The Franklin Conservation Commission is responsible for promoting and developing the natural resources of Franklin and protecting the watershed resources of Franklin. A large part of the Commission’s attention is directed to administering Massachusetts and Franklin wetland protection laws. In short, those laws require the Commission to hold public hearings or meetings before issuing a permit to work in or within 100 feet of a wetland, or 200 feet of a perennial stream.
The Commission is comprised of up to seven volunteer residents appointed for three year terms by the Town Administrator. The Commission also has up to two non-voting associate members. The members of the Commission have diverse professional experience related to environmental science, biology, engineering, landscape design, and project management. Because of their different backgrounds each commissioner is able to offer a different perspective during the review of applications for a wetland permit that ultimately
benefits Franklin. That perspective continues to evolve, as one new member, Marc DePoto and two new Associate members joined the Commission during this last year.
In July 2012 the Commission and the Town was shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of our Conservation Agent, Mr. Nick Alfieri. A longtime resident and devoted Town employee, Mr. Alfieri was committed to upholding the interests of the Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Franklin’s Wetlands Bylaw, while always being fair, helpful, and cooperative with local residents and business owners. We will
miss Nick and are thankful for his contributions to the Town and for his friendship.
In addition to conducting the regular schedule of public meetings to review applications for wetland permitting, the Commission updated its Policy Statement and Conservation Property Rules and Regulations document. The Commission also made an emergency revision to our Rules and Regulations, otherwise
residents would have lost their federal flood insurance.
Franklin was well represented at the annual conference of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions in March, attending classes and workshops and talking with other Commissioners from across the state as well as lawyers, ecologists and engineers active in Conservation.
Last year, the EPA unveiled its draft regulations to reduce the amount of phosphorus in storm water runoff into the Charles River basin, with Franklin, Bellingham and Milford as the pilot communities. These regulations are in response to the public health threat posed by outbreaks of toxic algae blooms downstream fostered by high levels of phosphorus from storm water runoff.
These regulations will require properties with more than two acres of imperious surfaces to improve storm water runoff treatment. Currently these regulations remain at a standstill as the EPA continues to work out the regulatory details. The Commission monitors the status of these regulations while encouraging and advising on appropriate stormwater management practices where applicable in Conservation jurisdiction.
The Commission continues to work on the DelCarte area (aka the Franklin Reservoirs) off of Pleasant Street. There are a series of seven “structures” (six are dams that had been originally used for cranberry farming, the seventh is a stone wall that beavers had dammed) along Miller brook thru the 100+ acre
DelCarte area. The dams are identified serially from Dam #1 located closest to downtown adjacent to the MBTA Dean station to #6 located furthest downstream, closest to Miller St. All of these structures are in various states of failure. Dams #5 & #5A (the stone wall) have completely failed, allowing their ponds to drain. All of the dams in the series have had signs posted on them because of the danger created by unstable beaver dams. Last year, the Town awarded a contract for Engineering and Design services to
Tighe & Bond, Inc. This spring, Tighe & Bond submitted a notice of intent for rehabilitation of
dams #3 and #4.
The Commission would like to draw the attention of the Town’s residents to the many protected natural areas in Town and the opportunities for passive recreation they enable:
- The DelCarte area has parking off of Pleasant Street, with walking trails through woodlands along a series of ponds;
- The Town Forest has good access points off of both Summer Street and Russet Hill Road with a network of walking trails thru woodlands and across Uncas Brook;
- There is a network of walking trails that cross Shepards Brook and go thru fields and woods behind Dacey Recreation Area off Lincoln Street;
- Indian Rock has good access off of both King Phillip Road and Lost Horse Trail with walking trails thru woodlands near two large vernal pools and to the top of historic Indian Rock;
- The Metacomet Land Trust owns several pieces of protected land, notably the walking trails off of Bridle Path and The Lady Bug Trail near JFK school;
- The Franklin State Forest is accessible off of Grove Street and Forge Hill Road and boasts an extensive network of walking and ORV trails;
- The SNETT trail goes all the way to Douglas. There is a Town parking lot off of Grove Street;
- The expansive marsh near Interstate 495 exit #17 is the US Army Corp of Engineers Natural Valley Flood Storage Project, preserved to protect against downstream flooding in the Charles River basin. That marsh is along Mine Brook, the largest stream in town, draining about half of Franklin, starting at the extreme south end of Franklin, passing underneath Washington Street, Beaver Street, 495, Grove Street, West Central Street, 495 again, Beech Street, and Pond Street before finally meeting the Charles River on the Medway border.
- Other significant streams in Franklin include Shepards Brook, Miller Brook, Uncas Brook and Bubbling Brook. Lake Populatic is part of the Charles River, the other navigable ponds in Franklin are Beaver Pond, Uncas Pond, and Spring (Green’s) Pond.
There are many other natural areas in Franklin waiting to be explored.
Conservation Commission Members:
Regan Ballantyne - Chair
Ray Willis - Vice Chair
Andy Tolland
Monique Allen
Jon Fournier
Jeff Livingstone
Marc Depoto
Margaret Stolfa - Associate Member
Andrew Riordan - Associate Member
Respectfully submitted,
Regan Ballantyne, Chair
Please visit our website for additional information including application forms, and regularly posted Conservation Commission agendas and meeting minutes at
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Conservation/index
Published by the Town Clerk, this comes from the 2012 Annual Reporthttp://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/
