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Critical Parcel Added to Burncoat Pond

A key 13-acre parcel off Greenville Street in Spencer was recently purchased by Mass Audubon as an addition to its Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary.

The 13 acres had the potential to be developed as two house sites not far from Burncoat Pond and surrounded on three sides by the sanctuary. “Any development here would have changed the character of the entire southern part of the sanctuary,” explained Charlie Wyman, land protection specialist for Mass Audubon. “It’s a very special feeling when you stand on the large boulder at the water’s edge, surrounded by nature, with no houses in sight. We are thrilled that this land will remain just the way it is, forever.”

The parcel contains upland woods, a stream and associated wetlands. The purchase was made possible by the generosity of landowner Richard Green, who sold the property at less than its fair market value to ensure its protection, and by grants and gifts from several sources. “This is a critical parcel, and its development would have been a blow to the sanctuary,” agreed Mass Audubon President Laura Johnson. “We are incredibly grateful to Mr. Green and his family for giving us the opportunity. What a wonderful legacy to leave for future generations.”

Funds for the purchase were provided by the Conservation Partnership Program of the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, by Mass Audubon’s McCane-Chin Fund for Land Protection, and by additional donations to Mass Audubon for its land protection program. Donor Carolyn McCane-Chin noted that she was delighted through the fund’s contributions “to partner with Mr. Green and Mass Audubon to keep this ecologically important habitat available to wildlife and future generations of sanctuary visitors.”

The purchase is the third in a series of transactions that Mass Audubon, in partnership with the Town of Spencer and the state, has completed with Richard Green and his brother David over the last three years, protecting more than 77 acres on the southwest side of the sanctuary. For this latest purchase the town did not provide any financial contribution, but accepted a conservation restriction on the property, which is a condition of the state’s grant.

“Both Spencer’s 2001 Open Space Plan and 2003 Master Plan outline the importance of working with land conservation organizations in preserving open space and wildlife habitats in an effort to protect Spencer’s rural character,” noted Spencer Town Planner Adam Gaudette. “The Green purchase and associated conservation restriction provide a key addition to the Burncoat Pond Sanctuary and the preservation of Spencer’s natural heritage.”

Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, now totaling 225 acres, is located on the Spencer/Leicester line. It can be reached from the end of Polar Spring Road on the south side of Route 9. New trails have been cut and marked, and new signage will be installed later this summer. The public is welcome dawn to dusk, free of charge.