention

With the onset of increased development, the loss of the rural and cultural landscapes, particularly in North Attleborough, Wrentham, Plainville, Rehoboth, Swansea and Seekonk, has become a major issue. While municipalities such as Rehoboth and North Attleborough have actively encouraged local farm enrollment in the Commonwealth's Chapter 61 programs, this does not protect the open land or guarantee agricultural use in perpetuity. And, while North Attleborough has used the Commonwealth's Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program (APR) extremely well to lock-up development rights and preserve agricultural land and active farming in the rural northwest corner of town, APR has limited funding. Further, the Regional Open Space Committee realized that not every agricultural parcel and working farm could be dealt with through federal, state or local tax relief acquisition programs.

From these discussions, two things became apparent to the Regional Open Space Committee: first, we, as a region, should be able to offer greater technical assistance or referrals necessary to help communities and farmers utilize value-added technology, access to long-term, low-interest capitol, education and training, access to markets/marketing, to retain small farm viability, and; second, we must develop an open and agricultural land ranking and prioritization process by which those parcels which become available might be assessed for acquisition on the basis of their overall value to the community.

To address the first need, the Regional Open Space Committee suggested either meetings, workshops or individual sessions with groups like the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) coordinated by the Pilgrim Resource, Conservation & Development Area Council and the Umass-Dartmouth Small Family Business Assistance Center. SEMAP has direct access to a number of USDA programs and services as well as the resources of Umass-Dartmouth.

To address the second need, the Regional Open Space Committee suggested developing an agricultural land ranking and prioritization methodology which could be applied throughout the Ten Mile and Narragansett Bay Watersheds. A sub-committee was established and several models used in both the Commonwealth and nationally were evaluated for their completeness and applicability. The results of the sub-committee's work is contained in this plan and will be further scrutinized by the Regional Open Space Committee.

Fisheries Enhancement and Restoration

The enhancement and restoration of the regional fisheries was seen as another critical conservation need by the Regional Open Space Committee. The Committee cited shad and blueback runs in Rehoboth, anadromous fish runs on the Coles and Runnins in Seekonk and Swansea and anadromous fish runs along the length of the Ten Mile as priority concerns.

Planning is underway to address these priority concerns, with the EOEA Basin Team leader and Save the Bay having been a particularly strong and active advocate. The following is a summary of a proposed plan, with good local support, developed through the Basin Team and drafted by Save the Bay.

TRIBUTARY

"Herring Run Restoration on the Ten Mile River - Reclaiming an
Historic Fishery"

The Ten Mile River is an historic fish run in southeastern Massachusetts and
eastern Rhode Island. The construction of dams on the Ten Mile River over
the last 200 years has prevented fish passage to upstream spawning habitat.
Restoring the anadromous fishery to the Ten Mile River would provide a wide
range of benefits to the freshwater and marine fishery and to the surrounding
communities.

The Ten Mile River originates in Plainville, Massachusetts, flows into Rhode
Island in the community of Pawtucket and eventually drains into Narragansett
Bay in East Providence on the eastern side of the Seekonk River at the
Omega Pond Dam. The river's length is approximately 20.7 miles and drains
a watershed of approximately 53 square miles. Anadromous fish are
prevented from spawning in the Ten Mile River due to a series of dams on the
lower reaches of the river which prevent access to Omega Pond and the
Turner Reservoir. Some river herring return each year to the mouth of the Ten
Mile River and are carried over the first dam into Omega Pond by local fishermen.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's (DEM) Fish and Wildlife Division has conducted an assessment of the anadromous fish habitat that would be accessed by constructing fishways and/or dam removal at the three dams leading to the Turner Reservoir. Based on Rhode Island DEM's assessment of available habitat, if a fishway was constructed at the Omega Pond dam the estimated run size would be 40,000 herring. If fishways were also constructed at both the Hunts Mill dams and the Turner Reservoir dam, the estimated run size would be 205,000 herring. (There is no appreciable habitat between the Hunts Mill dams and the base of the Turner Reservoir.) The Ten Mile would rank as one of the highest priority fish run restoration projects in the state if fishways were constructed at all three dams thus allowing access to both the 33 acre Omega Pond and the 297 acre Turner Reservoir.

The Turner Reservoir can support river herring based upon stocking conducted by DEM Fish and Wildlife in the spring of 1996 and 1997. Spawning success was inferred by the fact that juvenile river herring were netted in the fall of each of those years. Also, the Ten Mile River could potentially support American shad according to the habitat assessment conducted by DEM Fish and Wildlife Division.

An Interstate Resource…..

The restoration of anadromous fish to the Ten Mile River would provide benefits to both Rhode Island and Massachusetts since the Turner Reservoir is a shared freshwater fishing resource. Approximately two-thirds of the Turner Reservoir is in Rhode Island and the remaining one-third in Massachusetts. Restoring the herring run would enhance this freshwater fishery in the Turner Reservoir. The EOEA Basin Team Leader has contacted the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Division about partnering on this anadromous fish restoration. Based on preliminary discussions, Massachusetts is interested in this project yet has limited financial resources available to dedicate to the restoration project. Massachusetts can provide help with the stocking of the run since Rhode Island has no such facilities. This will be facilitated by a letter of commitment from Philip Coates, Director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, dated January 4, 1999, to David Borden, Assistant Director of RI DEM Bureau of Natural Resources.

Strong Community Support…..

Restoring anadromous fish passage to the Ten Mile River has strong community support from a variety of community organizations, recreational user groups and environmental organizations. Save The Bay has identified the Ten Mile River as the highest priority fish run restoration project through its coastal habitat restoration campaign. The Slater Mill Fishing Club has been advocating for fish run restoration for a number of years and has been responsible for coordinating the efforts of local fishermen to scoop herring over Omega Dam to allow them to spawn. The Ten Mile River Watershed Alliance is interested in building support for this project to connect the Massachusetts section of the watershed with downstream Rhode Island.

Wenly Ferguson, Save the Bay

TRIBUTARY

"Quality Drinking Water in Adequate Supply"

Another critical need within the watershed is to provide drinking water to meet the current and projected population growth. Because of the small size of the watersheds, development of new water supply sources often involves transferring water into or out of the watershed. Such interbasin transfers of water are carefully reviewed at the Massachusetts Water Resource Commission to ensure that the disruption in the water balance does not have a negative impact on the downstream water uses and the water level in wetlands and streams.

In the Ten Mile River Watershed, a high yield aquifer is located at the headwaters of the Bungay River that is prized for development of public water supply wells. In the Witch Pond area, there are 8 public water supply wells for the Towns of Foxborough and Mansfield and the National Fish Hatchery in North Attleborough. Two additional wells with the capacity to supply 1.2 million gallons per day well are proposed for the Town of Foxborough and are under review by the Water Resource Commission. Major issues of concern with the water supply development in this area have been noted in a recent Water Resource Commission Decision1 that are related to the unique habitat in the immediate area of the wells, maintaining the stream flow, and minimizing need for additional water through conservation efforts. These wells are located in or adjacent to a unique habitat, an Atlantic White Cedar Swamp, that serves as a habitat for two endangered species (the Hessel's Hairstreak butterfly and the spotted turtle). To maintain this unique ecosystem, periodic inundation and near-surface water table is required, yet there is uncertainty regarding the affect the proposed well withdrawals will have. Conditional use of the Mansfield well includes developing a monitoring plan for the swamp and underlying aquifer that could restrict the operating schedule or allowable yield for wells in this area; and ensuring all practical water conservation measures are undertaken in the receiving area.

Growth in each municipality in the watersheds is straining the existing public water supply. The EOEA Watershed Team is committed to working with the public water suppliers to develop a Comprehensive Water Supply Plan that identifies ways to meet the future water supply needs including aggressive conservation measures, protecting the quality of existing and potential water supply sources, public education regarding outdoor water use, and balancing water supply and habitat needs.

Andrea Langhauser, EOEA

--------------------

1 See the WRC decision for the Town of Mansfield Morrison Well #10,
dated June 8, 2000.

Greenways

Greenways are "corridors" of land and water and the cultural, historical, natural and recreational areas they link or "knit" together. Greenways may be combinations of public and private lands; as simple as an urban path between a downtown and park land, or; as complex as a regional multi-modal system connecting two or more municipal centers or resource areas. Greenways may take the form of canoe passages, rail trails, bike paths or riverwalks. Greenways provide us the opportunity to plan with the natural and cultural landscape to help preserve our regional character and unfragmented natural resource and habitat areas.

The potential for the development of greenways as part of a regional conservation, recreation and open space strategy was identified as a priority item by the Regional Open Space Committee. Greenway planning is seen as a way to enhance the quality of life within the region by providing passive and active recreational opportunities while addressing water quality issues, preserving scenic views, vistas and landscapes, and, preserving large areas of intact habitat in order to help maintain biodiversity.

Every municipal Open Space Plan written within the last decade, within the Ten Mile and Narragansett Bay Watersheds has promoted the idea of developing regional greenways or local greenways with the potential for regional linkage. From Rehoboth in 1990, to Attleboro in 1994, from Wrentham in 1995, to Seekonk and North Attleborough in 2000, greenways, planned predominantly around important waterways, have been key "Action Plan" elements of local Open Space Plans.

There are probably no better examples within the immediate area than the City of Attleboro's Balfour Riverwalk and Bungay Conservation Area. The Balfour Riverwalk reclaimed a former industrial site in the heart of the downtown. The site of the former Balfour Manufacturing facility, it is now a public park area providing connections from the downtown to the library and YMCA. The Balfour site has also "uncovered" the Ten Mile River, which flows through the downtown but was largely confined and obscured by the industry it served for so many years. The Bungay Conservation Area is a proposed environmental education center in the midst of a large tract of conservation area in the Bungay River Watershed. This area will provide opportunity for nature observation and study as well as maintain intact habitat around the river.

In both cases, Attleboro's strong municipal commitment, in terms of both planning and fiscal resources, was matched by the state's Division of Conservation Services in providing the match funding needed for the respective projects.

The greatest opportunities for creating river based greenways which link publicly and privately controlled open space, water bodies, and, contain large areas of intact habitat, are afforded along the Seven Mile, Bungay and Palmer Rivers (and appear on the Greenways, Trails and Bikeways Map created by the Regional Open Space Committee).

The Seven Mile River runs through the very rural/agricultural western portions of Plainville and North Attleborough into northwestern Attleboro. Much of the land along the course of the river constitutes a natural land riparian corridor containing several large tracts of public and private open space (including several Agricultural Preservation Restriction and agricultural parcels), particularly in North Attleborough. The terminus of the proposed greenway is in the northwestern portion of Attleboro in an area of open water and publicly controlled open space.

The Bungay River runs through eastern North Attleborough into eastern Attleboro. Much of the land along the course of the river constitutes a natural land riparian corridor containing publicly owned open space and the Federal Fish Hatchery land in North Attleborough and culminating in the Bungay Conservation area in Attleboro (to which the city recently added over one hundred acres of land).

The Palmer River corridor is virtually intact throughout the Town of Rehoboth. It is very wild and rural in spots and traverses wooded and agricultural areas in others. It truly links cultural, historical, agrarian and natural landscapes within the town. The land along the course of the river constitutes a natural land riparian corridor for much of its length. The river provides natural links to various sized parcels of federal, state, town and privately owned open space. The Palmer itself is one of the most pristine rivers in all of southeastern Massachusetts.

TRIBUTARY

Fall River: "The Start of the Big Walk"

Although the land around the Watuppa Ponds in Fall River appears geographically detached in any presentation map depicting the Ten Mile, Narragansett and Mount Hope Bay Watersheds, it is the potential lynchpin in a greater greenway vision for southeastern Massachusetts.

In 1997, the Fall River Open Space and Recreation Plan's first goal was to "increase protection of the North Watuppa and Copicut Water Supply and East Fall River watershed lands." Concurrent with the goal of water supply protection and watershed land acquisition was the objective of establishing a greenway and trail system linking the Fall River waterfront area with the pristine open space of the East Fall River watershed lands.

Fall River is unique amongst the cities in southeastern New England in that approximately half of its more than 24,000 acres, or all of East Fall River, is virtually undeveloped watershed land. In contrast, virtually all of the residential commercial and industrial development in Fall River occurs west of the Watuppa Ponds complex, between Routes 24 and 79 and the Watuppa Ponds themselves. The city has had the foresight to protect their watershed land through zoning.

One concept for a greenbelt in Fall River involves land along the Taunton and Quequechan River that would also include the city's shoreline on the Mount Hope Bay and the Watuppa Ponds corridor. The greenbelt would also complement the DEM Heritage State Park, the walking and biking facilities on the New Brightman Street Bridge and the proposed improvements to the Olmstead designed Kennedy Park, which overlooks Mount Hope Bay. This general design concept also appears in the 1997 Open Space and Recreation Plan.

In 1999, the Greater Fall River Land Conservancy (a private, non-profit organization founded to preserve and protect the natural heritage of Fall River and surrounding areas for the benefit and enjoyment of the public) proposed the idea of a major greenbelt, extending from East Fall River, along south coastal Massachusetts, to the Myles Standish State Forest in Carver and Plymouth. The new Brightman Street Bridge would also link this greenbelt to the west, most likely through planned biking and hiking routes. This "super regional" concept has come to be referred to as the "Southeast Kingdom," a regional bio-reserve.

In the Spring of 2000, a team of students from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design began work on a comprehensive assessment of this greenbelt area and the thirteen municipalities through which it traverses. A final report should be ready by the Fall of 2000.

Concurrently, the Secretary of Environmental Affairs was in the process of realizing a fourteen year dream in southeastern Massachusetts, the purchase of the East Fall River Watershed lands by the Commonwealth. While negotiations for this land had been going on-and-off since 1988, Secretary Durand negotiated a preliminary agreement that would create, in conjunction with the Fall River-Freetown State Forest lands, a 14,000 acre green reserve in East Fall River - the anchor in the proposed regional system.

Finally, during the Summer of 2000, the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, the Greater Fall River Land Conservancy and others, sponsored the "Big Walk," a trek along the proposed regional greenbelt from East Fall River, through the thirteen municipalities, to the Myles Standish State Forest. Perhaps, through continued state and regional efforts in open space and conservation planning, we can someday soon make the "Big Walk" a permanent feature in the conservation landscape of southeastern Massachusetts.

C. Regional Recreation Needs

We Need Through Trails…..

While creating a regional planning "toolbox" and "tools" were community consensus/ technical needs agreed upon by the Regional Open Space Committee, there was perhaps no more passionate issue than that of the need for recreational through trails and linkages throughout the watersheds. These proposed linkages include canoe passages and bike paths/bikeways as well as hiking/walking trails. Ideally, through trails should connect contiguous parcels of open space. Easements may be needed from private property owners in order to facilitate trail connections where direct connections of open space parcels do not exist.

During a trail planning exercise conducted as part of a Regional Open Space Committee meeting, members worked together to map proposed or possible local trail projects (usually derived from municipal open space plans). This recreational trail planning exercise produced a regional trail map on a 34" x 44" GIS map base of the watershed areas. The Warner Trail, which traverses both Wrentham and Plainville en route from the rail station in Canton, Massachusetts to Diamond Hill State Park in Cumberland, Rhode Island, was considered an essential anchor to the north. The Warner Trail is a link to the Wrentham State Forest area as well as the "Wentworth Institute" property in Plainville via Wampum Four Corners. The Warner Trail is clearly marked by white discs attached to trees and telephone polls over its entirety. The trail is primarily maintained by Appalachian Mountain Club volunteers from the Boston, Narragansett and Southeastern Massachusetts Chapters.

In the course of the trail planning exercise, Don Doucette of the Ten Mile River Watershed Alliance worked with other Committee members to map a through trail from the Warner Trail in Wrentham to the City of East Providence, RI. Don explained how "possible" this trail was as he worked with the maps…..it was the product of a journey he had made several years before.

The enthusiasm, energy and hard work during this session resulted in the trails map contained in this report. As for the north-south trail from Wrentham to East Providence, Committee members now refer to it as…..

TRIBUTARY

"Don's Trail"…(described below in Don's own words)

During the month of June 1995 (June 17th & 18th to be exact), I walked with my friend, Mark Benoit, from the headwater of the Ten Mile River in Plainville, Massachusetts, to the river's outfall at Narragansett Bay in East Providence, Rhode Island.

Mark, an experienced backpacker, encouraged me to take on this adventure. I had been discussing the concept of walking the length of the small Ten Mile River Watershed with him for several years. I valued his friendship and his varied abilities - he was to be my mentor during this two day journey.

We began on Chestnut Street in Plainville near the Wrentham line on Saturday morning. Our destination on that day was my house on the Seekonk side of Attleboro. On Sunday morning we started out again, our trek would end at Omega Pond on Sunday evening. This is where the river falls into Narragansett Bay. Our agenda proved accurate having allowed ample time for rest and exploration. We expected the trip to be a quiet and passive undertaking as we cut across the grain of a watershed populace going about their normal weekend pursuits.

We realized it was impossible to maintain a fixed route along the Ten Mile River corridor entirely; very often we found ourselves in urban settings following sidewalks and roadways. Our intent, however, was to parallel the river floodplain whenever possible.

Even today the experiences of that journey remain imprinted in my mind. For example the quiet beauty of the Ten Mile River as it flows toward Plainville Center, cold drinks at a sidewalk table at The Penguin Café in North Attleborough, the ear splitting caws of a disrupted evening crow roost on Dodge Island in Attleboro; Sunday morning church bells and carousel music as we passed through Slater Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Later we arrived to a picnic lunch prepared and delivered by my wife, Nancy, to Hunt's Falls in East Providence, Rhode Island. We dined in the shade while listening to the falls. A little later we enjoyed an ice cream cone at the Sunshine Creamery on Roger Williams Avenue. Also, I will never forget the steady, cooling bay breeze as we arrived at our destination on Sunday evening. Throughout the two-day trek we walked through a living bouquet; the wild flowers were profuse. Bird song was our constant companion. Walking at a leisurely pace allowed our senses to experience the natural and cultural beauty of the watershed.

Mark and I fully experienced the sense of place that is the Ten Mile River Watershed. For too many years the river was considered an open sewer. Contrastly, we discovered a whole watershed, alive and kicking, contrary to its former reputation. Where there is tarnish there also exists the signs of rehabilitation.

As we walked along Central Pond in Pawtucket and Turner Reservoir in East Providence, we discussed earnestly the potential for a recognized footpath throughout the entire Ten Mile River corridor, indeed, we had walked the vision toward reality.

My colleagues associated with the Ten Mile River Watershed Alliance affectionately joke with me about my passion for the trail; they refer to it as Don's Trail. That's O.K., I enjoy the banter and, kidding aside, I seriously envision a completed Ten Mile River Heritage Trail. Someday it will happen. Hear me reader, if you can share this passion to develop this trail system, walk with us and please work toward making this vision a solid reality.

--Don Doucette, Ten Mile River Watershed Alliance

Bicycle Facilities

A second map created during the trail planning exercise was a map of bicycle facilities, proposed and desired, for the watershed(s) communities. Several of the proposed projects represent some of the most significant regional intermodal transportation efforts proposed in southeastern Massachusetts. Some of these projects have been in the public eye for a decade or more. Some are the products of extensive state and local planning and engineering studies, while others have existed as ideas since the 1970's. All are in various stages of development, pre-design, design or construction, some to be completed in the near future.

If fully realized, these projects could link two states, three counties and over one dozen municipalities. These projects would provide the Ten Mile and Narragansett Bay Watersheds with major east-west and north-south bicycle and multi-modal routes, paths and lanes. The major project areas, as mapped for this report are as follows:

· Brightman Street Bridge Replacement - More than just a means of conveying motorists across the Taunton River between Somerset and Fall River, the Brightman Street Bridge is also a key link in a regional bicycle plan. The approved bridge design has both a sidewalk and AASHTO standard bicycle lane. The Brightman Street Bridge (Routes 6 & 138) will allow east-west movement along SRPEDD's south coastal area as well as create a link from the east into Somerset, Swansea and the East Bay Trail through a Warren, Rhode Island, link (which will bridge Bristol, RI with Swansea, MA). Construction on the new Brightman Street Bridge began in 1999 with a completion date projected in five to six years.

· Swansea Bike Lanes - Originally approved for construction funding in FY'97, through the Enhancements Program, this project was to have provided bicyclists with a link to the East Bay Trail by connecting with a two and one-half mile bike path being constructed in Warren, RI. The Warren Bike Path will tie into the East Bay Trail in Bristol, RI.

Following an almost two year series of public meetings and hearings regarding the design of the bike lane system, the town is now ready to proceed into the construction phase, contingent upon procuring the funds. The $1.3 million project may have to wait several years because of cutbacks in federal funds to Massachusetts.

The bike lane system, when completed, will link Swansea and Warren at Old Warren Road, and travel along Maple Avenue, then down Wood, Oak, Locust and Plain Streets, to Milford Road, Bark Street, Chace Street and into Somerset. Part of the route will also go along Elm Street into Somerset.

· Fall River Bike Path - The city has recently procured the design funds necessary to begin planning the previously state-approved on and off-road bike path. This project will provide the key link between the city, via the new Brightman Street Bridge, the Towns of Somerset and Swansea to the west (and potentially to the East Bay Trail in Rhode Island), and the Town of Westport to the east.

· Seekonk Bike Path - This proposed mix of on and off-road lanes and paths would involve creating a loop trail along Newman Avenue and incorporating an abandoned rail line running by the McHale's Pond area. The route would also loop into East Providence, RI, and provide opportunities for other regional tie-ins.

· The East Coast Greenway - The East Coast Greenway (ECGC) will be a city to city multi-use trail system that connects existing and planned trails with new corridors using waterfronts, park paths, abandoned railroads, rails with trails, canal towpaths, and parkway corridors. It will be an 80% off road route for cyclists, hikers, and other users, initially in the heavily populated Northeast between Boston and Washington, DC, but eventually all the way from Maine to Florida. Our route will be a more urban alternative to the Appalachian Trail, located in the shadows of skyscrapers, and suburban green spaces, but also in rural bucolic settings.

The ECGC has discussed a possible north-south route through the SRPEDD area from Wrentham and Plainville to Mansfield, down through Taunton to the Taunton River Trail, through Swansea and into Rhode Island through the Warren/East Bay Trail link. The ECGC is working very closely with the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island on preliminary route plans incorporating respective state bike routes.

Canoeing

The Ten Mile and Narragansett Bay Watersheds contain some interesting opportunities for both the weekend and experienced canoeist. Areas along the Palmer River in Rehoboth and Swansea are both pristine and very rural. There are several areas where one must portage depending on the length of the trip and the time of year the trip is undertaken. Some portions of the river are densely vegetated while some channels run shallow at times. The Town of Rehoboth (in its 1990 Open Space Plan) and the Palmer River Watershed Alliance, have supported the idea of a multi-purpose greenbelt area along the Palmer. This undertaking would involve federal, state and local conservation, recreation, historical, wildlife, agriculture and outdoors organizations and agencies.

The experience on the Ten Mile River is quite different. Largely seen as an industrial river, having served as a backbone of growth for the manufacturing trades for almost two centuries, the Ten Mile is not without its opportunities for the canoeist. While portions of the river are stone-channeled and literally run under manufacturing sites, roadways and behind buildings in the densely developed downtown areas of North Attleborough and Attleboro, there are lengthy stretches of flat, open water where there is little evidence of

development. Recent trips down these sections of the Ten Mile by canoeists and journalists have served to remind people of the forgotten resource that is the Ten Mile River. The River is a key item in the 1999 North Attleborough Open Space Action Plan in terms of working with Plainville and Attleboro to restore the natural and scenic qualities of the Ten Mile as a centerpiece of a regional greenway network.