City of Methuen Master Plan

Natural Resources, Open Space, and Recreation
areas serve as giant sponges that can soak up enormous amounts of water and protect downstream areas
more suitable for development from more severe flooding.
WILDLIFE RESOURCES OF METHUEN
Many would look at the City of Methuen and perceive its undeveloped land, the few existing and former
agricultural areas, forests, and wetlands as being the dominant land uses. In fact, this undeveloped land
now constitutes less than 41% of the city’s total area. In addition to being home to about 44,000 human
residents, Methuen is home to a diversity of wildlife. Diverse wildlife is an indicator of the health of the
environment and is a source of joy for children and grownups alike. As the forests of New England
rebound after the abandonment of many farms in the 1800s, some species of wildlife have begun to
move back into eastern Massachusetts. These include beaver, coyote, and fisher as well as others. The
following describes the city’s major wildlife habitats, agricultural land, open land, forests, and wetlands,
and some of the more common wildlife likely to be found in them.
Agricultural Land
In the 2005 land use map the 320 acres of land identified as cropland and 33.3 acres of pasture and 65
acres identified as nursery or orchard (a total of 416 acres or 3.1% of the city's total area) are still
important resources for the diversity of wildlife in Methuen. Most of the remaining agricultural land is
located in the northern and eastern sections of Methuen—along Hampshire Street, the Merrimack
River, and in the Grosvenor Corner area. There are also other small farm parcels scattered in other
parts of city.
Grassland birds, like eastern meadowlarks and bobolinks, may still use some hayfields, meadows, and
pastures in Methuen or other nearby towns. In many eastern Massachusetts towns, once plentiful fields
are now too small and scattered to attract all but a few passing examples of
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