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Webster Lake Environmental Management Program
On Friday September 13, 2002 the
Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental
Affairs, Bob Durand, along with Senator Moore and Representative
Kujawski presented the Town of Webster with the first installment
of $600,000 to begin the planning and permitting of a
comprehensive “Webster Lake Environmental Management Program.” The
total commitment to this program will be $4.35 million dollars.
The money comes from a recently passed Environmental Bond Issue
that was passed with the recent state budget. This issue
authorizes the state to borrow money for important environmental
projects.
The presentation took place on
the shores of Webster Lake at Point Breeze Restaurant. The
restaurant management was gracious enough to donate the site to
host the event. Also attending the presentation were John Desmond,
the Basin team leader for the French River Watershed from the
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, P. Bradford Cheney of
CME Associates, representatives from the Webster Board of
Selectmen, Webster Residents, and the newly formed Webster Lake
Association.
The Webster Lake Association was
recently formed on July 4, 2002 to unite Lake Residents in an
effort to improve and protect Webster Lake. The mission statement
of the organization is:
"Webster Lake Association is a
non-profit organization dedicated to
enhancing, preserving and
protecting the quality of the lake and
its watershed through the
promotion of responsible, effective
environmental & educational
policies. We shall strive to strengthen
and unite the Webster Lake
Community through recreational, social
and civic activities. Our mission
is to preserve this regionally
unique resource as a pristine
legacy for future generations."
As part of this mission, the WLA
created several committees to research and recommend actions to
fulfill the mission goals. One of these committees is the
Environmental & Safety Committee chaired by Bob Couture. One of
the committee’s first priorities was to address weed control
issues affecting the lake. The committee enlisted the help of
Representative Kujawski along with other state officials to
address the problem. Representative Kujawski immediately
recognized the importance of the newly passed Environmental Bond
Issue to Webster Lake and began work to get funding.
Several years ago CME Associates,
Inc. had written a “Preliminary Plan of Action” detailing an
environmental management program for the lake including estimating
the costs. With this document, and the help of Secretary Durand
and Senator Moore, Representative Kujawski was able to win
approval for funding this important program from Governor Swift.
At the presentation, P. Bradford
Cheney, an engineer with CME Associates, discussed the program as
being the first major step in improving the health of the lake
through sediment control. A method of preventing future sediment
inflow into the lake will be implemented as soon as the permitting
process from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is obtained. The
permitting process alone could take up to a year. Once the
sediment control stage is complete, a program of dredging can be
implemented to restore sections of the lake that have been filled
with sediment. Another part of the program will be a continuing
management plan to maintain the health of the lake. It will be a
long-term program, but it has finally begun.
Also speaking at the event was
Richard Cazeault, President of the Webster Lake Association. He
thanked the many people responsible for making the project a
reality. He reiterated the importance of leaving the lake in
better condition than we found it, and the importance of
transferring this mission to succeeding generations.
After the meeting, he continued
to discuss the importance of the role of the WLA in the community.
Many people think that the only purpose of the WLA is to address
the dock registration issue. Although the issue resulted in the
birth of the organization, once the organization was born, the
potential good that could be accomplished in the community was
recognized and incorporated into the mission of the organization.
This resulted in the spawning of the following committees:
Environmental & Safety – Although
it has played an important role in getting the new program funded,
its work is far from complete. Other issues are being addressed
that will continue to improve the lake.
Social & Charitable Committee -
The aim of the Social Committee is to foster a feeling of
community through social and charitable events.
Membership Committee – This group
is working to bring in as many members into the WLA as possible.
Dock Registration Committee –
This group is trying to produce a fair and equitable solution to
the existing dock issue.
Other possible committees are
being considered to address more issues in the future, including
historical and youth programs.
The resources of the WLA are the
imagination, enthusiasm, and the determination of the WLA members
to make our community a better place. We believe these resources
will be enduring, and self-renewing through the WLA in future
generations.
The WLA has a website at
WebsterLakeAssociation.com.
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