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Date: 4/4/2023
PALMER – At a meeting on March 21, the Conservation Committee went over the plans for the Church Street Bridge construction that is slated to begin this year, and discussed their Earth Day event coming up on Saturday, April 22, as well as ideas to increase community engagement and education.
Church Street Bridge
According to Town Manager Ryan McNutt, after a lengthy process of finalizing plans, the bridge demolition and reconstruction project was approved and the repairs are out to bid. McNutt said he hopes the project will be completed this year, however could not guarantee this or provide specific timelines.
Chair Donald Blais said the committee was excited to see the project start, as it “has been a long time coming,” and will provide several positives for the community. Blais said the bridge route reopening will help with the clogging of downtown traffic, beautify the surrounding neighborhood and provide easier access for visitors, and will be another way for tractor trailer trucks to reach Maple Tree Industrial Center, an industrial park that had previously been accessible by the bridge.
Conservation Agent Heidi Mannarino also pointed out that right now, there is only one route to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, via the Massachusetts Turnpike. She said the bridge had been well used as another route to reach that location and will again provide that option for travelers.
The project is being funded by a combination of grant money and town funds. McNutt said Linda Leduc, the town planner, was successful in getting a $280,000 MassDevelopment grant, used for the design and permitting process. McNutt said the rest of the project is town funded at approximately $2 million.
Earth Day cleanup event will be townwide
The committee will again host an Earth Day cleanup event on Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to noon. Anyone wishing to volunteer should head to Laviolette Field in Three Rivers, where the committee will have coffee and donuts, cleaning supplies, gloves, and trash bags for residents to use. Those participating may stay at the field and help with cleanup there, but also have the opportunity to go anywhere in town they would like to clean up any public areas. Participants can drop off full garbage bags at the field, where the committee has rented a dumpster for the day.
Blais said that the committee has been doing this for a few years, and had as much as 50 “huge” bags of litter picked up one year. Blais said household trash and discarded furniture is not eligible to be dropped off at the dumpster.
Mannarino said that The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife will also have an Earth Day event on April 19 at Forest Lake Boat Launch. During the event, the lake will be stocked, and there will be activities held to teach younger kids how to fish.
Vandalism problems
The committee reported that there has been an ongoing issue of vandalism at the First Street conservation area on the Swift River. Blais said specifically there has been defacing of the gazebo, graffiti on some of the old foundations, and on the benches. Blais said the foundations are from the 19th century, and described some of the graffiti as hateful and vile, saying that the vandalism has come to a point where it is not going to be tolerated any longer, and the committee is looking at options for action.
Mannarino added the use of dirt bikes and ATVs have been a consistent problem at that site as well. Extensive damage done to the local wildlife and vegetation by the use of recreational vehicles on the trails, Mannarino said. The committee is considering options such as camera monitoring to impede the recreational vehicle and ongoing vandalism occurring at the site, and will possibly be working with law enforcement as well.
“We spent a lot of time to really make it a beautiful site,” Blais said, and the committee is invested in keeping it this way.
Upcoming news
The First Street site is soon going to see a new fishing pier, which the committee recently secured funding for. Mannarino said the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife had a donor who provided the money to put in an accessible fishing pier on the accessible loop on the site. The timeline for this has not been decided yet.
Blais and Mannarino said the commission is looking to expand community outreach and have more events, especially involving youth. Blais said engaging with young people is a priority - “I want younger people to really understand what we do as Conservation Commission, and why it’s important to preserve and protect our environment and what we have here.”
Blais said youth education is critical to developing an appreciation for the environment. “When you start at a young age, have kids take care of their own backyard, it can merge into a bigger level of thinking and acting as an adult.” Blais said.
Mannarino said the commission intends to do more educational outreach, increase their social media presence, and get the public involved this year. “There is lot of exciting stuff to come, so tune in,” Mannarino said.
Blais adds that he regularly gets feedback that the public is watching the meetings, which he said the commission is very happy about and wants to encourage residents to keep watching.
The meeting calendar can be found at townofpalmer.com, and meetings may be viewed live or watched later through MPACT TV at m-pact.tv.