Callahan State Park Expands Thanks to Collaborative Effort
MARLBOROUGH: Callahan State Park gained 33 additional acres on June 28, after the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) purchased the O’Donnell Property in Marlborough. This purchase was the culmination of a long-term, collaborative effort to protect the property, which shares a ½-mile boundary with the state park.
DCR identified the property as a priority for protection nearly 20 years ago due to its critical location within an actively used portion of the park. In addition to the $1.25 million that DCR contributed to the acquisition price, the City of Marlborough contributed $150,000 and Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) raised $100,000 from foundations and local individuals.
“By protecting this important property, DCR is able to expand the Callahan State Park trail network and secure this pristine natural resource for future generations to enjoy,” said DCR Commissioner Jim Montgomery. “Callahan State Park provides essential outdoor recreation opportunities to people seeking respite in our state parks, and DCR is grateful for the ongoing partnership and collaboration with the City of Marlborough and Sudbury Valley Trustees, which were critical to the successful completion of this acquisition.”
Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant commented, “The City has been interested in this land for quite some time and we are appreciative that the O’Donnell family decided to allow us to purchase it to preserve it as conservation and recreational space for the public to enjoy. I’d like to thank the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Sudbury Valley Trustees staff, and all who worked with us to secure this asset.” Visitors to Callahan State Park have likely crossed the O’Donnell Property without realizing that it was privately owned. Nearly ¼ mile of the Beebe Pond Loop Trail cuts through the property, so by conserving this land, the project partners have protected a popular recreational resource.
Priscilla Ryder, Marlborough Conservation Officer, added, “We are thrilled to have this property protected to enlarge Callahan State Park. Any time we can enlarge existing open spaces, it helps the environment and wildlife habitat. Many people from Marlborough and the region use this park, so it is wonderful to have the land and trail system protected for future generations.”
Left unprotected, the property could have been carved up into 20 or more house lots, which would have fragmented the forest habitat, harmed wildlife, and increased runoff and erosion into Angelica Brook. In fact, Colie and Nora O’Donnell acquired the property several years ago to protect it from a proposed development project. But they always intended to sell the land for permanent conservation once an agreement could be reached with an appropriate organization. Discussions with DCR picked up over the past year, with the City of Marlborough and SVT stepping in to raise public awareness of the project and to provide supplemental funding.
Trail maps for Callahan State Park are available on the DCR website at www.mass.gov/dcr.
DCR identified the property as a priority for protection nearly 20 years ago due to its critical location within an actively used portion of the park. In addition to the $1.25 million that DCR contributed to the acquisition price, the City of Marlborough contributed $150,000 and Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) raised $100,000 from foundations and local individuals.
“By protecting this important property, DCR is able to expand the Callahan State Park trail network and secure this pristine natural resource for future generations to enjoy,” said DCR Commissioner Jim Montgomery. “Callahan State Park provides essential outdoor recreation opportunities to people seeking respite in our state parks, and DCR is grateful for the ongoing partnership and collaboration with the City of Marlborough and Sudbury Valley Trustees, which were critical to the successful completion of this acquisition.”
Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant commented, “The City has been interested in this land for quite some time and we are appreciative that the O’Donnell family decided to allow us to purchase it to preserve it as conservation and recreational space for the public to enjoy. I’d like to thank the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Sudbury Valley Trustees staff, and all who worked with us to secure this asset.” Visitors to Callahan State Park have likely crossed the O’Donnell Property without realizing that it was privately owned. Nearly ¼ mile of the Beebe Pond Loop Trail cuts through the property, so by conserving this land, the project partners have protected a popular recreational resource.
Priscilla Ryder, Marlborough Conservation Officer, added, “We are thrilled to have this property protected to enlarge Callahan State Park. Any time we can enlarge existing open spaces, it helps the environment and wildlife habitat. Many people from Marlborough and the region use this park, so it is wonderful to have the land and trail system protected for future generations.”
Left unprotected, the property could have been carved up into 20 or more house lots, which would have fragmented the forest habitat, harmed wildlife, and increased runoff and erosion into Angelica Brook. In fact, Colie and Nora O’Donnell acquired the property several years ago to protect it from a proposed development project. But they always intended to sell the land for permanent conservation once an agreement could be reached with an appropriate organization. Discussions with DCR picked up over the past year, with the City of Marlborough and SVT stepping in to raise public awareness of the project and to provide supplemental funding.
Trail maps for Callahan State Park are available on the DCR website at www.mass.gov/dcr.
Photo by Dany Pelletier
