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Portions of the Westfield River's West, Middle and East Branches were the first in Massachusetts and at this time one of only two rivers in the State to be designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. This occurred in 1993 with 43 total miles of river designation existing in the Towns of Worthington, Middlefield, Chesterfield, Cummington, Becket and Chester. But what are Wild and Scenic Rivers? In 1968 Congress created the "Wild and Scenic Rivers Act", which put forth the following: It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geological, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Congress declares that the established national policy of dams and other construction at appropriate sections of the rivers of the United States needs to be complemented by a policy that would preserve other selected rivers or sections thereof in their free-flowing condition to protect the water quality of such rivers and to fulfill other vital national conservation purposes. The designation is not a national park and generally does not place wilderness restrictions on the area. The purpose is to try to keep the character of the river in tact. Responsible usage is allowed and changes along the River are expected. The States River Protection Act places the greatest restriction on usages within the resource area of the River. There is in place a Westfield River Greenway Plan, and for the last eight years management has occurred using both State and local resources. The major leadership role has been taken by the Westfield River Wild and Scenic Advisory Committee. The make-up of the Committee is as follows: Mercedes Gallagher, Becket Bob Thompson, Chester (Dave Pierce, alternate) Matt Barron, Chesterfield (Denise Cormier, alternate) Ben Forbes, Cummington (Judy Moore, alternate) Jeff Penn, Huntington (Ed Grabowski, alternate) Carl Lafreniere, Middlefield Debbie Kaczowski, Savoy Vacant, Washington (Georgette Keator, alternate) Jim Caffrey, Windsor (Deborah Balmuth, alternate) Helen Sharron Pollard, Worthington Joan Kimball, Commonwealth of MA (Jennifer Howard, alternate) Liz Mikulecky Lacy, National Park Service (Jamie Fosburgh, alternate) Chris Curtis, PVPC Jocelyn Forbush, The Trustees of Reservations (Jim Caffrey, alternate) Dan Call, WRWA (Mike Young, alternate) In February of 2002, an Application for Expanding the National Wild and Scenic River Designation of the Westfield River was submitted to the Department of Interior. The extension of Wild and Scenic designation included segments of the River along the West Branch, Middle Branch and Main Stem adding areas in the Town of Becket and bringing the towns of Huntington, Savoy, Washington and Windsor into the Wild and Scenic Designated towns. The new segments include:
These additions increase the total Wild and Scenic designated and protected areas to 79 miles of waterways on the River and tributaries. The Application was approved and signed by Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, and has been submitted to the Governor's Office. Now it is time to celebrate and recognize those who have made this extraordinary proposal a reality. When you read this article there will have been an initial announcement celebration, an "Open House" Nov. 9th at Stanton Hall in Huntington. But this is only the beginning; the Committee is in the process of planning a number of events along the River over the next year, with a major event occurring some time in June, Rivers Month. I hope you can all take part in some or all of the events and enjoy the Westfield Riveršs exceptional opportunities. At this time I would like to thank all of the Committee members for their efforts and commitment. To Chris Curtis and those at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission for valuable technical support and genuine commitment to the project, your efforts are greatly appreciated. Thanks to Jeff Penn of Huntington for the initial vision of the expansion. We need to recognize the Westfield River Watershed Association, its Board and Members for their ongoing support. A very special and personal thanks to Carrie Banks, Committee Coordinator, who keeps all of us on track. There was a Committee member, Doug Poland of Washington, who did not live to see the Designation become reality, but without whose efforts for the Town of Washington and for the Committee this extension may not have become a reality. I believe that I speak for the entire group in saying that Doug is greatly missed. We need to recognize the ongoing support of the residents and Select boards of the designated Towns for their commitment and support. I am sure I have overlooked someone or group, and I do apologize. Please join us in enjoying the River. Take advantage to all of the ecological, educational and recreational opportunities along the River, but remember to only leave footprints behind. Robert Thompson, Chairman Westfield River Wild & Scenic Advisory Committee |
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