Traildogs.org

Check out http://www.traildogs.org/ for information culled mostly from newpapers

This website is dedicated to people who enable their dogs to run, hike,
swim, work and play in the Great Outdoors.

...

We believe that all responsible citizens, including those with dogs, should be able to enjoy our beautiful, natural land. It is alarming to us that many traditional areas for outdoor activity have banned off-leash and, in some cases, on-leash dog walking as recreation, with little or no effort to respect the needs of tax-paying, responsible dog owners.

He has captured many articles from many towns on leash restrictions.

Ask your town meeting candidates questions!

If you live in Lexington, there is an election on March 1. Ask your candidates for Town Meeting (there are a number per precinct coming up) the following two questions (or other ones of your own design):

1. Do you support allowing unleashed dogs in Willard's Woods?
2. Do you support a total ban of dogs in Lexington Conservation areas?

Let us know the answers. Thanks!

Restoring the original Willard's Woods

The chair of the Conservation Commission, Joyce Miller, told the Commission meeting on February 23rd to look at Thomas P. Sileo's book Historical Guide to Open Space in Lexington and learn about Willard's Woods flora and fauna. Being a bookseller, I was delighted to discover that I had this somewhat scarce out-of-print book! As a member of the fledgling Friends of Willard's Woods, I tried to identify restoration projects the Commission might undertake based on Sileo's book that would help restore the woods to its original purposes. Originalism is all the rage among the Supremes, so why not in Lexington! I found four things that used to be a part of the activities at the Woods when it was a farm, but haven't been seen for years. I have added some historical pictures from the Library of Congress that would give some idea of how Willard's Woods might have looked in these bygone days as a guide to the restoration that could be undertaken. These would require some serious permit negotiations!

Summertime damming of Willard Brook for children's swimming [p113]

Fox hunting. Somewhat out of fashion, but I have seen foxes at Willard's. [p112]


Enormous brood of 2000 chickens! The impact of dog guano is nothing compared to this. [p107]


Horse racing and a horse exercise ring. Where have the horses gone in Willard's? [p107]

Conservation Commission Meeting: Neither Heat Nor Light

I attended last night’s meeting of the Conservation Commission and found the discussion enlightening, though more so in revealing Commission members’ positions than in sharing facts and arriving at common goals for the Woods. Since as a member of the audience I was given no opportunity to speak I’m going to share my thoughts with you here. In no particular order, here goes:

· Willards Woods is not pristine wilderness – it was a working farm for at least 140 years and was bequeathed to the town for recreational use. The pond is entirely man-made. I love the Woods and agree that it’s important not to love it to death, but when Commission members talk of “restoring” Willards I don’t know what they mean. Restoring to farming condition? Restoring to pre-settlement condition? Or restoring to when it was little used by anyone except neighbors and the occasional birder? What is the ideal state and use of Willards?

· Commission members expressed concern about trail damage by dogs. Dogs generally weigh less than people either on foot or on bikes, and I estimate there are considerably more human users of the Woods (think of the town’s school cross-country teams alone) than dogs – so I’m thinking the issue is traffic intensity rather than type of traffic.

· Commission members bemoaned the disappearance of wildlife as a result of the dog presence. I’m only one person, but in the past few years alone I’ve encountered a red fox, coyotes, hawks, owls, ducks, rabbits, voles, chipmunks, snakes, and many, many songbirds. My dog’s not interested in any of these, but I have a feeling that the dog presence has a chilling effect on the coyote population. (Did you read the recent Globe article about eastern coyotes being bigger and badder than western coyotes? Researchers have found our eastern coyotes are actually coyote-wolf hybrids. Way to go, Mother Nature! Wait – maybe these newcomers need to be nurtured along with the rest of the endangered wildlife in the Woods….)

· No one in the Commission mentioned a real threat to the Woods – the great increase in invasive plant species. Chinese Bittersweet and Multiflora Rose are both well-established and choking out native plants. How about some attention to these unwanted Woods denizens?

· One last thought: it seems to me that the Commission is ignoring an important resource. The Friends of Willard Woods had almost 200 people at that meeting, people who care about the Woods and want to share it with their dogs and the friends they meet there. Why doesn’t the Commission call on us to help?

From Margaret

Hi all- are any CC members professionally qualified to make statements about water quality, overuse criteria, etc. Many comments were made, but based on what knowledge or expertise? And frankly, why is dog walking as an outdoor activity automatically rejected on all conservation land as opposed to running, riding biking, etc

Posting

If anyone wants me to post anything here please e-mail me:

aynka@hotmail.com

Commissioner Wyman's proposal

Leslie sent around this link to the green dogs program at Rocky Woods. Commissioner Wyman proposed this as possible solution to minimize the altercations b/w dog owners and non D.Os.

http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/before-you-visit/green-dogs.html

Election March 1st

For those of you who are Lexington Residents i would urge you to vote for Deb Mauger and George Burnell. I know it seems obnoxious (as so many things here are) to add politics to a blog that's meant to keep people informed about issues regarding the woods, but Mauger and Burnell have openly advocated an amicable resolution to the conflict b/w the neighbor's and dog owners. I happened to attend the Selectmen's debate a few weeks ago and once again Mauger and Burnell addressed the issue of dogs at Willard s Woods openly while Jeon sidestepped the issue b/c it was "a messy situation." To be honest i don't care whether or not he is a proponent of our position it irked me that he refused to take a clear position. He was politically smart to avoid talking about the issue so as not to alienate any potential voters, but i appreciated Burnell and Mauger's willingness to discuss the issue despite a potential political backlash.

The Meeting

The Conservation Commission decided to form a subcommittee to determine the best possible solution for the woods. The chairwoman and other members on the committee agreed to give the subcommittee until May 1st to make its recommendations.
Incidentally we should have pulled a Joe Wilson b/c there were many false and ridiculously inaccurate statements made by Chairwoman Miller (i.e. the dogs "hate" using the bridge to cross the water, i presume she said this because she knows that our dogs are allergic to wooden structures...the land is overrun by dog feces...spring is a crucial time when the plant life will have to fight the dogs in order to reawaken etc...). She did however mention one useful fact and that is that the commission has no money to enforce any of its bylaws regarding Willard's Woods which raises a lot of questions about the efficacy of such a commission.

From Leslie

ONE OF OUR MEMBERS ASKED ME TO POST HIS COMMENTS TO THE BLOG:

Dog Walking in Willard’s Woods

I’m sorry that I was unable to attend the Willard’s Woods meeting at the Library today. I trust that there were many good ideas presented there. I would like to present my own thoughts on the subject in the hope that they will be of some benefit.

My reaction to the letters that I have seen is that they present too much of a one sided view of Willard’s, namely that is a wonderful place for walking dog’s off leash, that this is an important thing for the dogs and good for their owners. All true, but Willard’s is not, and should not become, an exclusively dog-walking site. I would urge, in addition to the above, recognition that there may be some problems associated with the dogs and a willingness to do something about them. Also that eliminating leash free walking creates other problems which are undesirable.

1. Closing off Willard’s to dog walkers will take a beautiful site and render it essentially unused. This hardly seems like what we as residents should want of the place.

2. The sign at the entry, with its list of does and don’ts, is good as far as it goes. Unfortunately it is too long and in too small type to make as much impact as it should. I would suggest two or at most three additional signs, in very large type, each highlighting one item. For example, one should clearly say
PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG
Another might say
KEEP YOUR DOG AWAY FROM STRANGERS

3. Make it clear to the CC that we are willing and able to form a formal volunteer group to help in policing the site. A half dozen to a dozen people, along with a chosen leader, all known to the CC, could do a good job of keeping recalcitrants in line, including reporting incorrigible violators. They also should meet with the CC as needed and be kept informed of any complaints as they come up.

4. If overuse of the woods is deemed to be a problem, then closing it off in some lesser way would be desirable. For example, I have heard the suggestion that Willard’s be closed on weekends to dogs (and all others?). Other limitations on use might be warranted and could be worked out to dog owners’ satisfaction.

That would cover my ideas on the subject. I hope that they are useful.

Tasks

1.) Arrive Early b/w 6:30 and 6:45 so we can sit up front. We have to be visible
2.) Please where your buttons, again, visibility.
3.) Signs are available, a small group of people have volunteered to hand them out and brief people regarding the game plan.
Bill Led a great meeting last night and we will circulate the minutes through the e-mail list.

The Non-Event Event

For anyone who hasn't read it yet, pick up a copy of the Lexington Minuteman. Karen Mullins (who works for chairwoman Joyce Miller) is quoted as saying that she does not believe that the commission will make a decision regarding the woods on the 23rd. Here is a link to the proposed agenda:

http://ci.lexington.ma.us/conservation/Feb%2023.%20agn.pdf

There is one correction to make, the Commission moved the meeting to Cary Hall. I hope that's a good sign since it means that they are cognizant of the growing interest among dog owners and walkers. Hopefully this means that they will be a little leery to enact any kind of sweeping change.

Lexington Politics and Religion List

The link to the Lexington Politics and Religion mailing list is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lex-polrel/
This is a Yahoo group and you have to join to read the messages. At the Valentines Day meeting, there was mention of some comments about dogs from a Selectman. I am in the process of joining this list and will report back later. These and other lists are maintained by Harry Forsdick.

Conservation Commission Meeting 2/23

George just let me know that the conservation commission's website doesn't show a room change for the meeting and that it's logistically impossible for them to hold it in Cary Hall since there's a Selectmen's meeting there at 7:30. Did they really change the room? Leslie, Sharon?
Also, if they haven't changed the room then we have to find a way to put pressure on them to hold a public hearing. I called the Commission this afternoon and they told me to check the website on the 19th for the agenda and other relevant info regarding the meeting on the 23rd.

Citizens for Fair Government

I just received an e-mail from an organization that calls itself Citizens for Fair Government. Apparently someone complained about Joyce Miller and they are conducting an investigation into her communication w/ the Selectmen and the neighbors. I replied to them and asked if they know who filed the complaint or if the petitioner is from Lexington, but they said they can't release that information. I have no idea what this group is or what it does, I just got an e-mail that said that they are a non-profit non-partisan Government watchdog group and that they are conducting an investigation based on someone's complaint. If anyone out there filed the complaint or knows what this group is please post me a comment explaining all of this . To be honest part of me thinks it's a hoax b/c i can't find a website or a number all i have is an e-mail and an attachment to some kind of newsletter and twitter account. Thanks

Meeting 02/14/2010

I think it's important for us to have a short-term goal in mind. I think if we can just get the conservation committee to hold a public hearing, as Bill suggested, then it will be a victory of sorts. They're not completely tone deaf, Leslie mentioned that they moved the room for G-15 to Cary hall, so that's a start.
How can we unsettle the Conservation Commission to the point that they have to have a public hearing? We have to force them to have a public hearing. What can we do now to ensure that we will get a public hearing?
George mentioned that the best possible outcome would be if they were to table the entire issue, and that's far more likely if we can get them to hold a public hearing. If we can force them to continue to change their plans because of the evolving facts on the ground (i.e. a large, restive group of dog owners demanding an open democratic process) we’ll achieve our larger goals. Any ideas?