Print this page (pdf file)

In the 18th century, this picturesque area was once favored for timbering, granite quarrying and ice producing, as well as for water power for the many mills. Today, Middlesex Fells is an important open space offering people in Boston and adjacent communities a respite from the hustle and bustle of urban life. A state park since 1894, the Middlesex Fells has suitable terrain for hikers, horseback riders, rock climbers, cross-country skiers and picnickers as well as natural and cultural history buffs.

Encroaching development is putting this important community resource at risk from increased traffic, air pollution and potential harm to wildlife habitat. A one million square foot complex is proposed for the site of a former hospital, a site surrounded by Middlesex Fells conservation land. The proposal threatens the scenic and historic Parkways and may eventually require the widening and expansion of parkways into highways to accommodate an additional estimated 7,000 vehicles per day to the area — a 400 percent increase over present traffic.

Sierra Club is working to secure permanent conservation restrictions on open space and is joining Fell's neighbors in a campaign for smaller development. These approaches would limit traffic, protect wild life habitat, prevent the taking of parkland and eliminate the need to transform the current parkways into a highway.

Learn more by contacting Mary Ann Nelson at 617-423-5775 or Parks@sierraclubmass.org.