Forecast uncertain for Milton Municipal Forest

By NATHAN LAMB | Milton Independent Staff Writer
mireporter@mac.com

Pedestrians looking to hike the town forest are welcome on the trail that runs through Geoff Plunkett's property off Westford Road, but he—and his sign—don't want any motorized vehicles. By his account, that issue played a role in the town rejecting an easement across his land that would have provided access to the forest several years ago. It's also a factor as to why the town has yet to build trails on the Bove property, which was purchased to provide access to the town forest back in 2006.

The 134-acre Bove Property was acquired by the town in 2006 to provide public access to the Milton Municipal Forest.

However, returns on that $299,500 investment are hard to find at this point: with no trails or parking where Westford Road meets the thin corridor of property leading to town-owned wilderness. The casual visitor could easily miss it altogether, since the Westford town line is the only benchmark of the wooded area.

How long that configuration remains in place is an open question, but the timeframe for change will likely hinge on when policies are adopted to govern usage of the area, explained town planning director Regina Mahony.

“Just logically, we should have a pretty solid understanding of what uses we want to allow on this property before we open it up,” she said.

While the access remains unimproved, trails are already in place around much of nearby Milton Pond, which was the village water supply until 1993 and become centerpiece of the 350-acre Milton Municipal Forest after the town joined the Champlain Water District in the late ‘80s.

The wilderness area was established legally by revisions to the town charter in 1993, which specified that it would be maintained, “using proper forest and wildlife practices.” However, that document gave no clues how the relatively remote parcel would be access-ed, or what uses the town should allow there; unresolved questions that have lingered and have apparently become linked in recent years.

Both items are questions for the Selectboard, which has passed on several management plans for the property—most recently one from the Conservation Commission and Recreation Commission in 2004.

Selectman Randy Barrows, a self-proclaimed outdoors enthusiast who claims great affection for the town forest, rattled off a half-dozen issues with the most recent plan—but said the biggest issue was a proposed restriction on vehicles in the area.

“That's the biggest one I think,” he said. “My take on that is that every taxpayer in Milton paid a portion…of buying that property; I don't think you should shut the snowmobilers out, they're taxpayers too.”

To that, Barrows added that he didn't like the prohibition of logging or timber harvest, camping restrictions, and encouraging people to stay on the trails. By his account, these issues are similar to ones that scuttled previous proposals.

“The problem I had with this plan is that it was basically the one we've seen 15 times before, but worded differently,” he said.

The two commissions are planning to commence work on an updated set of proposals shortly, and Recreation Commission Chairman John Lindsay had a decidedly different perspective than Barrows. By Lindsay's account the previous setback was due primarily to concerns with the cost of maintaining improvements at the property, though he added the since-subsided controversy about the acquisition of the Bove Property didn't help either.

Lindsay said cost remains an issue, adding that prospects of this newest plan being adopted were likely a toss-up. A veteran of 14 years on the commission, Lindsay said maintenance expenses of likely recommendations such as parking and amenities for designated camp areas could lead to the Selectboard rejecting this proposal as well.

“Whenever we've come to them for a proposal that would require even a small increase…that has been fairly quickly shut down,” he said. “I think even if people get the idea that it's a use issue, I think the bigger and more overriding factor is the cost issue.”

Barrows disagreed, saying the board could put a ballot item before the voters, if the cost were large. Instead, he listed dropping the key sticking points as the likeliest solution.

The most recent management plan recom- mended passive recreation (such as hiking and hunting, with camping in designated areas) and the exclusion of motorized vehicles, which didn't set well with all parties, confirmed Selectboard Chairman Jeff Turner.

The town's legal access to the Bove Property has no parking or trail, but plenty of vegetation. Town Planning Director Regina Mahony estimated that the town forest could be reached after about a half hour of “bushwhacking” through this narrow corridor, which eventually meets a stream and an old logging road. However, there's also a large wetland area in that direction, she cautioned.

“That part has definitely been a controversy for a long time, he said “In my opinion, if the town owns it, people should be able to use it, no matter what.”

Past that, Turner didn't give a specific reason as to why no policy has been adopted yet, though he added the town should get moving on the issue.

For his own part, Lindsay rejected the idea that vehicles were the key stumbling block. Instead, he said, producing a management plan is a complicated and multifaceted process, which encompasses evaluation site geography, outlining appropriate uses, determining what the public wants, and identifying the financial limitations.

“It's not a simple black and white issue by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.

“There's all kinds of questions that need answers,” he added at another point.

In the meantime, residents who want to use the forest are essentially left to their own devices on getting there. At this point, the shortest and clearest pathway is maintained by 84-year-old Geoffrey Plunkett, who lets people park across the road from his home at 460 Westford Road and use a nearby path to reach the forest.

As someone who has been involved with this issue and followed its development for the past 17 years, Plunkett said he'd like the ambiguities cleared up as well.

Plunkett has his own perspective on the ATV issue, saying the Selectboard rejected what was essentially the donation of an easement over his pathway because those vehicles are not permitted under a land preservation easement Plunkett has on his property.

Asked about that, Barrows added that there were also disagreements over parking, saying Plunkett wanted the town to build a parking area and gate (Plunkett disagreed with the latter item).

Regardless, Plunkett is generally credited with establishing the network of trails around Milton Pond and maintains he wants to see them used—provided it's done responsibly.

As an example to the contrary, he cited a semi-permanent campsite he found up there this summer, which had three tents and one aboveground latrine area, which he photographed. This type of “averse” activity is the sort of thing that could be prevented with some sort of polices, he said

The Milton Town Forest (and its network of trails) is within walking distance of Westford Road, but the town didn't have direct access to the area until the Bove property was purchased in 2006. The Bove land includes a narrow leg that connects with Westford Road, but no trail has been established there, yet.

“I don't like rules and regulations, but you've got to have something,” said Plunkett.

In the absence of any clear-set policy for the area, Mahony indicated it wasn't always easy to delineate what's permitted in the town's forest. For example, she said the area is open for short-duration activities like hunting and hiking, but added things like camping fall under a town policy that requires permission through the town manager's office prior to usage. Even so, she acknowledged state law allows access on non-posted property and added that such questions would be easier to answer if there were policies in place.

In any event, the issue may not be Plunkett's problem much longer: there's a realtor's sign on his lawn, and he's looking to sell, which in turn could lead to closure of the trail across the road.

“The next landowner is under no obligation to provide access,” he said.

Mahony reported that there haven't been talks between the town and Plunkett for some time.

Overall, Barrows said the problem was likely one of the town studying something to death and then moving-on, but added he'd like to see a satisfactory management plan and easier entryway for the public.

“It's a nice area,” he said. “I'm all in favor of something happening with it.”