Owl Moon Live Birds of Prey Education Program

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
7:00 pm
Swift River Elementary School, A Common
57 State Street, Belchertown

Jane Yolen’s classic picture book, Owl Moon, will set the mood for learning about owls and other birds of prey. Wildlife rehabilitator Tom Ricardi will share his live birds and talk about their Massachusetts habitats. All ages welcome (snow date for this program is Thursday, January 28th, same time and location).

This event will be followed by a full moon Owl Prowl led by naturalist and photographer John Green, on Friday, January 29th from 7-9 pm, location to be determined. Registration is required for the Owl Prowl only, and limited to 15 people. Register for the Owl Prowl at the birds of prey program, or email brightcin@yahoo.com. This event is sponsored by the Belchertown Land Trust and supported in part by a grant from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Response received from DCR

The BLT has received a response from the Department of Conservation and Recreation regarding our request for an extension on the dam safety order deadline of November 30, 2009.  It can be downloaded at www.belchertownlandtrust.org.

Extension letter posted online

A copy of the letter requesting an extension on the Dam Safety Order has been posted on the BLT web site at www.belchertownlandtrust.org.

Ed Comeau
BLT Board of Directors

Great annual meeting

We had a great annual meeting tonight with Jocelyn Forbush from the Trustees of the Reservation speaking followed by State Senator Steven Brewer.  Reports were given by the directors on the various BLT activities (including the dam).  Three directors were elected…Bill Terry and Helga Ragle were re-elected and newly-elected Director Cindy Bright joined the Board.  Following the annual meeting the officers were elected…President Jim Fox, VP Bob Labrecque and Treasurer/Clerk Bill Terry.

In the Board Meeting it was voted to request an extension from DCR on the dam safety order which has a deadline of November 30, 2009.

The Upper Bondsville Dam

A study is underway by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to look at the options for the Upper Bondsville Dam.  This study will be completed in mid-2010 and no decision on the dam is going to be made before then.

Why did this come about?  The BLT received a notice from the Massachusetts Division of Dam Safety that the dam is in poor condition and that we needed to come up with a solution by November 30, 2009.  That is why we started the study, that is why we are getting public input into the process.

The Tighe & Bond report (available at www.belchertownlandtrust.org) estimates that it will cost $350,000 to fix the dam.  We have NO idea what it would cost to take it down, which will also probably involve years of paperwork.  Either way, the BLT does not have the money and we have to start looking at what we are going to do.