The Friends of the Holbrook Town Forest, together with the Town Forest Committee, and the Conservation Committee have been working to legally protect the land we all love and know as the Holbrook Town Forest. After the Town Forest was established various parcels were donated, or taken, and added to it, until it reached its current 112 acre size. Some of these parcels are better protected than others. Last year a citizen petition was submitted with over 200 signatures to correct the deeds by having all the parcels protected equally at Town Meeting. Citizens were overwhelmingly in support of having the deeds all reflect "conservation" to protect this open space recreartion area. However, this met with opposition from Town Counsel, which was upheld my the Town Moderator. We have continued to work to this end. Chairman of the Selectmen, Paul Currie, has been helping to move the issue forward.
Following a March 6th article on the front page of the Holbrook Sun (
www.wickedlocal.com/holbrook/homepage/x691144340) the following was posted on the Sun’s blog:
Jim Dombrowski, former Conservation Agent of the Town of Holbrook, wrote to the Holbrook Sun blog on March 15th, 2008
Past research that was done in an attempt to create a Town of Holbrook Open Space Plan revealed that some parcels of the "Town Forest" were deeded to the Town with a Conservation Restriction pursuant to MGL chapter 40 section 8c in which management and control of certain parcels were deeded to the Town of Holbrook and the Conservation Commission. Parcel #1 Map 10 Lot 65-41-67 containing 13.446 acres book 4764 page 94 "1971" donated by Boston Edison. Parcel #2 Map 4 Lots 13 and 13-1 containing 29.5 acres book 4516 pg 355 "1968" is also under MGL c40, s8c. Parcel #3 Map 11 Lot 11 containing 42.7 acres book 4700 page 506 "1970" donated by Norfolk County is also under MGL c40, s8c. Parcel #4 Map 11 lot 28 containing 67 acres I could locate no deed indicating it was under c40, s8c and found that it was listed in past submittals to the state for recreational/open space lands. It is believed that this land was taken in Tax Title. The maps and lots referenced were the ones available for that period of the investigation and may have changed in reference numbers since then. Hugh Smith and Shirley Austin assisted in providing this information at that time. I hope that this information is of help to someone as that Open Space Plan didn't get the support to continue its efforts for a complete and comprehensive review. This was one of the many efforts that was attempted as Conservation Agent/Officer for the Town of Holbrook.
Pat Greely, chairman of the Forest Committee, responded:
The 67 acre parcel #11-028, is the bulk of what we all know as the Town Forest, containing Wiggins Trail and Elfin Pond. It has recently been researched by the Norfolk County title examiners, and it is actually 5 parcels. Two of these are tax title, and Chairman Currie agreed at the last selectmen’s meeting to have Mr. Yunits write an article for the upcoming Annual Town Meeting to transfer them two other parcels (#05-001, a 1.9 acre parcel off the end of Forest Rd and #10-038, a 1/5 acre parcel opposite the old Fire Tower site which is the head of the Wiggins Trail and was donated by the Mann family) the into Town Forest/ Public Domain. This intermediary step will provide at least minimal protection until we can resolve the conservation (GL C40 Sec 8c) versus town forest issues the current town counsel seems to have. Also part of parcel 11-028 is another parcel from the Mann family, the Wiggins family, and the Diman family; all intended to remain Town Forest (in fact we have the Diman and Wiggins Trails, and the new Mann entrance to honor their donations to the Public open space and recreation of Holbrook. As you stated the remaining "Town Forest" parcels were deed to the town as "Conservation" under MGL C 40 Sec 8C). Hopefully, we can get this land better protected at the upcoming Town Meeting, and preserve the special part of Holbrook for the next generation, as was intended.
We are looking forward to working with the Selectmen to protect this precious public resource; correcting the deeds is a necessary first step.
Tonight, all across the globe is Earth Hour!
