Preserving MANCHAUG POND!

BIG Raffle Tickets on Sale Now!

2013-05-24T08:11:00.001-04:00

Remember our BIG BOAT Raffles? The reverse drawing with the loosing numbers drawn first - on rubber duckies in a pool? And the winner had a choice of a brand new boat or a pocket of cash?

Well our BIG RAFFLE is back! This year the prize is not a boat but a trip to a location of your choice worth up to $5,000! The winner can choose the travel voucher or $4,000 CA$H! We've made it easier to play, with the best odds and ticket price... up to 100 tickets will be sold - no more than that! And the price per ticket has been slashed in half at $100.

So are you in? Great odds, great price, great fun at the drawing, and a great cause! You can go in with a family or a friend!
For tickets see a MPF Board member or email ManchaugPondSecretary@gmail.com and we will get a ticket delivered to your door!

Thanks for your part in preserving Manchaug Pond!

Send your donations to MPF, P.O. Box 154, Manchaug, MA 01526 or make our Paypal button dance!

Now flowering in the Manchaug Pond watershed: Pink Lady's Slipper

2013-05-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) is flowering now in the acidic forests around Manchaug Pond. This particular plant is growing on a steep slope at the base of an oak tree in the woods of Douglas.
Check out this link from the US Forest Service for more info about this orchid.

Worcester Telegram Editorial on the Beaton Farm Property

2013-05-21T20:40:00.000-04:00

The following is an editorial from the Worcester Telegram.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Common ground

A ‘view shed’ in Sutton on the block

This much is certain: The Beaton Farm property in Sutton offers a magnificent and unspoiled view of Manchaug Pond from historic Waters Farm.

But when it comes to the eleventh-hour battle to “save the land from development,” it is much less clear that the property is in dire danger.

On the one hand, local conservationists, spearheaded by the Manchaug Pond Foundation, are hoping to raise $1.32 million by July 16 to buy 76 acres on behalf of the town, thus preserving it in perpetuity. On the other hand, the College of the Holy Cross has offered $1.9 million to the owners to purchase the 76 acres plus acreage along the pond’s shore, for siting a retreat center.

Often, tussles over New England’s vanishing landscape are stark choices between leaving the land as is, or letting it sprout single-family homes.

There’s no doubt that if Holy Cross obtains the property, some development will take place, but if the college’s plans are as advertised, a 30,000-square-foot retreat center can probably coexist with the woods, wildlife and sense of place that makes the area so special. It would, indeed, make little sense for Holy Cross to put down $1.9 million plus the costs of site development, only to destroy the very essence of the parcel itself.

There’s a common goal here — preserving a precious bit of old New England for many generations to come. We believe both sides share that understanding. Whichever side makes the purchase, we believe the Beaton Farm property has a long and happy future ahead of it.

Herons, Manchaug Pond, and the Neighboring Rookery

2013-05-21T12:04:00.002-04:00

A Heron on a dock on Manchaug Pond - archive photo

Herons are a common sight on Manchaug Pond: fishing coves, standing on docks and shoreline boulders and flying low over the water to a quiet place.

To see where they are nesting, just take a car ride north and west of Manchaug Pond heading toward Oxford.

Heron rookery located just outside Manchaug Pond watershed in Oxford, Massachusetts

As you head west on Central Turnpike you'll enter Oxford, passing Douglas Pike and Joe Jenny Road on the left. Keep looking to the left and you will see a large area of water and dead trees. This wetlands was created by a number of years ago by beavers flooding the forest.

Those dead trees now bear the large stick nests of herons! A driveby reveals the adults standing tall in the nest with other adults flying east to and from area ponds and wetlands.

Closeup of females in the nests.

In addition to Manchaug Pond, herons are frequent visitors to Aldrich Mill Pond at the inlet of Manchaug, the bordering trout ponds on the Beaton Farm Property in Sutton as well as neighboring Stevens Pond downstream and Oxford's Robinson Pond west of the rookery.

A heron on a fallen tree on Aldrich Mill Pond just up from Manchaug Pond.

TO DO LIST for Lovers of Manchaug Pond!

2013-05-20T09:03:00.002-04:00

My Action Items - Today the lake is my priority!

Preserve Beaton Farm - all 100+ acres of fields, forests, and shoreline!

1. TAKE A STAND! Yes, I support MPF's effort to preserve the shoreline, water, and watershed!

VOTE in the poll on the sidebar at the right! Comment here, and on Facebook as to what Manchaug Pond means to you!

2. MAKE A DONATION - Dig deep! I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Manchaug Pond NEEDS ME and MPF needs me with them and behind them!

Love Manchaug Pond? Be a part of the rescue! Join the MPF to preserve the entire parcel, farmlands, forest, and the 875 ft of waterfront.

No donation is too small or too big. Today send your check to MPF, P. O. Box 154, Manchaug, MA, USA 01526-0154 or use the Paypal button on the sidebar. MPF needs to cover required closing costs: title, surveying and marking, wetlands delineation and flagging, legal fees, etc.

3. SPREAD THE WORD! I'm going to tell everyone I know what is going on and ask them to help me save our lake!

We can do this!

Sunday Telegram Tells Beaton Farm Story

2013-05-19T10:37:00.000-04:00

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Group races to save Sutton landscape

A robin takes flight from a fence post on land the Manchaug Pond Association wants to save from development. (T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR)

The Manchaug Pond Foundation is racing to raise $1.32 million by July 16 to buy the Beaton Farm Property overlooking Manchaug Pond. (T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR)

By Susan Spencer TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
susan.spencer@telegram.com

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Enlarge photo

SUTTON — There is hardly a more classic rural New England landscape than in Sutton.

Rolling hills unfold in a patchwork of fields and stone walls. Weathered barns stand against the wind. Orchards, dairy and horse farms dot knolls sloping to sparkling ponds.

That view — and the town's cultural heritage — is changing, as open space succumbs to development.

Selectman Michael A. Chizy, who serves as board chairman, has lived in town almost 60 years.

“Where cornfields used to be, now there's houses,” he said.

Another quintessential parcel, the 100-acre Beaton Farm Property that was once part of historic Waters Farm, overlooking Manchaug Pond, may be the next to be developed.

The current owner, who has received property tax benefits for 73 acres on the site under the state Chapter 61A program for agricultural land, plans to sell the property. Under state law, when land comes out of agricultural, forestry or recreation space protection, the town has the right of first refusal to buy the land.

Selectmen agreed April 16 that the town was not in a position to purchase the parcel, but assigned the nonprofit Manchaug Pond Foundation to act on its behalf to try to raise $1.32 million by July 16, the deadline set by law, to buy the 73 acres.

“Taxes have gone up,” Mr. Chizy said. “People can only afford so much. I don't think the town would purchase it (if money couldn't be raised privately).”

The College of the Holy Cross has submitted a $1.9 million proposal to purchase the full 100 acres, including 73 acres under Chapter 61A, plus roughly 26 acres along the pond in Douglas, on which to build a 30,000-square-foot retreat center.

Ellen M. Ryder, director of public affairs for Holy Cross, said, “It is so beautiful. It's what attracted us to it in the first place.”

She said that retreat and contemplation are an integral part of a faith-based education. The college used to hold one-day or overnight retreats, often conducted in silence, at a facility in Narragansett, R.I., but that site was no longer available. Since the 1980s, students and staff have had to travel at least an hour to other locations.

Phyllis M. Charpentier, corresponding secretary for the Manchaug Pond Foundation, said the group has nothing against the college.

But she wants to preserve the scenic open space that is enjoyed by visitors from all over, the historic quarry in the woods that once supplied Blackstone Valley mills with stone, the pristine trout ponds and brooks that run through the property to 875 feet of shoreline on Manchaug Pond, and the working stables that house 19 miniature horses.

“If we do not succeed, everything will be sold: the house, the barn, 26 acres abutting the pond and the fields,” Ms. Charpentier said. “We're looking to keep it undeveloped so the streams feeding Manchaug Pond stay as they are now. It's the last quiet cove.”

Marty Jo Henry, Manchaug Pond Foundation's first vice president, said the land was a priority habitat for endangered species and served as a wildlife corridor linking Sutton State Forest and Douglas State Forest. She has photographed bald eagles, osprey and heron soaring overhead there.

“It's a big stopping point for migrating ducks heading up to Canada,” Ms. Henry said.

The stone-wall-bordered overlook at the top of the fields, with a panoramic vista of the 380-acre Manchaug Pond below, provides an ideal viewing spot for bird watchers and others, including wedding couples who have portraits taken there.

That “viewshed” was highlighted a dozen years ago in the master plan for Waters Farm, a living-history farm preserved to portray 19th-century agrarian life. The Waters homestead, which was built in 1757 by Stephen Waters and is on the National Register of Historic Places, is across the road from Beaton Farm and looks out onto the fields and hillside to Manchaug Pond.

National Park Service Ranger Chuck Arning said, “You'd like to see the way it might have been in the 1800s.”

He cited passages from the Waters Farm master plan: “This amazing view is a powerful experience for the first-time visitor because it is so unexpected and so dramatic. The view is evocative of how the land may have looked more than 250 years ago — regardless of its actual appearance. The momentary sensation of being in another time anchors Waters Farm in the mind of the visitor as an important place, a place where you can feel connected to the past through the power of this unique setting and experience. Preservation of views should be a primary goal.”

But preservation takes money, time and a lot of hard work.

“The problem is, we need such a large amount of money in such a short time,” said Andrew J. Mosher, Manchaug Pond Foundation treasurer.

“The situation the foundation finds itself in, scrambling to pull together funds to purchase open space before it is sold for development, isn't uncommon, according to Rob Warren, Massachusetts director of protection and policy for The Nature Conservancy.

“I think it's important for people to understand that lands that are enrolled in Chapter 61 programs are not permanently protected lands. That's at the discretion of the landowner,” he said.

Mr. Warren said that because these properties typically become available on short notice, many land trusts work with landowners ahead of time to get them thinking about placing their property in permanent protection, through conservation restrictions, donation or sale to a conservation organization.

Towns that have adopted the Community Preservation Act, which Sutton has not, may be in a better financial position to acquire open space. The Community Preservation Act creates local funds, through a surcharge of up to 3 percent on real estate levies, for preserving open space and historic sites, promoting affordable housing and developing outdoor recreation facilities.

Open space committees can also plan strategically for land acquisition.

“Any of that sort of foresight is helpful, Mr. Warren said. “Having planning in place ahead of time helps a community respond. The 'white knight' is a true rarity,” he said, referring to a donor who swoops in to help buy land.

He added that towns should be aware of the economic benefits of protecting land, which costs far less over time than providing services for developed parcels, despite the additional tax revenue.

Contact Susan Spencer at susan.spencer@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanSpencerTG.

Sacred Sunday- This week on Manchaug Pond!

2013-05-19T07:00:00.003-04:00

Today's Cleanup Draws 21 Volunteers!

2013-05-18T21:43:00.000-04:00

On this beautiful spring day, beginning with coffee, donuts and a bowl of fresh fruit, 21 volunteers joined forces at the state boat ramp on Torrey Road, Sutton today from 9:00AM to 2:00PM to fan out cleanning the roadsides, ramp and shoreline of Manchaug Pond.

Coordinated by the Manchaug Pond Foundation, the cleanup included trash pick up on roadsides including Lackey Road, Manchaug Road from Central Turnpike to Torrey Road, Torrey Road to Holt Road in Sutton and then on to Oak Street in Douglas.

A team with "heavy equipment" focused on the public boat ramp clearing branches from lawn areas, leaves and other debris from gutters, and trash from the property.

Cooperating in the effort was the town of Sutton Highway Dept. who supplied a town truck for disposal of the trash.

Volunteer hours will count toward our upcoming s. 319 Nonpoint Pollution Grant.

A couple cars also pulled up asking for information on the MPF and how they could join our efforts! As Sutton residents they loved the lake and enjoyed boating and one local family camps at a Manchaug Pond campground!

If you would like to be on the mailing list - email ManchaugPondSecretary@gmail.com with your name, address and email address and we'll get you on our lists!

Welcome aboard!

2013-05-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Outdoors: Hoping someone can save this land from development by July

Mark Blazis Outdoors

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Today’s column was supposed to be about great fishing — the first big surge of stripers, mackerel, squid, the Canal, Barnstable Harbor, huge flocks of terns feeding over bait, tired casting arms, local mayfly hatches, and shad runs.

That news is temporarily on hold for a much more urgent matter. A Sutton wildlife treasure is on the precipice of development. It’s the bottom of the ninth for Beaton Farm. Without immediate intervention — i.e., $1.325 million — we’re going to lose it forever.

July 16 is D-Day. Without someone coming to the rescue and having all formalities completed by that date, Holy Cross stands ready to take over the land — and build on it.

In lieu of what could or should have been done long before now, we need a deus ex machina — a wealthy benefactor or a conservation rescue team from the DCR, MassWildlife, MassAudubon, the Nature Conservancy, a land trust or Trustees of Reservations — to again step in at the proverbial last minute, as some have done so many times in the past. But most public and private organizations are now cash-strapped. Many Wall Streeters and Dow manipulators could do it, but they live in a different neighborhood. It’s sad that local steps were not taken in time to address a moment like this.

Some residents tell me it’s a pity conservation leadership was never persuasive or had enough foresight in Sutton to establish a land trust, as neighboring towns like Grafton successfully have done to step in when urgent cases arise.

I’ve heard desperate suggestions that the town of Sutton could yet agree to purchase the land and then create a limited development so there would be no new taxes and the majority of the land could be saved. The town of Grafton did so with the Hennessey Farm not long ago. It’s not a perfect solution, in that frontage land is generally sacrificed. But at least with that scenario, a majority of the wild land could be preserved.

Because of inaction, though, the continued existence of Beaton Farm — “the jewel of Sutton,” as many residents lovingly refer to it — is now improbable. The land may well be a Hopeless Diamond. The unique, nearly 100-acre property with 875 feet of shoreline on Manchaug Pond has a breathtaking hilltop view. The town of Sutton, having recently spent money on a new school, allegedly didn’t care to further increase residents’ taxes to save the land for its future generations. Many share that without selectmen leading the way, there remains little hope.

Residents have told me that the land is crying out for preservation for future generations. Manchaug Pond Foundation’s Phyllis Charpentier writes that its hilltop overlook of stonewalls, fields and forest provides a stunning scenic view of the lake. Its network of streams and small ponds are cold-water fisheries habitat for native brook trout and tributaries, which feed the lake. I know it has turkeys and deer. The late Brad Beaton, former owner and hunter, was a great steward of that land.

A large portion of the farm, I’m told, is priority habitat for endangered species as designated by the state Natural Heritage Endangered Species program. Located in the Lake Manchaug Greenway and Wildlife Corridor, the Beaton Farm is a valuable wildlife link that presently prevents fragmentation between the Sutton State Forest, Purgatory Chasm State Park and Douglas State Forest. Large, contiguous tracts like these properties are even more valuable in their collective totality, exponentially increasing their wildlife’s security and productivity. When contiguous areas of this magnitude area diminish in size, their wildlife value diminishes proportionately.

Charpentier further notes that this property directly abuts the 120 acres of Sutton conservation land on the Waters Farm, a 1757 homestead on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The Sutton Board of Selectman assigned the Manchaug Pond Foundation the town’s right of first refusal to purchase 73 acres held under Chapter 61A. To save the farm, the foundation needs to raise $1.3 million and close by July 16 — or, as Charpentier fears, “the entire property will be lost forever to development. Should we fail, Holy Cross has signed a purchase-and-sales agreement with an initial 30,000-square-foot facility planned.”

Anyone capable of helping save this land should immediately contact the Manchaug Pond Foundation president David Schmidt at (508) 981-3820 or treasurer Andrew Mosher at (508) 865-6242.

Timing is everything. According to Ken Crater of the Grafton Land Trust, if the Trust for Public Land had been contacted earlier — before the town assigned its right of first refusal — it could have tried to engineer a solution, assuming Sutton would consider making an investment.

Crater suggests the best hope now may be to work with Holy Cross, encouraging the school to preserve conservation land and buffers to the pond in the permitting process. The crusade to save this land now needs some real Crusaders to do the right thing for our local wildlife and future generations.

Let’s go ’Saders!

Contact Mark Blazis at markblazis@charter.net.

Attention Sutton Voters: Manchaug Pond needs you!

2013-05-13T05:00:00.000-04:00

Sutton voters! Manchaug Pond needs you to attend tonight's town meeting, Monday, May 13th at 7:30 PM at the Early Learning Center. Vote YES on the warrant article that splits the boat excise tax revenue between the two Sutton public lakes - Manchaug Pond and Lake Singletary.

See you there and bring a friend!

UPDATE: Passed unanimously!

Where are you killing time this weekend?

2013-05-04T07:31:00.001-04:00

Manchaug Pond comes alive!

2013-04-29T07:55:00.000-04:00

The warm weather brought out fisherman, campers and seasonal residents back to camp and the lake!

Local Newspaper Headline: Beaton Property goes to Manchaug Pond Foundation...for now

2013-04-27T09:18:00.000-04:00


Beaton Farm homestead overlooking Manchaug Pond.

Yes, you read it right! The ball is in our court!

We have the once in a lifetime opportunity to preserve up to 100 acres directly abutting Manchaug Pond! The Beaton Farm Property is the most significant parcel of property in our watershed, after the dam, to Manchaug Pond and the area.

Check out the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle's April 25th report of the public hearing: the developer's proposal, testimony from the neighborhood, the MPF, and the unanimous vote of the Sutton Board of Selectman to assign a right to purchase to the community.

Beaton Property goes to Manchaug Pond Foundationn...for now

Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, April 25, 2013

Beaton property goes to Manchaug Pond Foundation…for now

BY TOM REILLY

The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted at their April 16 meeting to assign dozens of acres a right of first refusal to the Manchaug Pond Foundation (MPF).
A public hearing under Massachusetts General Law 61A was held to discuss whether or not the town would act to purchase the Beaton property, located on Waters Road adjacent to Waters Farm, assign those rights to a qualified third party or else allow the land to be purchased by The College of the Holy Cross as a retreat center. There are five parcels, a total of approximately 100 acres involved, some of them in neighboring Douglas. The price of the entire property is set at $1.925 million, though the town’s right of first refusal extended only to about 70 percent of the land up for sale.
The Beaton land is classified as agricultural under Chapter 61A meaning it can only be used for agricultural uses and in return the owners pay a lower tax rate. When land comes out of 61A in order to be sold, the municipality has the right of first refusal. MPF has 90 days to act or the land goes to Holy Cross.

West cove's 875 ft of shoreline will go to the developer.

Town Administrator Jim Smith said he has been working with MPF, a nonprofit public charity, for a few months in hopes the town could assign its rights, which would not develop the land. However, the MPF has been unable to put together the necessary resources, said Smith. He told the selectmen the Holy Cross plan would have “a minimal impact on the property and will work hard to be a good neighbor.”
The college’s lawyer, Robert Longden of Bowditch and Dewey, said the college told the town in January it wanted to establish a religious retreat center on the land though at that time it had yet to develop specific designs, waiting until the town decided on what it would do with its right of first refusal. He noted the college would work closely with the appropriate town agencies if the time came but wanted to give everyone present some idea what the completed project might look like.

Today's Beaton Farm equestrian center which would be lost.

Longden showed a map of the property, currently owned by Carolyn Beaton, noting only two of the parcels are classified as 61A-agricutural, what he called “the heart of this property,” a total of 69 acres. Two of the other parcels are in Sutton and the remaining one is located in Douglas. The Board’s decision was to decide whether or not to act on the town’s right to purchase those two parcels for $1.325 million.
Longden said the College’s plan was to construct a retreat center on the property. Part of this is going on retreat, where students can spend time in “contemplation, prayer and reflection.” Longden said Holy Cross does not have an adequate location for this on its Worcester campus.
Showing a preliminary design of the retreat center, Longden pointed out it would use only a small portion of the property. He said the college desired to preserve most of the site in its natural condition, which was exactly the type of atmosphere a retreat center needed.
There would be one main building containing a chapel, kitchen, dining hall, meeting rooms and other space. There would be several connecting additions with 50 bedrooms and a maximum of 60 beds for those taking part in the retreats. The front of the building would be heavily glassed and face toward the pond .
“All of this is designed to be compatible with the site, compatible with the property, to preserve the natural look of the property and to fit in with it and to also be compatible with the neighborhood in terms of its architectural design,” Longden observed. The entire square footage of the building and additions would be about 30,000 square feet.
The existing driveway would continue to exist, running down to where the horse farm is today. A parking lot for 20 vehicles would be built there and another circular driveway would lead down to the retreat center.
Longden said a meeting was held at Waters Farm with abutters back on Jan. 19 and some of their input was taken into consideration as well as other input received since that time. One thing he came away with was the sense the view of Manchaug Pond from Waters Farm and Waters Road is very important and the college was dedicated to preserving that view as a part of its plans. The retreat center was located in a place where that view would not be disturbed.
He also said he had been told about a parking area on Waters Road where new married couples liked to come and have their pictures taken with Manchaug Pond in the background. Even though this would become private property if the land was sold to Holy Cross, Longden said the college would still welcome people to come to that site for pictures.
Longden said he did not yet know how often the site would be used during the year, but currently the College conducts 50 retreats at other locations during the year and expects that number to increase. He said the condition of the site would encourage people to walk in the woods and along the shore, enjoying the quiet beauty.
He told the selectmen and residents he saw the retreat center as a very benign use of the Beaton property and one in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. The students visiting there would be under supervision by academic leaders. Most of the transportation would be done via vans and students would rarely drive their own cars. One abutter expressed a concern the construction vehicles coming onto the site would damage Waters Road, but Longden said the necessary machinery would be the same as for building houses thanks to the design and should have no impact.
Selectman Ken Stuart said he was trying to keep the emotion out of this, but “we think of this land as ours,” thanks to its close association with Waters Farm. He said if the town was in a better financial condition, “I would be the first to jump up and say, ‘we want this land.’”
Stuart said he would come right out and say what he thought was on everyone’s mind—it was a retreat center but there were college students involved. He expressed a concern with traffic on Waters Road at places where it was hard for more than one car to pass at a time. Longden said there could be no more than 60 people on site for an overnight retreat, citing the number of beds. He also told Stuart these students were on a supervised religious retreat and in no way were they there to “have a good time.” He said there would not be a lot of traffic generated by this facility. “People come here for a retreat and they stay there,” said Longden. “They don’t come to the retreat and go out and party at night and then come back.”
Longden said the plan was to have the retreat center secluded from the road with new trees added to screen the parking lot as well. He said there would not be few maintenance vehicles and food service trucks using the road. He also noted the site would not be inhabited when there were no retreats taking place.
Selectman Michael Chizy said his concern was the college might look to expand. Even when the town acquired Waters Farm, it had only been given to the town under the sponsorship of the Conservation Commission so as to resist the temptation to make too many changes, Chizy noted. He said if there was any money available, he would want to hold on to the Beaton property.

* * *

Let's not just save the Beaton Farm Property "for now"
. . . but forever!"

Can you identify? Found in the Manchaug Pond watershed.

2013-04-26T08:16:00.000-04:00

Take a guess! Do you know what these white blobs are? They're in our watershed!

This photo was sent in by a friend of Manchaug Pond from a walk last weekend. Our next post will take you there and give you all the details!

Moon over Manchaug Pond

2013-04-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

Today's Earth Day. Do Something Meaningful!

2013-04-22T16:00:00.000-04:00


Resident raccoon, Beaton Property on Manchaug Pond

Yes, it's Earth Day...

Want to do something meaningful?

... Something of benefit where you live, work and play?

... Something right here, for right now?

Make a donation to MPF for the Beaton Property.

Protect 875 ft of shoreline and 100 areas of significant wildlife habitat.

Please do it today! Paypal or to MPF, P.O. Box 154, Manchaug, MA 01526

Thanks to our resident photographer who captured this perfect photo of a Beaton Property resident raccoon!

All donations are fully tax-deductible. Make them in memory or in honor of someone you love. A letter recognizing your contribution will be sent upon receipt. Thank you!

100 acre Beaton Property can be saved! Town assigns "right of first refusal" to MPF

2013-04-21T23:01:00.003-04:00

At an April 16th Public Hearing, the Sutton Board of Selectman voted to assign their "right of first refusal" on 73 acres of agricultural lands protected under Chapter 61A to the Manchaug Pond Foundation.

Chairman Michael Chizy called the property "a jewel of Sutton" noting its beauty as seen from the property's edge on Waters Road as it overlooks the 100 acres of rolling pasture, forested land, and the abutting Manchaug Pond.

WHAT? A purchase and sales agreement signed with Holy Cross College for the entire near 100 acres, the horse barns, and family homestead looks to remove the main barn and training rink with preliminary plans to construct a 30,000 sq. foot building complex to house faculty, students and staff for overnight retreat events. (Watch the video of Holy Cross' presentation)

WHY? The action taken by the Board of Selectman looks to protect one, if not THE most significant parcels, for Manchaug Pond from sale and development: the 73 acres of agricultural land used primarily as an equestrian training center and a miniature horse rescue stable is part of a larger piece totaling about 100 acres in Sutton and Douglas.

Of importance to the mission of the MPF in its protection of the 380 lake, is the property's 875 feet of shoreline fisheries; the steep, forested slopes which bring water directly to the lake; numerous streams and 3 small ponds that are coldwater fisheries for brook trout which drain into the lake; a large area of state designated Priority Habitat for endangered species encompassing the waterfront area; the acreage directly abuts conservation land preserved as Waters Farm; and the fact that it is located in the Lake Manchaug Greenway and Wildlife Corridor which is a larger wildlife corridor initiative aimed at linking the Douglas State Forest and Sutton State Forest at Purgatory.

HOW? The Town of Sutton has given their right to purchase the property to Manchaug Pond's non-profit 501(c)(3). This is a tremendous opportunity to save a significant parcel of property on Manchaug Pond and prevent a large development, as the MPF now become the "buyer" in the purchase and sales agreement.

WHEN? Now! We need to raise a little over $1.9 million for the total 100 acres and close the deal in less than 90 days. No small task, but definitely worth the try. We received our first pledge of $100,000 from a single donor this week getting us off to a great start!

WHERE? Right here - you and me! Spread the word! The MPF Board of Directors is asking everyone to help make this happen! A fundraising thermometer on the right side of this blog will tract our weekly efforts. We hope all readers will consider making a donation to this cause - no amount is too small as we race the clock! Use the Donate button for paypal and credit card donations or send your check to MPF, P.O. Box 154, Manchaug, MA 01526.

MPF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity. All donations are fully tax-deductible. Memorial and honorary donations are welcome as well as matching employer gifts.

Thank you and check back for more on the Beaton Property!

Look to the Sky - State Bald Eagle Survey Today!

2013-04-05T07:52:00.002-04:00

Past photo of an adult bald eagle soaring over Manchaug Pond.

Eagles are frequent visitors to Manchaug Pond. We love seeing them soar, perch in the tall pines, and dive for fish.

Eagle and other wildlife enthusiasts are out today across the state counting the state's eagle population. This effort will include a concentrated survey of the major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs across the Commonwealth. If you have some time, get the binoculars and watch the skies of Manchaug Pond!

Organized by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) the survey will be conducted by agency staff and volunteers. Teams will be checking known eagle territories and exploring areas with potential eagle habitat to try to locate "new" eagle nests. If inclement weather prevents the survey on April 5, the backup date is April 12, 2013. Additionally, the Division encourages anyone to submit eagle sightings throughout the year by email to natural.heritage@state.ma.us or by postal service to "Eagle Survey", MassWildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230, West Boylston, MA 01583.

The new spring Bald Eagle Survey will replace the Division's long-standing Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey. "Although MassWildlife has participated in the winter eagle surveys for over 30 years, the federally administered Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey was designed to monitor the North American population of Bald Eagles," said Andrew Vitz, State Ornithologist. "Now that Bald Eagle numbers have greatly increased and have been removed from the Federal Endangered Species List, the need to monitor nationwide populations has been reduced. At the same time, as the number of eagles has increased across the Commonwealth and a spring eagle count meets the Division's need to more closely monitor eagle breeding status and distribution in Massachusetts."

Lake Visitors

2013-03-23T16:22:00.001-04:00

We may have some serious doubts that Spring is around the corner but this Hooded Merganser visiting Area 2 yesterday is a sure sign that the Spring migration has started and warm weather will soon follow!

The FLASHBOARDS are going in!

2013-03-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned for pictures and the details!

No visibility on Manchaug Pond

2013-02-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

This photo just in from the west side of the lake as the blizzard continues to snow and blow on Manchaug Pond.

Snowing and Blowing on Manchaug Pond

2013-02-09T08:08:00.001-05:00

Haven't lost power here on Manchaug Pond but it is snowing and blowing with low/no visibility. Send your photos here or on Facebook and I'll post them!

Also, you have to love Manchaug Pond's distinctive shape which is easily recognizable on the weather maps!

Here's the links to monitor the power outage maps:

http://outage.nstar.com/outage/outagemap.aspx

https://www1.nationalgridus.com/PowerOutageMap-NY-RES

White Water at the Dam!

2013-01-07T14:36:00.002-05:00

Thank you!

This morning the town opened the low level gate even further to bring the water level down at a faster rate.

With rain in December we saw the water level continuing to come up even with the gate kept open. Today's measures should get us back down to a level that gets docks out of the ice and gives a deeper level of control of invasive aquatic species - namely fanwort and asian clam.

Did you hear the fishing augers on the lake yesterday!

Tonight's Sunset

2013-01-04T19:00:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Manchaug Pond!

2013-01-01T16:21:00.000-05:00