Shawsheen River Master Plan Wildlife Sanctuaries

Shawsheen River Master Plan Designated Wildlife Sanctuaries Overview

Prepared by Marisa Browning-Kamins Conservation Land Manager Town of Andover

on behalf of the Andover Conservation Commission

Shawsheen River Master Plan Overview The Shawsheen River Master Plan (“the Plan”) for the Town of Andover was a collaborative, community-driven process intended to create a blueprint for the future of the Shawsheen River corridor in Andover. This Plan outlines, in part, the recreational and educational benefits of the River and a visual roadmap of priority projects desired by the community built upon public input and data collected by Town staff.

While improved public access and recreational amenities shone as a consistent theme from community engagement sessions, other voices throughout the input process strongly called for leaving the Shawsheen River “wild.” In recognition of each of these important perspectives, a group of Conservation professionals analyzed the permanently protected parcels along the Shawsheen River corridor for their recreational potential, ecological sensitivity, and wildlife habitat value to identify a series of Wildlife Sanctuaries to be established within the Shawsheen River Master Plan.

The following Wildlife Sanctuary classification system is intended to provide nuance to the complex task of categorizing natural features. River systems are one of the most dominant agents of landscape change due to natural processes such as precipitation, erosion, deposition, abrasion, and incision. Thus, the natural communities present along the Shawsheen River at the time of the publication of this Master Plan may change and shift in the years to come, necessitating two levels of Wildlife Sanctuary protections and recreational restrictions as described below. A redesignation of a Wildlife Sanctuary’s classification requires a majority vote by all Staff members of the Conservation Division and the members of the Andover Conservation Commission.

Wildlife Sanctuary Classification System Level 1 Wildlife habitat protection is the highest priority, above any new or existing recreational amenities. Specifically excluded from the property are paved paths, paved parking areas, permanent buildings of any kind, grilling stations, irrigation, non-native decorative plantings, and aesthetic pruning or vegetation removal. Freestanding interpretive signage, minor repairs or improvements to existing infrastructure, and ecological restoration/wildlife habitat improvements will be permitted pending approval of Conservation Division Staff and Andover Conservation Commission.

Level 2 Some selective recreational improvements are permissible pending approval of the Conservation Division Staff and Andover Conservation Commission. Possibilities include improvements to natural surface trail systems, minor infrastructure additions (i.e., natural wood pavilions, new picnic areas, wildlife observation/fishing platforms, low impact bridges/boardwalks).

Specifically excluded are paved trails, paved parking areas, permanent buildings of any kind, propane grilling stations, irrigation, and non-native decorative plantings.

Foster’s Island Reservation Overview Foster’s Island Reservation is a 127.46-acre property comprised of multiple contiguous parcels that create a protected corridor spanning approximately 2 miles of the eastern bank of Shawsheen River. Only one parcel belonging to Foster’s Island Reservation is located on the western bank of the river. This western parcel, colloquially called “Dale Street”, is 2.94 acres and currently offers a public boating access point and a gravel parking area. Dale Street is slated for significant recreational/public access improvements as identified in the 2023 Shawsheen River Master Plan, including the construction of a pavilion, an ADA accessible foot bridge across the Shawsheen River, a paved parking area with ADA parking and access, restroom facilities, a stone dust nature path, an ADA boat launch, and a picnic area.

Sanctuary Designation and Justification To both complement and balance the significant anticipated recreational and public access improvements for Dale Street, the remaining 124.52-acre corridor of Conservation land belonging to Foster’s Island Reservation located along the east side of the Shawsheen River will be designated as a Level 1 Wildlife Sanctuary. As climate change alters weather patterns and precipitation in Andover, this river corridor will play an essential role in stormwater retention and flood control. Impervious hardscaping, heavy pedestrian use, and other recreational infrastructure may impact the river’s ability to provide these ecosystem services. Therefore, as the anticipated improvements to the Dale Street portion of the Fosters Island Reservation come to fruition, any corresponding public amenities or access improvements to Foster’s Island Reservation (east) will be executed in accordance with the Wildlife Sanctuary Level 1 designation as described above.

Shawsheen River

Pomp’s Pond

Dale Street Boat Launch

Lightning Tree Reservation Overview The Lightning Tree Reservation is a 24.07-acre Conservation property covered by a mosaic of forested patches, shrub-scrub, and sandy, open meadow areas. The natural communities present on site include white pine-oak forest, grassland/heathland, and aspen sapling. The Shawsheen River flows along the western boundary of the Conservation area, contributing to the biodiversity of the site. The property was acquired by the Town of Andover to be held in the care and custody of the Andover Conservation Commission as mitigation for the development of an adjacent solar energy generating facility reviewed under EOEA #14740 and Conservation and Management Permit (CMP). As stipulated by the CMP, a habitat management plan was written in 2013 to provide a long-term benefit to three state-listed lepidoptera species impacted by the 4.8 acres of high-quality habitat loss related to the solar facility. This management plan established a Management Area (MA) across the northern 14.57 acres of the site within the broader 21.5-acre Habitat Management Area (HMA), which is subjected to a Declaration of Restrictions to be maintained as habitat and open space. The ongoing active management of the site is specifically targeted to preserve and enhance ephemeral natural communities that are critical to local rare species populations.

Sanctuary Designation and Justification Since the establishment of the MA to benefit the rare lepidoptera species that inhabit Lighting Tree Reservation, two additional Massachusetts wildlife Species of Special Concern have been discovered within the HMA. This discovery further establishes Lightning Tree Reservation as an area of exceptional habitat value, vulnerable to degradation by human activities. To ensure the protection of the rare habitats and wildlife species found across the site in perpetuity, Lightning Tree Reservation is designated as a Level 1Wildlife Sanctuary in the Shawsheen River Master Plan.

Serio’s Grove Reservation Serio's Grove Reservation is an 18.8-acre property that curves along the southern banks of the Shawsheen River, lying in between Shawsheen Pines Reservation and Pole Hill Reservation. In addition to stands of mature oak and pine forest, this property also contains a small meadow, which provides critical habitat for wildlife species that depend on grassland habitat for foraging and nesting. Despite being relatively small in acreage, Serio’s Grove contains a mixture of mature second-growth forest, riparian habitat, and grassland in an otherwise industrialized area.

Public access to Serio’s Grove Reservation is further complicated by a private railroad track corridor held by Pan Am that bisects the property. Ongoing negotiations with Pan Am have failed to establish legal permissions to pass and repass over the private railroad track and corridor. This has led topedestrian and vehicle access being restricted to occasional, requested use of a private road owned by an adjacent property. Serio's Grove has long been a preferred camping location for local groups like Eagle Scouts, who have helped to build a wooden covered pavilion, picnic tables, and firewood storage shelters on the property to facilitate outdoor recreation on site. However, due to the safety concerns and unclear legal crossing rights described above, general public access is now only available by boat from the Shawsheen River.

Larger groups are encouraged to contact the Town of Andover to discuss possible safe crossing measures with Public Safety officials for special events.

Sanctuary Designation and Justification Due to the public access issues described above, the Town of Andover is bound to prioritize health and safety over enhancing pedestrian access to Serio’s Grove from Lowell Junction Road, where a kiosk and limited off-road parking area still exist. Therefore, Serio’s Grove Reservation will be designated as a Wilderness Sanctuary Level 2 in the Shawsheen River Master Plan. This designation serves to protect the sensitive ecosystems that support riparian and grassland wildlife species, while still supporting low-impact public use such as camping, carry-in-carry-out picnicking, boating, and fishing.