SOUTHWICK – The Franklin Land Trust wants to remind the community that time is beginning to run out to save a vital piece of land in Southwick.
According to Mary Lynn Sabourin of the Franklin Land Trust, the deadline to raise a total of $5 million in order to save 146 acres of North Pond on Congamond Lake is June 30, 2019. However, Sabourin wants to make sure the community is aware that the state agencies want to know by March if the Franklin Land Trust and their fellow Save North Pond supporters have the money raised.
“Our concern at this point is time is running out,” said Sabourin.
The Franklin Land Trust will be meeting with the Select Board on December 18 about the North Pond project. (WNG File Photo)
Currently, there is about $1.4 million remaining to be raised by March. In an attempt to raise the balance and preserve the land from development, the Franklin Land Trust has implemented a couple of fundraising tactics.
In November, the Franklin Land Trust did a town-wide mailing for Southwick residents, informing them of the current situation and the need for their donations. There were also specific letters sent to homeowners on North Pond as well as those homeowners on Middle and South Ponds.
“We’re hoping that it will continue but we need more town support. We need more state support to reach this goal,” said Sabourin.
In order to get more support from the town and the state, members of the Franklin Land Trust will be meeting with the Select Board on December 18 to see if the town still supports the project. Moving forward, the hope is to meet with the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to see if they will give the Franklin Land Trust an additional $500,000 out of their Community Preservation Act account. The CPC previously gave the Franklin Land Trust $500,000 about two years ago when the journey to preserve North Pond began.
First reported by the Westfield News on November 29, 3016, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs gave the town of Southwick $400,000 in funding. On the same day, the Fish and Wildlife announced a $1 million grant to give the town a total of $1.4 million in funding for North Pond. If the CPC ends up giving the Franklin Land Trust an additional $500,000, the non-profit land preservation organization would seek $500,000 from the state.
If both requests were approved, the Franklin Land Trust would have about $400,000 left to raise in order to reach the $5 million and officially preserve North Pond. The latest appraisal of the North Pond property was at $5 million.
