Parkways Control

A Letter to the Conference Committee

Arborway Coalition v Boston Greenspace Alliance v Charles River Conservancy v Charles River Watershed Association v Environmental League of Massachusetts v Emerald Necklace Conservancy v Emerald Necklace Greenway Project v Esplanade Association v Friends of the Blue Hills v Friends of the Middlesex Fells

June 3, 2004

Representative Viriato M. deMacedo
Senator Michael R. Knapik
Representative Peter J. Larkin
Chairwoman Therese Murray
Senator Steven C. Pangiotakos
Chairman John H. Rogers

Dear Members of the Conference Committee: 

            RE:       Protecting the Commonwealth's Parkways

            The undersigned organizations are writing to urge you to preserve and protect the Metropolitan Park System Parkways, and indeed all of the Commonwealth's Historic Parkways.  These Parkways define "the look and feel of our communities, as well as the daily patterns of our lives."[1] The enormous outpouring of public support during recent debates about the Fells Parkways and the Arborway clearly demonstrates how strongly citizens feel about the Parkways. 

            The state's Parkways are unique.  Whether they border a river or a beach, connect significant parks, or form the border between a neighborhood and a reservation, the Parkways are important, defining elements of our cities and towns.  They should remain under the ownership and control of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

Language in both the House and Senate budget recommendations recognizes the importance of keeping care, custody and control of the Metropolitan Park System Parkways with DCR.  We support this wholeheartedly, and anticipate you will draft a budget that embraces this requirement. The House budget recommends keeping all Parkways activities within DCR; the Senate budget, as amended, recommends a limited transfer of maintenance responsibilities to the Massachusetts Highway Department.  We do not support transferring any responsibilities for Parkways at this time.

We all agree that improvements are needed in Parkways maintenance.  However, all Parkways responsibilities should remain within DCR, at least until the following developments have occurred:

·        the completion of EOEA's  Parkways Inventory and Treatment Guidelines, which will guide the appropriate decision-making for Parkways management into the future;

·        the completion of management plans for the park systems, including the Parkways, as was mandated by the legislature in 2003;

·        the appointment of the Stewardship Council, which will oversee DCR and have responsibility for approving management plans, as was mandated by the legislature in 2003;

·        any restructuring of the state's transportation agencies is complete and the appropriate protections for Parkways can be assured within the new structure.

·        completion of nomination process for placing the Metropolitan Park System on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Our goal is to find the best way to protect, preserve and enhance the Parkways.  We look forward to working with you, with members of the DCR staff, and with the many stakeholders involved in Parkways to find the most efficient, effective way to do this. 

Sincerely,

Sarah Freeman, Arborway Coalition

Patrice Todisco, Boston Greenspace Alliance

Renata von Tscharner, Charles River Conservancy

Kate Bowditch, Charles River Watershed Association

Nancy Goodman, Environmental League of Massachusetts

Simone Auster, Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Jeffrey Ferris, Emerald Necklace Greenway Project

Linda Cox, Esplanade Association

Thomas Palmer, Friends of the Blue Hills

Mike Ryan, Friends of the Middlesex Fells

cc:        Speaker Thomas Finneran
Senate President Robert Travaglini