Underscoring the vulnerability of these lands is the fact that in the past 4 years up to 16,093 acres have been consumed for single-family housing alone in the 36 member communities of the watershed. It is conceivable that the remaining unprotected lands identified by the public for greenways will be developed in the next 4 years. At first, the goal of protecting 16,526 acres seems daunting. Yet, there are several hopeful signs and assets within the watershed that may help achieve this goal. The recent Wild and Scenic designation of portions of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers testifies to the national importance of riverways within the SuAsCo watershed.
Federal agencies bring additional technical and financial resources to the watershed.
Expanding the greenways network will be made easier by pooling resources with federal agencies. The Sudbury River in Hopkinton forms an important greenway for both people and wildlife. Photograph by Jerry Howard. At the state level, the Governor of Massachusetts, Paul Cellucci, has publicly committed the Commonwealth to protecting 200,000 acres of new open space by the year 2010. As the largest landowner of protected lands in the watershed, the state government is looked to for leadership, technical support and increased financial assistance.