CPA Communities Awarded Majority of 2017 State LAND Grants
Mar. 5, 2018: The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) recently announced this year's open space LAND grants, and nine CPA communities received over 72% of the total funding!
The CPA communities of Amherst, Belchertown, Brewester, Dunstable, Falmouth, Monson, Plymouth, Templeton, and Westport received a total of $1.84M in state funds. CPA provides communities with a local funding source for the required match, giving them a leg up when it comes to applying for grants like this one. It's for this reason that CPA communities consistently receive the majority of the EEA's LAND grants each year.
Full project descriptions and funding amounts can be viewed in the EEA press release, available here. The breakdown of funding for the nine CPA projects can also be found below:
| Municipality | Project Name | Project Description | Grant Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | Epstein Pond Protection | This project will protect one of the largest ponds in Amherst and provide connectivity to the Mount Holyoke Range while creating public access to water-based recreation. | $194,285 |
| Belchertown | Mader Town Forest | The project will conserve 86 acres of land in the vicinity of the Holland Glen Conservation Area, consisting of a steep hillside with a scenic vista, a popular place for hiking, and a recharge area for Jabbish Brook - a water supply for Belchertown and the City of Springfield. | $243,636 |
| Brewster | Meetinghouse Road Aquifer | The Town of Brewster will acquire a large block of pine-oak forest for wildlife habitat and aquifer protection. Trails on this property will add to the Brewster Walking Trails and will connect to an adjacent 60-acre conservation property. | $226,343 |
| Dunstable | Kendall Cranberry Bog | The Town of Dunstable will acquire a 12-acre property along Salmon Brook which will create a connection between two protected parcels - the Amos Kendall Conservation Area and the 400-acre Kennedy Conservation Area for watershed protection and access to water-based recreation. | $120,900 |
| Falmouth | Tony Andrews Farm | The Town of Falmouth will acquire a 34-acre historic working farm property along the Coonamessett River for watershed protection and the creation of a public walking path that will be part of the Coonamessett Greenway Project. | $400,000 |
| Monson | Berude-Boulder Hill | This project will conserve two woodland parcels that will become part of a greenway from Peaked Mountain to the Miller Forest. The parcels are habitat for various turtle species, including the Eastern Box Turtle. | $207,740 |
| Plymouth | Brook Corridor Fields | This project will preserve one of the last pieces of open space in Downtown Plymouth in a BioMap2 Core area, while creating an opportunity for public access to recreation. | $69,600 |
| Templeton | Fernald Corp. Conservation Acquisition | The project comprises four woodland parcels, owned by the Fernald Corp., a mental health institution, abutting the Templeton Development Center. The project seeks to provide a connection to existing protected lands and will serve as a catalyst for future conservation efforts. | $181,405 |
| Westport | St. Vincent De Paul Camp | This acquisition will preserve the former St. Vincent De Paul Camp site from development. The property is comprised of 30 acres of wooded swamps and Marbled Salamander habitat and will abut a planned community park. | $196,000 |
(Photo: St. Vincent De Paul Camp in Westport by Greg Stone)