Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Comments Needed! Blue Hills Resource Management Plan

Here is a fwd from Blue Hills decision-makers:


Dear Interested Citizen or Stakeholder,

 

As part of our agency's commitment to engaging the public in dialogue as part of our Resource Management Planning efforts, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently provided you with notice of a public meeting we held the evening of July 29 regarding the Blue Hills Reservation.     

 

We were pleased to receive a significant amount of input from the audience at that meeting on how they use the facility, the aspects of it that are important to them, and the elements that they feel should be protected and how.  Public comment received at the meeting and subsequently highlights issues for our attention and is an important component of our planning process.

 

We have posted the presentation that was made by DCR that evening at 

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/publicmeetings/materials/Blue%20Hills%20RMP%2029%20July%202009%20for%20web.pdf.  We encourage you to view the presentation and to provide us with your comments by emailing rmp.comments@state.ma.us or calling 617-626-4974. 

 

Over the next several months, DCR will be preparing a draft plan for the Reservation, which we will post on the DCR website at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/rmp/index.htm, for public review and comment.  Then, in late 2009 or early 2010, we will hold a second public meeting, regarding which you will be notified, to obtain additional input on the draft plan.  As the final step in the Planning process, we anticipate submitting the proposed Blue Hills Resource Management Plan to the DCR Stewardship Council in early 2010 for their approval. 

 

We appreciate your interest and input. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Paul Cavanagh

Resource Management Planner

Comments Needed! Blue Hills Resource Management Plan

Dear Interested Citizen or Stakeholder,

 

As part of our agency's commitment to engaging the public in dialogue as part of our Resource Management Planning efforts, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently provided you with notice of a public meeting we held the evening of July 29 regarding the Blue Hills Reservation.     

 

We were pleased to receive a significant amount of input from the audience at that meeting on how they use the facility, the aspects of it that are important to them, and the elements that they feel should be protected and how.  Public comment received at the meeting and subsequently highlights issues for our attention and is an important component of our planning process.

 

We have posted the presentation that was made by DCR that evening at 

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/publicmeetings/materials/Blue%20Hills%20RMP%2029%20July%202009%20for%20web.pdf.  We encourage you to view the presentation and to provide us with your comments by emailing rmp.comments@state.ma.us or calling 617-626-4974. 

 

Over the next several months, DCR will be preparing a draft plan for the Reservation, which we will post on the DCR website at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/rmp/index.htm, for public review and comment.  Then, in late 2009 or early 2010, we will hold a second public meeting, regarding which you will be notified, to obtain additional input on the draft plan.  As the final step in the Planning process, we anticipate submitting the proposed Blue Hills Resource Management Plan to the DCR Stewardship Council in early 2010 for their approval. 

 

We appreciate your interest and input. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Paul Cavanagh

Resource Management Planner

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Re: [MountainBikeChurch] Fwd: Public meeting for Blue Hills Resource Management Plan [1 Attachment]

Last time we had an opportunity to have our voices heard was back in 1992, when the current mountain bike policy and restrictions were re-implemented. There were about 30 people at the meeting, (Bill, Tim, Christy, Doug, Jeff I specifically recall being there, I think some of the FAT and Merlin gang was there too.) Over 2/3's of those present were mountain bikers. The rest were hikers and horse folk, and there was one particularly nasty representative from the equestrian contingent there. (Whose proclamation of, "I don't hate bikes - I have a hybrid, but the Blue Hills should be preserved for horses only" - brought howls of protest from both hikers and cyclists alike.) 

 

Our input was mostly ignored, although I can fairly confidently say that without that representation there, mountain biking may very well have been limited to paved roads only. (That was what the horse riding contingent wanted).

 

That meeting was announced last minute - the morning of the meeting. Many phone calls were made that day amongst shops and bike builders. We got about 20 people to show up and be heard.

 

This is an opportunity to make sure appropriate policy is re-drafted - such as the trail closure being shifted from (12/31 through 4/15 ) to a more reasonable and practical 3/1 until Memorial Day weekend. (Mud Season, as opposed to frozen ground season).  Between the advance notice, email lists, forums facebook and twitter etc - we should be able to make this work better - combined with 17 years worth of usage proof showing that mountain bikes have in fact *not* destroyed the Blue Hills. If anything, usage has gone down and many trails that exist are becoming overgrown.  It's about time the Chickatawbut section was opened up and bikes were allowed on more single track.

 

Eric Heinrich


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Cobble" <cobblestv@gmail.com>
To: "mtb-semass" <MTB-SEMass@yahoogroups.com>, "Mountain bike church" <MountainBikeChurch@yahoogroups.com>, mtb-boston@yahoogroups.com, mbrclist@massbayroadclub.org, "Blog entry" <cobblestv.mountainbikechurch@blogger.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:28:11 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [MountainBikeChurch] Fwd: Public meeting for Blue Hills Resource Management Plan [1 Attachment]

[Attachment(s) from Steve Cobble included below]

If you enjoy the Blue Hills, please try to attend!

Steve Cobble

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Comments, RMP (DCR) <Rmp.Comments@state.ma.us>
Date: Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Subject: Public meeting for Blue Hills Resource Management Plan
To:


Hello,
 
Please find attached an announcement for the upcoming meeting on the Blue Hills Resource Management Plan.
 
 
 
 
 
This e-mail has been sent to those with a known interest in the Blue Hills Reservation, Quincy Quarries, and Ponkapoag.  If you believe that you have received this e-mail in error and wish to have your name removed from our distribution list, please contact us at RMP.comments@state.ma.us; include the words "Blue Hills RMP" in your subject line.

__._,_.___

Attachment(s) from Steve Cobble

1 of 1 File(s)

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    Fwd: Public meeting for Blue Hills Resource Management Plan

    If you enjoy the Blue Hills, please try to attend!
    Steve Cobble

    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Comments, RMP (DCR) <Rmp.Comments@state.ma.us>
    Date: Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 10:23 AM
    Subject: Public meeting for Blue Hills Resource Management Plan
    To:


    Hello,
     
    Please find attached an announcement for the upcoming meeting on the Blue Hills Resource Management Plan.
     
     
     
     
     
    This e-mail has been sent to those with a known interest in the Blue Hills Reservation, Quincy Quarries, and Ponkapoag.  If you believe that you have received this e-mail in error and wish to have your name removed from our distribution list, please contact us at RMP.comments@state.ma.us; include the words "Blue Hills RMP" in your subject line.

    Monday, June 15, 2009

    How to remove a tick (apparently this works)

    Subj: How to remove a tick (no joke).

    tick.jpg tick image by stevezkim
    Spring will be here soon and the wood ticks will soon be showing their
    heads. Here is a good way to get them off you, your children, or your
    pets. Give it a try.

    Please forward to anyone with children... or hunters or dogs, or
    anyone who even steps outside in summer!!

    A School Nurse has written the info below -- good enough to share --
    And it really works!!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to
    remove a tick. This is great, because it works in those places where
    it's some times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in
    the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc.

    Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the
    soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20), the
    tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you
    lift it away. This technique has worked every time I've used it (and
    that was frequently), and it's much less traumatic for the patient and
    easier for me.

    Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be
    damaging in any way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice
    because she had one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with
    tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back to say,
    "It worked!"

    Please pass on. Everyone needs this helpful hint.

    Sunday, June 7, 2009

    Blue Hills Mountain Bike Day 2009 Pics

    bike group Blue Hills Day 2009
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/20687952@N03/sets/72157619329751147/

    A selection of things from the set

    bike group bike group 2 bike group 1 girl of obstacle course close up

    (By the way, if the set link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it from this email into your browser's address bar.)

    Flickr is almost certainly the best photo management and sharing application in the world. If you'd like to see what I use it for you can check out my profile page or browse my photostream.