By Kim Siebert MacPhail
On Monday night, Lee Stepacher, staff member from the National Park Service representing the Concord River Stewardship Council, addressed Bedford’s Selectmen, as she does from time to time.
“I come every couple of years to update you and to just kind of bring the river back into focus for everybody,” Stepacher said.
By way of background, Stepacher said that Bedford—along with seven other towns—approved acceptance of the wild and scenic river corridor in 1996 and the area was officially designated as such in 1999. The Concord River Stewardship Council oversees the protection of the area; its membership includes the Sudbury Valley Trustees, the SuAsCo [Sudbury, Assabet, Concord Rivers] Watershed Community Council, OARS (formerly the Organization for the Assabet River), and the eight towns of Bedford, Billerica, Carlisle, Concord, Framingham, Lincoln, Sudbury and Wayland.
Highlights of Stepacher’s update to the Selectmen are:
Improved water quality and invasive species management: Constant efforts to minimize hazardous and nutrient-loaded runoff have resulted in improved water quality. The goal is to make the river system swimmable and fishable, per Clean Water Act standards, and to keep abreast of invasive species like duckweed in the rivers themselves as well as along their banks.
“Billerica uses the water downstream as a drinking water source, so we’re very conscious of that,” Stepacher said. “We’ve also helped to create an organization called CISMA (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area), which now has 36 members within the watershed, [including] towns, non-profits, state and federal agencies. We work together to educate each other about different species that might be coming into this area and try to manage them [or] eradicate them.”
Grants program: The Stewardship Council applies for large grants and, in turn, distributes smaller amounts of funding that Stepacher said are particularly applicable to specific municipal government needs.
“If they have an area that needs management of [an invasive species], if a little bit more money can help them get volunteers together or in some way control [the problem], the small grants program is for that,” said Stepacher.
Bedford is not currently a member of CISMA, but Stepacher encouraged the Selectmen to consider joining the collaborative.
As for the generally available funds, every year the organization puts out requests for proposals (RFPs) for small grants. Stepacher says the groups commonly targeted for grants are trails committees, conservation commissions, and libraries or recreation departments that might submit applications for funds for river-related activities.
“We will be putting out an RFP in the late spring and we’d love to have Bedford apply,” she said, noting that Davis School has received funding in the past for a river-based educational program.
Land Protection: The Stewardship Council also supports the Sudbury Valley Trustees in its land protection mission along the river.
“That’s not as much of an issue in Bedford,” Stepacher reported, “because all but 500 feet of riverfront is owned by [the] Great Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary.But the Sudbury Valley Trustees are working on a flagship parcel in Carlisle—the Elliott property[also known as Pagey’s Preserve: https://www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org/pageys-preserve] which is right across the river from you.”
River maps and recreational activities like Riverfest: Trail maps with embedded waypoint descriptions have been created, with support from Rotary, for each section of the rivers. These maps can be accessed on the organization’s website: https://www.sudbury-assabet-concord.org/. Printed copies of the maps are also available.
Riverfest—an event that in the past has included song, candlelit flotillas, and drumming—is one way in which the rivers are highlighted and celebrated. [See: https://www.sudbury-assabet-concord.org/riverFest/index.php ]This year, the event will take place on the summer solstice.
“Our idea is that, if we can get people onto the rivers, then they’ll appreciate them and they’ll want to help to protect them,” Stepacher said.
Bedford resident Ralph Hammond was appointed several years ago by the Selectmen to be Bedford’s representative to the Stewardship Council and, according to Stepacher, has been especially helpful with educational efforts, including ways of getting families with preschoolers interested in the rivers and related activities.
“I think a lot of these families move out to this area because they’re focused on the schools and the schools are so good here. We want them to become more focused on the natural resources as well,” Stepacher explained.
Hammond commented about his experience as Council representative:
“I’ve been absolutely impressed by the knowledge, the understanding and the awareness that this committee has,” he said. “I grew up on the Concord River and always thought it was a nice place to go ice skating. But all this stuff on water flow and different discoveries— like there’s no more river fish, it’s all pond fish [because] the river doesn’t flow fast enough. And last year, we went from the highest water level to the lowest water level the river has ever had.
“The resource covers a whole side of our town. When I was up there one day last fall, I must have counted 18 to 20 canoes and kayaks. Our boat-launching site is a fantastic resource which we ought to do more to continue to improve. And the blue heron—there are almost as many blue heron as there are canoes and kayaks. I never saw a blue heron as a kid, but they’re out there now.”
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