Conservation Scorecard case study - Carver
The town of Carver is situated in southeastern Massachusetts, 38 miles from Boston, and is the site of three rivers, brooks, ponds, and sizable swamps. Its area is approximately 40 square miles, and it has a population of nearly 11,400.In the 1940s, Carver produced more cranberries than any other locality in the world, and despite dramatic population increases, its cranberry bogs are still an important source of revenue for the town. Additionally, the bogs' forest land and large amounts of water serve to limit development and help retain a rural flavor for the community. Although Carver is now clearly a suburban commuter community, it is one of the few towns in the region with a significant remaining agricultural component, as cranberries have nationally become a big business (Source: Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development).
Click for more details about the town
In January 2006, the town's Board of Selectmen received a letter indicating that a bona fide offer had been made to purchase the Cole property, located at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Route 44. Because the land was enrolled in Chapter 61A, the town had the right of first refusal to purchase the property. Under the rules of Chapter 61A, the town could buy the property if it matched the bona fide offer of $2,880,000.
The 241-acre Cole property contains a section of the Winnetuxet River, headwaters to the Taunton River; perennial and intermittent streams; many wetlands; several rare species of plants and animals; and, perhaps most importantly, it sits on a high-yield aquifer that is not part of the Plymouth-Carver aquifer. This location is probably the last place in north Carver where the town could add a new public wellhead.
Stream on the Cole property. Photo by Lenore White,
courtesy of the Carver Conservation Commission.
The Conservation Scorecard was used to determine the relative conservation value of the property. The site received a score of 88, which was the highest known conservation value ever recorded with this tool. There are few parcels with such a high conservation value remaining in southeastern Massachusetts. As a result, protection of this parcel became increasingly important.
Click here to see a copy of the completed scorecard
On April 11, 2006, the Carver Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to exercise their right of first refusal on the Cole property.
