Rogers Land Campaign A Success!

A Landscape in Three Parts

The Assabet River and its flood plain are the defining features of the northern edge of the property. There are approximately 450 feet of frontage on the Assabet River and over an acre of riparian wetlands. As part of a Major Wildlife and Water Protection Corridor (Concord’s 2004 Open Space and Recreation Plan), this property provides for wildlife movement and protects the quality of the river. It provides important habitat for small and medium‑sized mammals such as otter and muskrat; for amphibians such as pickerel frog and snapping turtle; and for birds including woodpeckers, kingfisher and herons. The Rogers Land, when acquired, will be an important link in this larger ecological corridor.

About 15 years ago, the Assabet, Concord and Sudbury Rivers became part of the federal Wild and Scenic River system. The outstanding resources along the Assabet that made it eligible for designation include diverse wildlife habitat and recreation and aesthetics. For this stretch of the Assabet in particular, the river feels remote and peaceful as it flows past steep wooded slopes and mature woodland trees, which act to buffer the river from nearby development. The flood plain is a dappled, fecund area, a good place for walking and fishing.

The three acres of upland fields had been farmed continuously until 2004, when the owner ceased active use. The opportunity exists to resume farming, in two ways. First, the farmers who lease the town-owned Marshall Farm just down Harrington Avenue could expand into these fields. In 2010, the town acquired the Marshall house lot to be leased in conjunction with the adjacent 6.7 acres of fields that the town had purchased from the Marshall family in 1987. The current lessees are not interested in expanding their operations; however, in the longer term, these or other lessees would have the option of using the Rogers Land to increase their acreage and broaden their productive capabilities

Second, new community garden plots could be created for town residents. These plots are in high demand in West Concord as the community garden that currently serves that area has a perennially long waiting list. Access for farming activities is along a 20 foot wide easement from Harrington Avenue. The Assabet River can be tapped for irrigation.

A 25 to 30 foot high bluff runs between the farmland and the Assabet River, and continues around to the west above Second Division Brook. This is a steep and wooded slope that is traversed by an old farm road, a natural and scenic route for a new walking trail below the oak and pine overstory. At the top of this bluff lies an archeological site which should be conserved, being part of a major area of “Settler” hunting camps and base camps in use between 8,000 and 1,000 years ago.

A Cooperative Effort With The Town

The Rogers Land project was first envisioned in spring 2010 at a time when the property was under threat of development for a residential subdivision. When it was learned that the town would be competing with developers to buy this land and so paying a premium, CLCT offered to undertake private fundraising to share in the town’s cost. Of the purchase price of $450,000, the town would pay $210,000 and would acquire the property as conservation land. For its $240,000 participation, CLCT would be granted a conservation restriction from the town.   

An additional $50,000 of town funding will go toward cleaning up and restoring parts of the property that have been degraded by long agricultural use. This includes removing an old building and farming debris, renovating the fields and restoring part of the slope to the river.

Thanks to everyone who made this project a success!