FOCUS's Position on the Sudbury Annex

FOCUS's Position on the Sudbury Annex

As FOCUS has gone through the Superfund process, we have had the chance to tour the site several times. Amazingly, despite the fifty years of Army activities in the Annex, most of the approximately 2,500 acres are relatively natural. Very little construction or clearing of the land has taken place. Most of the contamination is buried. In fact, on the surface, it appears that Fort Devens has managed the land well; forests are maintained, litter is rare, wildlife is varied and abundant, and most of the natural contours have remained.

Flora and Fauna

The Annex is unusual because it is surrounded by populous areas, yet it has an abundance and variety of wildlife: deer, beavers, foxes, owls, hawks, songbirds, and various amphibians. Golden eagles nest on the north side of Puffer Pond. Osprey live along the Assabet River on the northern edge of the Annex. Great Blue Herons are seen regularly in Taylor Brook and flying overhead. There have been reports of blue-spotted salamanders and mountain lions from area residents, although this information ins unconfirmed. The flora include yellow lady slippers, jack-in-the-pulpits, and other Spring wildflowers.

The wetlands (warning large document) are vast and include cranberry bogs among their variety. Elevations in the Annex range from 144 to 321 feet above sea level. Two freshwater ponds are included in Army property, along with a network of streams and brooks. Other ponds--Vose, Cutting, Whites, and Crystal Lake--are located adjacent to the Annex.

The Annex's Importance to Water Resources

In addition to the natural beauty of this site, this area is extremely important to the area communities for water resources. The town of Maynard draws over 50% of its water from beneath the Annex. Many Stow residents are dependent on the aquifers under the Annex to supply their private wells. Hudson and Sudbury also rely on Annex aquifers for some of their water supplies. In addition, a buried valley aquifer extends beneath the Annex from Lowell to Marlboro.

Each of the communities, along with area planning agencies, have indicated their desire to protect the Annex land and acquire it as part of "The Bay Circuit", a chain of green areas encircling the greater Boston area from Amesbury to Plymouth.

The Hard Truth

Some of the Army land was excessed to the State in the late 1970s and is now known as the Sudbury-Marlboro State Forest. This forest contains several Army dump sites. Another 100 acres of excessed Army land was given to the town of Maynard as recreation land and a well site. This land is also suspected to contain dump sites. Maynard's well is closed due to large concentrations of metals in the well.

Now for some hard truths: Due to a lack of funding, the state and town are unable to maintain the former Army land properly. Litter is evident, fallen trees are not cleared, trash dumping occurs, and off-road vehicles damage sensitive areas.

It is clear that the reason for lack of maintenance is a lack of available funds. Towns are faced with increasing demands for necessary services such as education, public works, public safety, and other services. Maintenance on Maynard conservation land is done on a volunteer basis and on a "priority needs" basis by Public Works. Routine land management by the State or towns does not appear to be financially feasible at this time; nor does the future look much more promising. The State has not prioritized parks' maintenance for a very long time and that fact is evident by the continued illegal trash dumping.

The communities have expressed a strong desire to maintain the Annex land as open space/recreation land after Army has finished using it. Unfortunately, at least 73 potential hazardous waste sites were suspected to be in the Annex. Although some of the suspected sites have now been determined not to require clean up, other sites will require remediation. This clean up is projected to last into the year 2000.

Although EPA will require clean up of seriously contaminated areas, it is very likely that due to CERCLA risk assessment determinations, the Annex will never really be completely "clean". The federal government will be required to monitor the Annex for many years to come because of the possibility of having missed some of the contaminants at a former Army research and development site.

A Solution: The Annex as Wildlife Refuge

We believe the Annex must be carefully considered by the federal government for designation as a wildlife refuge and protected as a natural resource for future generations of people and wildlife. It is seldom that the federal government has an opportunity to obtain 2,500 acres of valuable natural resources at virtually no cost.

Additionally, consider that 50 years ago, this land was taken from area residents (many of Finnish descent) by eminent domain for the benefit of national security during World War II. In some cases, homeowners and farmers were given no more that 10 days notice to vacate their homes and livelihoods. Many of those residents claim the Army said the land would be returned to the residents when the war was over and the Army had no more need for the land.

Now 50 years later, most of the original property owners are dead and it is impossible to return the land. Even were it possible, it would be unwise to build homes or farms on top of a former toxic waste site. It would be an appropriate gesture for the Army and the federal government to restore this land to its natural beauty and protect this land as a wildlife refuge as a demonstration of thanks for the patriotism of the residents of Maynard, Stow, Hudson, and Sudbury.

Additionally, wildlife refuges are financially beneficial for the host communities. Eco-tourism is an effective way for communities to enhance their tax base. Host community schools also enjoy a cooperative relationship with refuges.

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