VIII CREATING A REGIONAL VISION

"Regional Accomplishments since 1995"

The following is a list of cooperative and individual accomplishments of regional impact based on work begun or completed in the Ten Mile, Narragansett and Mount Hope Bay Watersheds since 1995.

· Successful "Planning for Growth Grant" application, Plainville and North Attleborough; (West Side Study); IN PROGRESS
· Successful "Communities Connected by Water Grant," Plainville, North Attleborough, Ten Mile River Watershed, Tellus Institute (Watershed Action Plan); IN PROGRESS
· Flood Management Study of the Ten Mile through the Public Assistance to States Program (PAS) in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and EOEA; Plainville, North Attleborough, Attleboro, Seekonk; IN PROGRESS
· Flood Plan - Emergency Response Agreement, Attleboro and North Attleborough; IN PROGRESS
· Bungay River Project, Attleboro (for the lower Bungay Watershed); land acquisition completed through a DCS grant, education center, IN PROGRESS
· The Massachusetts Audubon Society established a permanent sanctuary in the Attleboro area
· Land Trusts have become very active in Plainville, Attleboro, Seekonk, Swansea and Rehoboth
· Active historic preservation efforts in Rehoboth, Plainville, North Attleborough, Attleboro and Swansea
· The River Aware citizens monitoring program, Swansea (and Somerset)
· The completion of EOEA funded buildout studies for all Ten Mile and Narragansett/Mount Hope Bay Watershed municipalities
· TMRWA's successful "Capacity Building" and Kodak Environmental Program grant applications and subsequent public forums
· The continuing work of the Runnins River Task Force, Seekonk and East Providence, RI, with assistance from EPA and EOEA
· Successful Regional Bikeway Planning and Construction grants, through the ISTEA/Enhancements Program, Fall River, Swansea (to connect with Somerset and the East Bay Trail in RI, via Warren, RI)
· Successful Municipal Incentive Grant (MIGS) application for Attleboro to work on growth management issues completed in June of 2000
· Series of successful ISTEA/Enhancements and MCZM Coastal Pollution Remediation grants, Seekonk, to install improved stormwater treatment structures along the Runnins River.

"Regional Goals and Objectives"

In developing a list of regional goals and objectives, we are in reality outlining a shared "regional vision." While past Municipal Open Space and Recreation Plans have contained elements of regional conservation and open space planning, this plan

has been constructed, by virtue of its process, as a Regional Open Space and Recreation Plan. The goals and objectives listed below have been developed in such a way as to complement local plans while providing local planners new opportunities to become involved with the regional process.

1. Improve the water quality of the region's rivers, streams and waterbodies:
· Continue to work with the EOEA Basin Team and Basin Team Leader through the five year Watershed Planning process;

· Continue to work with watershed alliances and local monitoring projects (such as River Aware and local stream teams) in order to keep up-to-date on the overall health of our rivers, streams and waterbodies;
· Work with the EOEA Watershed Initiative, through the Basin Team, to identify priority water quality-related projects and potential sources of funding and partners with which to plan and implement them;
· Complete the Ten Mile River Flood Management Study and Lake Como Restoration Assessment in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers;
· Complete and implement, where feasible, the Watershed Action Plan for the Ten Mile Watershed being developed through the Basin Team;
· Continue to work with the Runnins River Task Force.

2. Increase the amount of permanently protected open space, particularly within focus areas, water resource areas and along river and stream corridors.

· Continue to work with the Basin Team to bring potential land conservation, preservation and acquisition projects to the EOEA Land Acquisition Committee;
· Continue to work with local and regional land trusts and conservation organizations to complement municipal efforts and help to knit together green space within the region (potential regional partners may include the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts, Audubon, Trustees of the Reservations, etc.);
· Utilize a consistent prioritization and ranking methodology to create an inventory of land for acquisition throughout the region (this will be particularly useful in developing and presenting acquisition projects to potential funding sources);
· Support municipal and intermunicipal land preservation and acquisition projects, particularly where regionally beneficial (i.e. - in focus areas, water resource areas and along river and stream corridors), or in prioritized areas.

3. Plan for and develop regional "through trails," including walking, biking and canoeing.

· Develop a plan for a north-south trail through the watershed with a tie-in to the Warner Trail in Wrentham (this could be facilitated through the Regional Open Space Committee in conjunction with the Friends of the Warner Trail and the Basin Team);
· Support continued multi-modal trail planning efforts in Fall River and Seekonk;
· Support the implementation of the Swansea Bike Path which will link Fall River, Somerset and Swansea with the East Bay Trail via Warren, RI;
· Support the East Fall River Greenbelt Plan in conjunction with the recent EOEA land acquisition in East Fall River;
· Work with EOEA, through the Basin Team, to help develop the East Fall River to Myles Standish State Forest (regional greenway) concept plan with a connection to the Narragansett Bay Watershed;
· Support local corridor planning efforts on the Ten Mile, Seven Mile, Bungay and Palmer Rivers.

4. Develop, and, where feasible, employ regionally consistent zoning, land use and conservation strategies and regulations.

· Review and evaluate the "tools" developed for zoning and conservation for the Regional Open Space and Recreation Plan;
· Review and evaluate the EOEA Build-Out Studies in order to determine how and where certain zoning and conservation tools may be applied on a regional basis;
· Evaluate existing and proposed zoning and conservation tools in terms of regional trails, greenways and conservation goals.

5. Create a permanent Regional Open Space Committee

· Seek municipal commitments to appoint representatives to a permanent Regional Open Space Committee;
· Seek support and technical assistance from the Basin Team and RPA in terms of facilitation of meetings and assistance with procuring potential funding for further planning efforts.

6. Create a singular geographic watershed identity for the municipalities in the Ten Mile River and Narragansett/Mount Hope Bay Watersheds.

· Work with the Basin Team Leader to request of EOEA a single watershed "address" for the region in order to unify the region geographically and simplify regional watershed planning and related efforts.