WCLT Reports of Interest

Reports of Interest

The following reports represent local and regional plans that impact open space in the Town of Westborough. In many cases the Westborough Community Land Trust or its members were integral to the planning processes that developed these reports.

	Westborough Master Plan Residents have consistently identified the preservation of open space as a top priority for Westborough's future. During the master planning process, they expressed strong support for using Town funds to protect open space. The Westborough Master Plan lays out a range of tools and possible funding mechanisms for open space. Further discussion should take place in the near future.
	Westborough Open Space and Recreation Plan The Open Space and Recreation Plan incorporates specific strategic actions designed to protect ground and surface water, watersheds and the ecological integrity of woodlands and wetlands. It further outlines actions to preserve scenic and historical resources through the creation of open space corridors. Finally, the Plan addresses ways to provide safe and appropriate active and passive recreational facilities for current and future residents.
	Upper Assabet Riverway Plan The Upper Assaabet Riverway Plan contains general chapters on the river corridor's biodiversity, recreation, the health of the Assabet River, the regulatory environment, and general recommendations. Chapters about Westborough, Northborough, Marlborough, Berlin, and Hudson provide community-specific information, including high priority lands for conservation. The Plan includes bylaw comparisons for the upper Assabet communities, a series of maps showing protected and high priority lands, and recommendations to help communities take advantage of recreational opportunities and strengthen environmental protection.
	Sudbury Reservoir Watershed System Access Plan The Metropolitan District Commission Division of Watershed Management Sudbury Reservoir Watershed System Public Access Plan Update 2002 explains MDC/DWM policies and outlines control measures for mitigating the impact of public access on those lands. This Plan includes policies for common recreational activities that occur on the land and water resources in the Sudbury Reservoir Watershed System. This update outlines policies for public access to MDC/DWM property in Ashland, Framingham, Hopkinton, Marlborough , Northborough, Southborough, and Westborough.
	SuAsCo Biodiversity Protection and Stewardship Plan This report highlights biodiversity sites and identifies focal species that are significant on the watershed scale. This information can help municipalities, non-profit organizations, state agencies, and community leaders to work together in the protection and stewardship of regionally significant plant communities, wildlife habitat, and corridors. The Plan outlines a strategy--the specific actions needed--to help achieve protection and stewardship goals.
	SuAsCo Greenways Plan The Greenways Plan for the SuAsCo Watershed proposes greenways to link many of the parks, wildlife refuges, and other protected lands within the watershed of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers (SuAsCo watershed). The Greenways Plan employs the holistic framework of the watershed approach in response to the rapid growth of the towns and cities of the region. The proposals for greenways in the SuAsCo watershed are intended to help guide and coordinate conservation efforts among government agencies, nonprofit conservation groups, and other landowners as the 21st century unfolds.
	Commonwealth Connections Commonwealth Connections is a vision for a coordinated network of greenways and trails in Massachusetts and includes specific steps for making this vision a reality. It is hoped that the Westborough Charm Bracelet Trail will become part of this effort.
	Losing Ground: At What Cost? The report is based on research into changes in land use and their impact on habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem services in Massachusetts. Westborough is highlighted as one of the communities that is losing precious open space.
	Development of Ecological Management Plans for Conservation Lands in Westborough, Massachusetts with Emphasis on Invasive Species Control (.pdf) This report is a thesis by Ashly Young done as part of her studies in Biology at Wheaton College. The project studied four pieces of conservation land located in Westborough, Massachusetts that are negatively impacted by invasive species.
	Gilmore Pond Study (.pdf) Senior Honors thesis by Wheaton College student Annie Bennett entitled "Small Pond Ecology: Eutrophication, Alternative Stable States, and Management Options."