PETERSHAM – Residents have one final chance to weigh in on the proposed Open Space & Recreation Plan (OSRP) put together by students from the Conway School at a forum to be held on Tuesday.
The public forum will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the lower level of Town Hall, 3 South Main St. The Open Space & Recreation Committee has been working with Conway School students for the better part of six months to update the OSRP that was last overhauled in 2014. Residents can review the 133-page plan by going to www.townofpetersham.org.
Work on the OSRP by the Conway School was funded by a $20,000 Planning Assistance Grant from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
The plan presents four primary goals for the town, the first of which is for Petersham to “retain its beauty, unique sense of place, and rural character by protecting the health and integrity of its natural assets…” Other objectives include enhancing the quality and accessibility of open space and recreation programs, increasing climate-resilient land practices for public and private lands, and improving communication to increase awareness about open space access, inclusive cultural and recreational uses, and land conservation.
In addition, the plan provides a brief history of the community, an overview of Petersham’s place in the North Quabbin region, and demographic information, as well as a list of the species of flora and fauna in the community.
The report concludes with a seven-year action plan that calls for – among other things – completion of the Bob Marshall Trail. In an interview earlier this year, Open Space & Recreation Committee Chair Anne Cavanaugh said the trail was started under the 2014 OSRP.
Completing the trail, according to the draft plan, would require partnerships with public and private landowners.
The biggest landholder in Petersham is the state, which controls nearly 22,000 acres – half the town’s total area. Next, with holdings of just over 3,200 acres, is the President & Fellows of Harvard College (the Harvard Forest), comprising about 7% of the total area. Other large landowners, with properties ranging from 500-1,100 acres include the Trustees of Reservations, Cardinal Brook Trust, Mass Audubon Society, Chimney Hill Farm, John and Barbara Maniha, and the town.
Also included in the seven-year plan is improving the walkability of roads and walkways near and within the town center while also increasing recreation opportunities on the Town Common and exploration of potential recreational uses of the former Nichewaug Inn & Academy property.
Anyone unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting in person may participate via Zoom at https://tinyurl.com/mrxe83rh. The meeting ID is 884 4705 9659 and the passcode is 010255.
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@aol.com.