WESTFIELD – The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has approved a $9,000 matching grant for removal of an aquatic invasive plant in Hampton Ponds.
The DCR’s Partnerships Matching Funds Program is providing $6,000 with a local matching grant of $3,000 for the Hampton Ponds Association invasive species control program which was first initiated in 2009.
The Conservation Commission approved an order of conditions to allow the application of the herbicide Reward to control Milfoil, an invasive species which was clogging the waters of the Hampton Pond systems.
The Hampton Pond Association’s consultant presenting the proposal to remove the invasive aquatic plants to the commission in 2009 was Aquatic Control Technologies, Inc. of Sutton, Massachusetts.
“The Matching Funds Program is a great example of responsive government,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett. “Our communities and nonprofit partners sent us their ideas and will now work side-by-side with DCR. This public-private partnership will help improve parks and facilities that are important to the public, their families and communities.”
“With these investments, DCR continues its commitment to protect, promote and enhance our natural, cultural and recreational resources,” said DCR Commissioner Jack Murray. “DCR is fortunate to have a broad base of active, dedicated partners throughout the Commonwealth who are committed to our vision of shared stewardship. We look forward to strengthening our existing relationships and cultivating new opportunities to partner with the public.”
Program awardees will be recognized at an event with Secretary Bartlett and Commissioner Murray at the State House on Thursday, September 4, 2014 at 10 a.m. in the Great Hall.
The Partnerships Matching Funds Program accepts applications from friends groups and other park advocacy groups, civic and community organizations, institutions, businesses and individuals with an interest in improving the Commonwealth’s natural, cultural and recreational resources.
DCR considers applications that will provide a match of non-state funds for capital projects in state parks. For each approved project, DCR assigns a project manager to oversee implementation of the project in close consultation with the partners making contributions.
The City of Westfield, through the Community Development Department, facilitated the Hampton Ponds Association grant by funding the local $3,000 matching component.
“We’re very excited about this money that we’re getting,” association member Barbara Giroux said Friday. “We were put into the funding pool and are one of the organizations being awarded a grant.”
Association member Donald Ledger said the grant will be used to fund the fifth application of the herbicide.
‘Our first application was 50 acres, about half of the area of the pond,” Ledger said. “That initial application cost about $35,000.”
“After that we began fundraising to pay for the maintenance applications which cost between $7,000 and $8,000,” Ledger said. “We’re only doing it every other year. We were down to spot applications.”
Ledger said it became more difficult to raise the necessary funds when the city stepped in to assist the association with the program which benefits the environment, pond area residents and people using the ponds for recreation.
The environmental benefit is that by controlling the invasive and prolific aquatic plant, native species have the opportunity to recover.
Milfoil is difficult to control because mechanical harvesting only spreads the plant. Pieces broken off the plant during mechanical harvesting drift to other areas of the water body and take root.
“It’s something that has to be maintained to stay on top of it,” Ledger said
