Great Meadowbrook is home to one of Massachusetts most beautiful endangered species: the pied-billed grebe. It is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/pied-billed-grebe/download This land is also under APR land use restriction. It is a program which is intended to offer a non-development alternative to farmers and other owners of "prime" and "state important" agricultural land who are faced with a decision regarding future use of their farms. Towards this end, the program offers to pay farmland owners the difference between the "fair market value" and the "agricultural value" of their farmland in exchange for a permanent deed restriction which protects the farmland for future agricultural use. The APR agreement is a long-term obligation to protect farmland in Massachusetts. By entering into an APR agreement with MDAR you are ensuring that your land is permanently protected for agricultural purposes. An APR agreement is a legally binding and permanent interest in your property. MDAR’s stewardship program is a resource to help ensure that terms are carried out.
The APR agreement is a binding agreement between you and the state of Massachusetts. It exists in perpetuity, runs with the land, binds all future owners of the APR land, and is recorded at the appropriate Registry of Deeds. Any inconsistency between the language of an APR agreement and the language of a regulation or policy (such as a new MDAR policy) will be resolved in favor of the APR agreement. https://www.mass.gov/doc/apr-stewardship/download
How can our many state agencies permit this horse race track to be constructed on this land? This is not an agricultural use of this land and will require extensive excavation and disturbance to the soils.
Commonwealth Racing LLC (aka Commonwealth Equine and Agricultural Center) are only interested in this land if they can obtain the gaming licenses they need to run a horse racing track. Don't let them make you think this is an agricultural endeavor first. Don't let them make you think the horse racing is secondary to this proposal. All they are after is the gaming licenses and the money from the Race Horse Development Fund (RHDF). They aren't interested in being farmers or being good stewards to this land.
Men in overalls built this town, don't let men in suits destroy it.
i can subscribe to this but as mentioned in my comments elsewhere, the real argument to revisit APZ legislation and modify it for contemporary use is trhat they were promulgated 60 years ago when there were 6 or more milking farms in hardwick alone and a surrounding lifestyle around. all gonzo now. none of the current barns would qualify for milking operations under current mass regs. so what are APR rules good for? like forbidding steam driven cars? or daguerrotype fotos as passport id? or jets engines because of pollution with contrails? bunk.
the ducks here are long gone. but we get 4 cranes every year that call the bugs deli food. they are shy! other endangered species here …