Washington MA. Town Hall (8 Summit Hill Rd.)

Join us to Celebrates 30 years of designation, Wild & Scenic Westfield River

In 2023 we Celebrated 30 years of preserving, highlighting, and enhancing the Wild & Scenic Westfield River!! Representatives from each of the ten towns and organizations continue to prioritize protecting resources we share with all living things. Learning to enjoy our rivers' gifts without degrading its banks and water quality is ongoing.

The committee wants to make sure that each town has the information they need to participate fully, contribute to and benefit from the committees’ efforts & funding. We will share stories of past, present and the future of our commitment to the Westfield River.

Water quality specialist Cindy Delpapa and outreach coordinator, Meredyth Babcock will share our slideshow presentation to engage and inform you. We call it our “Trout & Dragonfly show”  We will answer any questions, discuss initiatives underway and highlight our work along the river.  

Benefits of the Wild & Scenic Designation

The national designation of “Wild & Scenic River” provides many benefits. Communities along the designated National Wild & Scenic Westfield River have access to resources to help all the partners achieve the protection of the watershed’s outstanding resource values. Such support can bring a host of positive outcomes to all, including:

  • Tools to protect water quality and watershed hydrology for local residents.
  • Protection of rural character and opportunities to conserve stream banks, large wildlife habitats and important open space areas which help maintain the qualities of local communities.
  • Access to funding and grants to help towns achieve open space and conservation goals and opportunities to leverage additional funds and support, saving communities money.
  • Healthy ecosystems – widely recognized as one of the highest priorities for biodiversity conservation in Southern New England, the Westfield River’s miles of free-flowing streams and intact forest corridors represent one of the best opportunities for river conservation in the region. The Wild & Scenic designation provides dedicated technical assistance, funding and research to protect and restore the river’s ecosystem.
  • Technical support, monitoring and research to guide sound decision-making for local communities, saving time and money while preserving irreplaceable natural resources.
  • Outreach and education opportunities to enhance understanding of the watershed and its characteristics. Publications, programs, workshops, and trainings promote resource values and best management practices offered for a range of audiences from school-aged children, to landowners to local highway departments and municipal commissions.
  • Prevents federally funded or permitted projects determined to be adverse to the watershed’s outstanding resource values. Designation creates a specific mandate that no federally permitted or funded “water resource development project” shall be allowed that would have a “direct and adverse” impact upon the outstanding resource values that made the river eligible for designation.
  • Forum to provide different perspectives and to share concerns, local knowledge and expertise. Every community has a representative who serves as a liaison for municipal boards and residents on issues important to the river and their community. They are a resource to you and someone you can talk to about issues such as riverbank erosion, ways to improve wildlife habitat, and availability of technical and funding resources.

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