3. COMPREHENSIVE OPEN SPACE PLAN
Overview
Communities can identify and protect vital open spaces through the development of a comprehensive plan. Important areas may include: lands that drain to community water supplies, including both reservoirs and groundwater aquifers; lands that border rivers and wetlands; critical habitat areas for endangered species; lands with high scenic value, such as along certain road corridors; and lands that provide recreational opportunities, such as walking trails and canoe launches. The open space plan should also identify action steps to acquire or otherwise protect key parcels. Massachusetts' Community Preservation Act (CPA) provides one mechanism for communities to generate funds for land acquisition. In general, cities and towns that establish dedicated or independent open space committees are most effective at developing open space plans, since planning boards and conservation commissions are often too burdened by their permitting duties to have time to develop a detailed plan.
Local Examples
Many towns in the Ipswich River watershed have developed open space plans and identified key parcels for protection. The town of Ipswich has an especially thorough open space plan, backed by an active Open Space Committee and a $10 million bond authorization to permanently protect significant parcels for open space, water supply protection, and recreation. In addition to an Open Space and Recreation Plan, the town developed a Green Ring report that specifically focuses on creating “green infrastructure,” an open space network of protected landscape patches connected by multiple corridors. The proposed green ring in Ipswich connects the Rowley River with Willowdale State Forest and a corridor along the Ipswich River, ultimately leading into the Great Marsh along Ipswich's scenic coast. The report identifies key parcels of land that are priorities for protection under the Green Ring Plan. In a related effort, 85 “priority parcels” for land preservation were identified by the Open Space Committee at the time that the bond authorization was approved at Town Meeting. As of 2006, Ipswich had used the funds to permanently protect 345 acres of open space.
Boxford has also developed an open space plan, which is used to guide land acquisitions using CPA funds and monies from the town's open space bond. Hamilton and Wenham have been active in producing maps showing public-access open spaces and trail locations.
Resources
Community Design Partnership, The Vision for Open Space: The Ipswich Green Ring Report, 2000 (pdf)
Hines, Tracie, Open Space Bond Program: Report to the Ipswich Board of Selectmen, June 2002 (pdf)
Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife, Natural Heritage Program, Biomap & Living Waters (html)
Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Community Development Plans (html)
Water Wise Communities: Index
- Introduction & Using the Handbook
- How Development Affects Water (link to IRWA site)
- Checklist: Is Your Community Water Wise?
- Water Wise Tools:
