Charlie Wyman, Senior Land Protection Specialist
Last week Mass Audubon announced an exciting conservation opportunity: protection of the 350-acre former Sibley and Warner farms on Route 9 in Spencer, just five miles west of the Worcester city limits.
This large property consists of farm fields, woodlands, ponds, streams and wet meadows and abuts Mass Audubon’s Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary. It had been purchased in 2002-2005 by a developer who obtained permits for 304 condominium units and a 240,000-square-foot retail shopping center. But potential buyers evaporated with the economic downturn, and the bank holding the mortgage foreclosed last year, opening a window of opportunity for conservation.
We have now taken the first critical step towards seizing this opportunity. In late June Mass Audubon reached agreement in principle with DCU (Digital Federal Credit Union), the new owner, on a one-year option to purchase the property for $2.3 million.
This is wonderful land, with scenic views across hayfields from Route 9, a large central wetlands complex (with beaver meadows, wooded swamps, ponds and streams) that feeds into Burncoat Pond, and a drumlin with old pasture and hayfields offering distant vistas and good bird habitat. The MidState Trail passes through the property, and part of it was recently designated by the state as among the most important for preservation of the state’s biodiversity.
Unfortunately, we can’t just write a check to purchase the property, as much as we wish we could. To be successful will require a coalition of conservation partners, including the town, state agencies, other non-profit land trusts, and individuals. Both public funds and private donations will be needed.
The town’s SelectBoard and Conservation Commission have expressed support and agreed to submit an application to the state LAND grant program that could provide up to $500,000 towards the purchase. Two local land trusts, the Greater Worcester Land Trust and the Common Ground Land Trust, a young trust working to protect the open spaces of Spencer and Leicester, have also voiced their support. Help will be sought from the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program and Conservation Partnership Program.
But even with lots of help, the majority of funds will need to come from the town of Spencer and private fundraising. Over the next few weeks, Mass Audubon will engage town boards and other interested parties in an open public discussion to assess the breadth and depth of support for the project, and to map out the details of a protection plan.
We are not seeking funds at this stage – we are still evaluating the feasibility of the project and discussing with potential conservation partners how best to proceed. Stay tuned! If you have questions or suggestions, or would like to get on our mailing list for updates, please contact Senior Land Protection Specialist Charlie Wyman at cwyman@massaudubon.org or 781-259-2174. Thank you!
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