Project Description
The Nyanza Natural Resource Trustees utilized a portion of the settlement funding to acquire and protect several parcels along the Sudbury River that were threatened by development. Three properties in Sudbury, MA, totaling about 18.1 acres, were acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and added to the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (GMNWR). The Trustees also transferred funds to the City of Framingham to acquire a 4.1 acre Conservation Restriction (CR) on a historic property that was once owned by George Henry Gordon, a Brevet Major General who fought for the Union Army in the American Civil War. A public access nature trail was constructed in the Restricted Area linking the property to other open space parcels in the area. The trail also offers public access to the "Victory Maple Tree", a large maple estimated to be over 500 years old. The acquisition and protection of these parcels provides valuable habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, and songbirds, prevents habitat fragmentation along the Sudbury River, and provides recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and wildlife observation.
Restoration Land Ownership
County or Municipal; Fish and Wildlife Service
Parties Implementing Restoration
City of Framingham, MA; Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service