Open Space Update by Steve Babbitt
In March, 1990, the city of Lynn adopted the Lynn Woods Master Plan. Of the many components comprising the plan, perhaps the most important was the one suggesting the acquisition of parcels contiguous to Lynn Woods for protection of scenic views, as well as watershed integrity.
Shortly after the adoption of the Master Plan, Friends of Lynn Woods' member Mike Hedetniemi embarked upon a project which identified all parcels that would prove valuable as additions to Lynn Woods. Mike investigated open space in Lynn, Saugus, and Lynnfield. He collected assessors maps, researched titles and historical data, and prioritized potential acquisitions, should the opportunity arise. He amassed all this information through hard work and dedication into a report called "An Inventory of Properties Bordering Lynn Woods." Mike's hard work may soon come to fruition.
As you drive Walnut Street towards Saugus and enjoy the views across Birch Pond, much of what you see (approximately 100 acres) isn't Lynn Woods. Some of the acreage is owned by private parties, while some is owned by the Town of Saugus. Recently, an endangered species was discovered on this privately owned land. A number of state agencies have been working together and negotiating with owners of key parcels behind Birch Pond. Spearheaded by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the state is working with the City of Lynn to secure these parcels to create a Lynn Woods Bioreserve. The Commonwealth is working in partnership with local governments and non-profit environmental groups to preserve large blocks of open space across the state in what they are calling Bioreserves. Lynn Woods is one of a very few urban Bioreserves.
The land under negotiation, wedged between Birch and Walden Ponds, is an integral part of our watershed. To lose this land to development would be unfortunate. The state has available funds and the willingness to purchase the land. In return, they ask the City of Lynn to grant to the state a conservation restriction over Lynn Woods, guaranteeing that the woods and the newly acquired lands will only be used for water supply protection and outdoor recreational purposes. The city will not have to pay anything toward the purchase price of the land between Walden and Birch Ponds. Lynn's only obligation will be to manage Lynn Woods for water supply and outdoor recreation, as it has in the past, and to reaffirm that Lynn Woods will forever be protected in a natural condition.