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In 2013, the Town of Swampscott revised its Open Space & Recreation Plan (OS&RP). One of the listed objectives in the plan is to create “maintenance programs” for each of the Town’s open space and recreational properties. To start, the OS&RP
Committee has drafted a Land Use and Maintenance Plan for the Charles M. Ewing Woods, a small parcel of conservation land adjacent to the Stanley School. A copy of this draft plan can be found here. The Committee is interested in receiving input from you, the residents of Swampscott, and so is accepting public comment on the draft plan through December 1, 2015. There will also be an OS&RP meeting on November 17th at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall if you wish to present comments in person.
What are some of the highlights of the Ewing Woods Plan?
As one of the few natural undeveloped areas in Swampscott, the management objective of the Ewing Woods plan is to maintain the property essentially in its present natural state, healthy, clean, undamaged, and as free as practicable from invasive vegetative species and to provide public access for passive outdoor recreational and educational opportunities.
The plan identifies immediate work that needs to be done on the property, such as replacement of badly damaged signage and removal of invasive species. The long-term routine maintenance consists of litter control and vegetation clearing from the trails and is proposed to be coordinated through the Conservation Commission and the OS&RP Committee with assistance from the Department of Public Works and/or volunteer individuals and groups.
Creation of a “Friends of” Swampscott Conservation Lands
To further ensure the protection and maintenance of Town conservation land such as Ewing Woods and the larger Harold King Forest property, the OS&RP Committee is interested in fostering the creation of a “Friends of” Swampscott conservation lands similar to the Friends of Lynn Woods and the Marblehead Conservancy. If you would be interested in
participating in such an effort, please contact the Town Planner Pete Kane.
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