Whether we prefer walking the shoreline of Ponkapoag Pond, hiking the Red dot Trail up Great Blue or enjoying the view from Buck Hill, we all recognize the Blue Hills as a remarkable treasure. As people who care about the Reservation, we also realize that we have an enormous responsibility to protect and enhance it.
When the economy is thriving, projects have threatened the Reservation. Recent challenging proposals include a parking lot in Randolph and an office complex in Canton.
When the Massachusetts economy is in recession, critical funding is at risk.
As people who care deeply about the Reservation, our challenge is twofold. First, we must make sure the land, including forest, field and wetlands, is healthy. Second, we need to ensure that visitors can explore and enjoy the Reservation no matter the economic or political conditions.
In the face of these challenges, we need to dramatically increase our effectiveness. We will only succeed if we engage more people, build a stronger organization and grow deeper roots in the community. Future generations will enjoy the Reservation, only if we work together to meet today’s challenges.