Document Type
Research Report
Publication Date
12-1-2004
Abstract
If economic growth were the only measure of a community’s health and vitality, then the communities of Cohasset, Hingham, and Hull are fairing well. But this economic success is generally accompanied by changes in the physical landscape that can be unsettling for residents, especially when it means more development and expansion at the expense of culturally and socially important open space areas such as parks, woods, and marshes. The rapid pace and fragmented nature of such sprawling development gives communities little opportunity to come to terms with the long-term impacts, which in turn can lead to a sense of powerlessness and an ensuing failure to intervene.
The Weir River Estuary Park (WREP) Land Protection Plan builds upon the existing open space and public access inventory, Building a Vision for Our Weir River Estuary, which was prepared in August 2003 under a separate contract (Lefebvre 2003). The Building a Vision report identified unprotected lands around the Weir River ACEC, while this follow-up planning project provides strategies about how to protect these lands.
This report identifies the shared vision and goals of the communities of Cohasset, Hingham, and Hull for protecting the region’s unique beauty, serenity, and important ecological functions. The plan examines various techniques and tools for land protection and provides guidance as to how these can best be applied to meet the goals for the estuary. Maps and a table with detailed parcel information at the end of the report identify the undeveloped properties around the estuary and the protection possibilities and priorities for each.
Recommended Citation
Lefebvre, Chantal and Portman, Michelle, "Weir River Estuary: Land Protection Plan" (2004). Urban Harbors Institute Publications. 16.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/uhi_pubs/16
Included in
Land Use Law Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Recreation Business Commons, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Commons
Comments
Publication of this document was made possible through funding from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s ACEC Stewardship Grant.