The Town of Plymouth has an important opportunity before it: exercising its Chapter 61 rights to conserve 138 acres in Cedarville currently owned by P.A. Landers. The Select Board should not let this opportunity pass.
Protecting this land would preserve a significant portion of the Herring Pond Wampanoag people’s historic Great Lot, advance the Town’s documented open space and climate resiliency goals, and safeguard a critical wildlife corridor. Just as importantly, it would prevent another stretch of Cedarville from being subjected to the all-too-familiar cycle of clear-cutting, sand mining, and development – a pattern that degrades natural resources, fragments habitat, and threatens our water supply.
The Town has multiple options available. It can acquire the property itself or transfer its Chapter 61 rights to a conservation organization prepared to act. The Community Land & Water Coalition has publicly expressed both the interest and resources to pursue this conservation opportunity.
Failing to act – whether through an explicit decision or by allowing the deadline to expire – would be a disservice to Plymouth residents, especially those who live in Cedarville and will bear the consequences of continued environmental degradation. Equally troubling is that deliberations on this matter have remained largely behind closed doors in Executive Session, despite two Select Board members having filed disclosures related to the appearance of a conflict of interest.
The Select Board should act transparently, decisively, and in the long-term interests of Plymouth. This land should be conserved.
– Alisa Plazonja