September 13, 2012 pdf edition - Quaboag Current
September 13, 2012 pdf edition - Quaboag Current
September 13, 2012 pdf edition - Quaboag Current
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PAGE 4 A Turley Publication • www.turley.com I Thursday, <strong>September</strong> <strong>13</strong>, <strong>2012</strong><br />
- opinion -<br />
editorial<br />
We speak for the trees<br />
We have some of the most beautiful woodlands and forests<br />
in the entire state and country here in Central Massachusetts<br />
and the time has come for protecting even<br />
more acres while offering taxpayers more bang for their bucks<br />
with passive recreational opportunities.<br />
The federal Forest Legacy Program in Massachusetts was offi -<br />
cially green lighted in 1993 for fi ve distinct areas, including Stockbridge<br />
Yokun Ridge Reserve, Estabrook Woods, Holyoke Range<br />
and Western Valley Watersheds of the Connecticut Valley, North<br />
Quabbin Corridor, and the Nashua River Greenway. Sadly, a<br />
similar six-town proposal known as the Quinebaug Forest Legacy<br />
Area stalled out back then. So it is only right that our local woods<br />
should be included in this wonderful program we all pay for.<br />
Despite being the third most densely populated state in the<br />
nation, well over 64 percent of Massachusetts remains forested.<br />
Because of increasing population and demands on land for development,<br />
these forests have been fragmented and are threatened<br />
by conversion to non-forest uses and users. Local land trusts and<br />
other environmental preservation groups have done wonders in<br />
recent years to fi ll the gaps by purchasing idle and at-risk properties.<br />
However, the process to identify and protect privately owned<br />
woodlands that are under threat of fragmentation is still a very<br />
real need in our area.<br />
According to Jennifer Ohop, a staff naturalist at Norcross<br />
Wildlife Sanctuary and president of the highly effective Opacum<br />
Land Trust, a legacy designation for our area, as now proposed<br />
by the MassConn Sustainable Forest Partnership, would have<br />
no regulatory aspect. It would also enable land trusts like hers<br />
and others as well as towns and state agencies to tap into federal<br />
funds for land conservation. And that is an ever-shrinking pool of<br />
money.<br />
If the measure passes muster at the state legacy committee level<br />
on Sept. 19 and then receives approvals with various governing<br />
agencies, the proposed Heritage Corridor Forest Legacy Area<br />
would cover 421,100 acres and encompass 26 towns, including<br />
Granby, Belchertown, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Hampden, Palmer,<br />
Monson, Wales, Holland, Brimfi eld, Warren, Ware, West Brookfi<br />
eld, New Braintree, North Brookfi eld, Brookfi eld, East Brookfi<br />
eld, Sturbridge, Southbridge, Dudley, Charlton, Spencer, the<br />
majority of Oakham, Leicester and parts of Rutland and Paxton.<br />
Ohop says, “ecosystems in this region contain public water supply<br />
watersheds; rare, threatened, and endangered species habitat,<br />
especially for reptiles and amphibians; working woodlands; and<br />
scenic values associated with woods, forests and rural character.”<br />
We agree. And such a designation would provide a natural buffer<br />
and wildlife corridor connection to neighboring legacy areas.<br />
Just think about how many unprotected forests exist within<br />
your towns that are not ripe for commercial or residential development.<br />
With such a designation, local land trusts and state<br />
agencies could then apply for federal funding to conserve sensitive<br />
woodland parcels within the legacy boundaries.<br />
Now is the time to fi ll in the missing piece of our state’s unprotected<br />
forest areas. We wish the MassConn Sustainable<br />
Forest Partnership success in its renewed effort to make this<br />
proposal become reality.<br />
Letter to the Editor<br />
Help needed on Gateway Trail<br />
TO THE EDITOR:<br />
Everbearing raspberries a big hit<br />
I<br />
am in my second year of growing everbearing raspberries,<br />
and for the last two weeks I have done nothing<br />
but rave about them. You see every other night<br />
I have left the garden with nearly a cup of berries from<br />
only seven or so canes- plenty for my kids to enjoy as a<br />
healthy home-grown snack. This time last year I<br />
wasn’t exactly singing the same tune. I had only<br />
planted them in June, so my expectations were<br />
obviously set too high. Yes, I had a few berries,<br />
but they were small, and began ripening<br />
just prior to the fi rst hard frost. Which, you<br />
guessed it, made me wonder what the catalogs<br />
were fussing about when they went<br />
into glorious detail on how yummy the<br />
fruit was- I barely had any! Chock that up<br />
to it being the fi rst year. With this kind of<br />
harvest in year two, I can’t wait to see what<br />
upcoming seasons will bring.<br />
The term “everbearing” is a misnomer of<br />
sorts. You see, this type of raspberry does<br />
not bear continually throughout the summer<br />
and fall. It has two crops, one in the summer on<br />
the canes that grew last year and a second in late summer/early<br />
fall on the tips of the new canes that grew just<br />
this season. Some gardeners prefer to forgo the summer<br />
crop in favor of a larger fall crop, especially if they have<br />
standard raspberry plants already bearing fruit at that<br />
time. To eliminate summer bearing and concentrate on<br />
a bigger, later harvest, simply cut or mow your patch<br />
down to ground level early in the season. At this time<br />
you can apply a topdressing of compost or aged manure<br />
over the bed, followed by a thick mulch of shredded<br />
leaves, rotted sawdust or aged wood chips to reduce<br />
weed competition and conserve moisture. Forgo adding<br />
any lime; raspberries like a slightly acidic soil. Do<br />
On Sept. 9, help is needed for continued construction<br />
of the Gateway Trail, Sturbridge’s fi rst<br />
specifi cally designed and designated “single track”<br />
trail on the Leadmine Mt Property. This gateway<br />
trail is designed to be a family friendly trail<br />
where one can enjoy an easy hike or practice their<br />
Mt Bike skills. The project hours are from 12:30<br />
p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday Sept 9th. Meet at<br />
the Shattuck Rd gate, 10 Shattuck Rd., Leadmine<br />
Mt. Conservation Area. Wear sturdy work shoes,<br />
bring your water bottle and Pick/Mattocks if you<br />
have one, otherwise tools will be provided.<br />
make sure your canes get additional<br />
water throughout the summer<br />
if Mother Nature isn’t feeling<br />
generous. Other than that, your<br />
work is done until picking time.<br />
I have three varieties<br />
Roberta McQuaid<br />
of everbearing raspberries.<br />
‘Polana’ is from<br />
Poland and known for early bearing, excellent<br />
winter hardiness and large red berries.<br />
It is good eaten fresh as well as frozen.<br />
‘Caroline’ is another early bearer and<br />
quite vigorous. Firm, medium to large red<br />
berries have great fl avor, and freeze well<br />
too. Both of these are available nearby<br />
at Nourse Farms. Request their spring<br />
catalog(www.noursefarms.com) and just<br />
wait for your mouth to water!! The third<br />
variety is my least favorite, although my fi ve<br />
year old would say otherwise. ‘Fall Gold’ produces<br />
medium- sized creamy gold berries that<br />
are sweet but crumbly. The plants appear to be<br />
the least vigorous of the three, but I am reminded that<br />
it is only their second year. Maybe I will have another<br />
change of heart in twelve months.<br />
Now that the berry patch is up and growing I need<br />
to install a “T” trellis to keep the canes from being trampled<br />
by snow. Hardwood stakes made in the shape of<br />
a double-decker ‘T’ are placed at each end of the raspberry<br />
bed. Lengths of wire attached to each cross piece<br />
to draw canes in and up. Ah- mowing the aisles will be a<br />
breeze, as will harvesting the fruit. Confused by my description?<br />
Check out a great illustration of a “T” trellis<br />
in ‘The Fruit Gardener’s Bible’ by Lewis Hill and Leonard<br />
Perry (Storey Publishing $24.95).<br />
I<br />
N THE<br />
GARDEN<br />
Single track trail is no more than 2-3-feet wide,<br />
bench cut trail designed for hiking or Mt. Bike use.<br />
Single track is the least formal of all the various<br />
types of trails and is generally constructed all by<br />
hand. Properly designed with less than 40 degree<br />
hillside approach angles, grades of no more than<br />
15 percent, undulations, dips and ticks, this type<br />
of single track trail is sustainable, low maintenance<br />
and a joy to experience. The area off of Shattuck<br />
Road selected for this trail will offer great views<br />
and vantage points to Sturbridge as well as providing<br />
a trail where residents can practice their Mt.<br />
Bike skills without “getting lost” on the adjoining<br />
1,000 acres of open space.<br />
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