Park Story: Sustaining the ecosystem and legacy of Bliss and Laurel Parks (Part 2)
Written by Frances Cress
Article published in Longmeadow Neighbors (May 2022)
The April issue offered a discussion of the history of Bliss and Laurel Parks 70 years ago, ending in 1952 with the collapse of “the Pump” as the Town’s summer watering hole and the opening of the Bliss Park Pool. Today, the parklands remain a sanctuary in the middle of our Town. Since then, the derelict infrastructure from the former water supply district in Cooley Brook and development in the 1960’s and 1970’s east of the brook’s headwaters have had unfavorable impacts on this fragile ecosystem. The growing awareness of the value of natural habitats to climate regulation and to our emotional wellbeing make this the perfect time to embrace collaborative efforts that support wise stewardship.
Bliss and Laurel Parks are now legally protected by Article 97 of the Commonwealth’s Constitution granting them parkland status in perpetuity. Since 2017, four Community Preservation Act grants have initiated the process of environmental stabilization and enhanced user experience within the parks. The most recent grant supported development of “Enhancing Ecology in the Heart of Longmeadow: Two Visions for Bliss and Laurel Parks” drafted by The Conway School, Spring 2020, an effort that exemplifies what collaborative community engagement can achieve. See: www.longmeadow.org/ restoreblissandlaurel.
This landscape plan recommends ecologically sustainable options that will restore Cooley Brook, address sedimentation in Laurel Pond, curb upstream erosion, eradicate invasive plant species, re-introduce native species, improve trail use and maintenance and offer greater diversity of access to the public.
In February 2022, Christian Allyn, of Invasive Plant Solutions, walked the property to share the impact/cost of invasive species penetration of the area surrounding the old reservoir and ways we can mitigate less dramatic presentations of invasive species in other areas of the parks.
Since 2020, a partnership with The CT River Conservancy has resulted in regular testing of water quality in Cooley Brook, a preliminary engineering cost evaluation for water district restoration and the offer of Project Management services. They shared our community’s work with; US Army Corp of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration; all of whom are now guiding and/or supporting us as we sequence necessary projects that will inform this community’s next design decisions for these parklands.
Town management obtained a State Division of Ecological Restoration grant in early 2022 for a preliminary engineering design to remove derelict 19th century water district infrastructure. Our state and national partners are considering Longmeadow for significant “in lieu of funding” and “in kind labor” and engineering support to execute the restoration at no cost to the Town. The value of the “in lieu of funding” alone is approximately $300,000. Acquisition of these funds and services hinge on completion of a Hydrology and Hydraulic Study; a $75,000 Town written grant request approved by the Community Preservation Committee in February that will be voted on at the May 10, 2022 Annual Town Meeting.
Join your community and help Longmeadow restore the ecosystem of our treasured Bliss and Laurel Parks; a community legacy dating back to 1895.
