Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground Management …€¦ · Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground Management Plan 2005 The Trustees of Reservations Doyle Conservation Center

Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground

Management Plan

2005

The Trustees of Reservations Doyle Conservation Center

464 Abbott Avenue Leominster, MA 01453

©

Map 1

On the Cover: View of the upper “Falls” looking north from overlook. Photo by L. Vernegaard Photo Credits: Figure(s) Photographer 1, Unknown 2 L. Vernegaard 3, J. Younger 4,5 R. Hopping Maps: Map(s) Description and Page 1 Base Map – inside cover 2 Locus pg. 1-1 3 BioMap and Living Waters Data pg. 4-3 4 Vegetation pg. 4-8 5 Exotic Invasive Plants pg. 4-14 6 Doane’s Falls-Cultural Resources pg. 5-3 7 Cultural Resources at Campground pg. 5-5 8 Area Demographics pg. 6-2 9 Tully Campground – Origin of Visitors pg. 6-4 10 Life Safety Improvements pg. 7-8 11 Protected Open Space pg. 8-2 12 Critical Lands 8-7 About the Maps Included in the Plan: Unless otherwise noted, all maps are produced by The Trustees of Reservations’ Geographic Information System. Production of these maps is made possible, in part, by generous donations from the Stratford Foundation, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., Data General Corporation, and Hewlett Packard. Source data obtained from 1:24,000 scale USGS topographic maps, field surveys, Global Positioning Systems, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Mass GIS. Feature boundaries and locations are approximate.

Section 1: Introduction and Acknowledgements 1.1 Introduction The Trustees of Reservations has been actively conserving land in the Tully Region since 1959 when it purchased 12 acres on the south side of Lawrence Brook in Royalston. With the addition of 18 acres in 1975, Doane’s Falls Reservation was established and now includes more than 45 acres due to additional acquisitions. Since its establishment, management has focused on providing public access to the falls. In 1999 The Trustees began leasing the 30 acre Tully Lake Campground from the United States Corps of Engineers (USACE) who own and manage the 1,258-acre Tully Lake property which was established in 1947 for flood control. Since The Trustees manages both the Falls and the campground as a single operation, a comprehensive management plan that included both properties was deemed prudent.

Map 2: Locus map for Doane’s Falls and Tully Campground

In 2004, Trustees’ staff and consultants researched and evaluated the resources for both Doane’s Falls and the Tully Lake Campground. Research included documenting land use history, cultural resources, breeding birds, plant communities, and information on the visitor experience. In early 2005, staff was joined by local volunteers to form the Management Plan Committee. This group met many times to review materials and reports describing Doane’s Falls and the Tully Lake Campground. More important, this group considered these properties’ future and formed a vision for the properties that was supported by goals and recommendations based on the properties’ essential features.

1 – Introduction and Acknowledgement 1-1

This vision is intended to shape and guide future decision-making and conservation efforts at Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground for the next 10 years and beyond. 1.2 Overview of the Planning Process Since 1891, The Trustees of Reservations has worked to protect special places in Massachusetts and maintain them to the highest standards. To ensure these standards are met, a program of careful planning and sound management is essential. While management of Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground is well-established The Trustees felt it was important to affirm the outstanding characteristics of these properties and to review current management practices with a focus on applying newly understood resource protection principles to ensure the continued preservation of these special qualities. With this goal in mind, The Trustees embarked on a process to develop a comprehensive management plan for Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground early in 2005. The planning process included:

o Forming a planning committee made up of staff and volunteer members from Royalston and Athol.

o Describing in detail the site’s natural, scenic, cultural, and historical resources and

identifying management issues related to the protection of those resources.

o Completing a visitor survey in 2003.

o Developing a list of management recommendations and a schedule for implementing the actions.

In order to ensure that the planning process and recommended future management of its properties support The Trustees’ mission and meet the organization’s high standards for resource protection and the visitor experience, an established framework is applied to guide the planning process for each Trustees’ reservation. This framework outlines several factors that will guide the management of the property: First, The Trustees’ mission, as set forth by founder Charles Eliot in 1891:

The Trustees of Reservations preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value throughout Massachusetts and protects special places across the state.

Second, management will support initiatives outlined in The Trustees’ Department of Field Operations 2003 strategic plan, Conservation in Action! This plan highlights several initiatives, including the following:

• Be a leader in the conservation field through the exemplary stewardship of the scenic, historic, and ecological features of each property entrusted to our care.


• Expand our education and interpretation program to turn visitors into the future stewards of the Massachusetts landscape.

• Provide meaningful opportunities for volunteers to participate in hands-on management.

• Protect our plants and animals and their habitats, including controlling exotic invasive species.

• Eliminate deferred maintenance (i.e., repair and then properly maintain structural features that have failed and no longer serve their intended function properly).

Third, several principles will guide The Trustees’ work at Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground. These guiding principles reflect the general rules that will be applied when carrying out work at all Trustees’ properties. They are value statements that may also provide a source of criteria for determining goals and recommended actions.

1. The Trustees will continue to adapt its management based on experience, newly gained knowledge, and available human and financial resources.

2. We consider resource protection to be The Trustees’ fundamental responsibility.

Only by protecting the significant resource features of our properties can we attain our visitor experience goals – a good visitor experience is derived from our reservations being in excellent condition.

3. We will apply the best available management practices to preserve the properties’

outstanding features and to ensure a high quality experience for all visitors. 4. Successful management of the properties relies on sound financial management.

To be the best possible stewards of our precious financial and human resources, we nurture a culture of innovation, financial discipline, and thriftiness.

5. The Trustees is committed to providing a diversity of visitors a wide range of

opportunities to experience the properties. We consider the properties as one of our 95 classrooms where visitors can participate in a variety of enjoyable activities and life-long learning. By engaging a diversity of constituencies, we will mobilize broad-based support for land and resource protection in Massachusetts.

6. Through good communication and collaboration, The Trustees will confirm and

strengthen its partnership with the local community, members, volunteers, and other conservation partners to achieve its long-term goals for the properties. We view ourselves as a community partner, investing in creative initiatives to build shared values, perspectives and skills among a diverse constituency.

7. The Trustees will employ “green practices” to minimize the impact of its

management on the environment.


8. Because the surrounding landscape may impact our resource protection efforts and/or visitor services, we will evaluate and address management issues and opportunities beyond the boundary of Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground.

Fourth, management will also be guided by the Lease that The Trustees of Reservations has with the Army Corps of Engineers to manage the Tully Lake Campground. Finally, The Trustees’ 2002 policy to prohibit swimming at Doane’s Falls was identified as an issue of special concern (Appendix E) at the outset of the planning process. This policy was made after careful deliberation by The Trustees to ensure the safety of its visitors to the Falls and, therefore, it was determined that this policy would remain in effect for the near future and not subject to change as a result of this plan. 1.3 Acknowledgments Many people have contributed their valuable time, shared their expertise, and offered their advice and counsel during this process. Led by The Trustees’ project manager Russ Hopping, the Doane’s Falls and Tully Campground Management Plan Committee worked to develop a comprehensive plan that highlights and protects what is important about these properties. This committee consisted of Trustees’ members and volunteers as well as several Trustees' staff members. They are: Volunteers: Staff:Glenn Freden Russ Hopping, Ecology Program Manager; Project Manager Jeff Mangum Chris Rodstrom, Land Protection Specialist Carla Rabinowitz Chris Ward, Superintendent – Quabbin Management Unit Jonathan Superchi In turn, the committee drew upon the wisdom and experience of several other staff members. James Younger, Director of Structural Resources, provided guidance on the building’s structural integrity and care; Electa Kane Tritsch, Research Historian, researched and wrote the section on the land use history and provided analysis of the cultural resources; Robert Coyle, Director of the Millers River Environmental Center’s Museum, provided important information on the geology of the falls; Vin Antil, The Trustees’ GIS Manager, and Rob Daniels, GIS Specialist, prepared the maps included in the report; Dick O’Brien, Regional Director, provided guidance on land use history and management; and Suzan Bellincampi, Director of Training and Program Development, provided guidance on the future of education and interpretation. Thanks to the thoughtful participation of all of these individuals and to their many hours of work on behalf of the project, Doane’s Falls and the Tully Campground will remain a special place for generations to come. October, 2005


Section 2: Executive Summary 2.1 The Significance of Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground

Not only do the hill-tops present scenes of beauty, but the streams in the valleys below contain gorges and waterfalls, with the grandest and wildest of natural scenery.1

The waters of Lawrence Brook quicken their pace on approach to Doane’s Falls and tumble over rocks creating one of the most impressive and accessible series of waterfalls in the state. Enjoyed by many for their scenic beauty, the energy of these falls was harnessed long ago by enterprising Yankees who constructed mills for the production of lumber, milled grains and processed wool. The remains of these mills are still visible today and, as a group, they form a rare example of a virtually intact rural industrial neighborhood. Just downstream from the Falls, where Lawrence Brook empties into Tully Lake, visitors can enjoy a relaxing stay at the Tully Lake Campground. This small and rustic, tent-only campground provides campers with an opportunity to enjoy the nature and recreational opportunities found throughout the Tully Region, a rural area defined by lakes, forests and trails including the 18-mile Tully Trail. Highlights for these properties include: Natural Resource

• The properties are part of a large and important matrix of protected lands within an extensive undeveloped area that supports numerous landscape ecology functions including protection of biodiversity; habitat for wide-ranging species, interior forest habitat, water quality protection, ability for natural processes to occur uninterrupted (e.g. beaver activity) and rare species habitat.

• The presence and potential occurrence of several rare species is significant.

Historic and Cultural Resource

• The historic resources (e.g., mill and homesite foundations) of Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground have a high level of cultural significance. They have substantial site integrity and are potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visitor Experience

• The Falls are a major scenic attraction and visitor destination within the Tully Region.

1 George W. Horr, “Royalston,” History of Worcester County, 1879

2 – Executive Summary 2-1

• The campground offers a strategic “base” for exploring the Tully Region and provides visitors with an opportunity to get closer to nature.

2.2 Major Challenges and Opportunities Challenges:

• Controlling exotic invasive species before they become well established and threaten the ecological integrity of the properties.

• Preventing the loss of vegetation, soil compaction, and erosion along trails and at campsites due to significant visitor use. Without some program to address vegetation and soil loss this condition will get worse.

• Preserving historic resources from threats posed by tree growth, falling trees and curious visitors. Foundations and walls are numerous, requiring regular effort to remove saplings whose roots threaten the stability of these significant structures.

• Meeting existing demands with the opening and closing of the Campground with current staffing levels. Professional and safety training initiatives, together with the increased demands on staff due to the increase in the Campground’s popularity are challenging staff capability during these times.

• Enforcing the ban on swimming at the Falls. • Making capital improvements within the constraints of a 10-year lease.

Opportunities:

• The Campground represents a unique opportunity for The Trustees to educate visitors on a variety of conservation issues including The Trustees and its mission. The opportunity to engage campers on issues is considerably greater than at other reservations since they are not simply visiting for minutes or hours but, camping, typically for days.

• The implementation of “green” improvements that promote sustainability and highlight the Campground as a state-of-the-art, low impact operation. Implementation of this opportunity will require substantial commitment and financial resources.

2.3 The Vision Based on the planning framework described in the preceding chapter, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the properties’ outstanding features,, the Planning Committee identified the following goal for the Doane’s Falls and Tully Campground

The Trustees, [working with the local community] will work to attract people to the Tully Region, instill in them a conservation ethic, and engage them in the stewardship of this special place and the Massachusetts landscape.


Specifically, within ten years these properties will:

• Serve as a well-used gateway for visitors to explore the region’s open space, including The Trustees’ properties.

• Provide visitors with an enjoyable and memorable experience that inspires

passion for the property and conservation in general, through a variety of year-round programs and activities.

• Become financially self-sufficient as an operation.

• Provide opportunities enabling a wide range of visitors to access trails,

educational programs, recreational activities, and facilities. Specifically, universal access to the falls, the comfort station, campsites and lake will be priorities.

• Continue to be served by a unique partnership between The Trustees and the

United States Army Corps of Engineers that is based on synergy that serve the community and the Tully Region. This partnership will serve as a model that can encourage and inform The Trustees to explore other opportunities throughout the Commonwealth.

• Remain a tranquil and inviting destination where all visitors can enjoy nature.

Furthermore, the Tully Lake Campground will:

• Serve as a state-of-the-art camping facility that is managed above industry standards. Management will be based on tent-only camping that is low impact on the environment [sustainable practices] and maintains a quiet and personal connection to nature for all visitors.

• Provide a range of camping experiences including “primitive” style camping on

nearby areas (e.g., upstream along the Tully River or Long Pond). • Serve as a model that guides The Trustees in attracting visitors into remote

regions.

• Incorporate “green” design and practices into all aspects of management. 2.4 Implementing the Vision In order to achieve the desired vision for Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground, 57 specific recommendations and many supporting guidelines have been developed. That being said, it is important to note that the plan is a work in progress and subject to change


with new information. More important, implementation of all of the recommendations contained in this plan requires new resources. The estimated cost to implement the plan in today’s (2005) dollars is approximately $165,975. The plan also calls for 240 hours of volunteer support. Without these new resources some recommendations, including those that are critical to realizing the vision, will not be implemented.


Section 3: Land Use History 3.1 Introduction and Sources

“The western flank of the central uplands is one of Massachusetts’ best-kept and most spectacular secrets.” James Skehan, Roadside Geology of Massachusetts, 2001

The town of Royalston, 42.4 square miles in area, is the third largest town in Worcester County and one of its least known. Located in the far northwest corner of the county on the New Hampshire line, Royalston is centered on a 1,000 foot high plateau to which roads climb from Athol, Templeton and Winchendon to the south and east; Warwick and Orange to the west. North of the center the land continues to rise toward New Hampshire, with Prospect Hill, about 1500 feet high, the highest elevation in town. Roads, ridges and rivers tend to run north-south, their routes determined, as in much of central New England, by a series of glacial advances and retreats. The true western flank of the central uplands, however, as Skehan describes it, lies west of Royalston Common, where the ridge line that includes Jacobs Hill and Prospect Hill plunges as much as 500 feet down in as little as 500 feet across, to the Tully River valley. On the west side of the river, similarly spectacular though less consistent inclines rise to Davis Hill and Wyman Hill. The Tully valley and its flanking uplands are thought to be visible remains of the greatest earth-moving event in local history: the creation of Pangaea, when the Laurentian and Gondwanan terranes collided 400 million years ago.i More recently, glaciers worked at carving through the gneiss that underlies much of Royalston (located on what geologists call the “Tully Dome”) with uneven success, creating the falls that are the centerpieces of Royalston’s three Trustees of Reservations properties. Geologist Edward Hitchcock was fascinated by the falls, and elaborately described them in his survey of Massachusetts geological features. He wrote of Doane’s Falls:

Two miles south of Royalston center, on the road leading to Athol, is another cascade on a larger stream. Its width, indeed, must be as much as 25 feet, and its depth considerable … Toward the upper part of the descent, several mills are erected; but a small part only of the water power is employed. Below the mills the stream passes into the woods; and toward the lowest part of the descent, we get a single view of two falls of about 25 feet each. There is more of beauty and less of wildness at this spot than at the Royal Cascade [Royalston Falls]. This stream also has been, and still more extensively can be, applied to useful purposes. Perhaps therefore,… this may be denominated the Republican Cascade. But if I can induce persons of

3 – Land Use History 3-1

taste and leisure to visit it, I care but little for the name.ii

Despite Professor Hitchcock’s recommendation, before the end of the nineteenth century the cascade south of Royalston common came to be known as Doane’s Falls. Ironically, the history of Doane’s Falls is not so much the history of the Doanes – even of notably eccentric Amos Doane – as of the Nichols family of Royalston. Town histories barely acknowledge the presence of Henry and Elijah Nichols at the falls, but Elijah was apparently the first to settle there, building a house at the intersection of the road to Royalston meeting house and the old road to Burbanks. Over his long life, even after selling his interest in the saw and grist mills he had run for forty years, Nichols had a hand in much of the business and land speculation activity that went on in that part of Royalston. What follows is an outline of Doane’s Falls history set in the context of Royalston’s historic and archeological past. The outline looks at shifts in land use and settlement patterns over time, that led eventually to conditions resulting in permanent conservation of at least seven different parcels under the management of The Trustees of Reservations. There are gaps in the industrial history, but it is possible to outline a sequence of ownership and function for three separate mill privileges in the Falls neighborhood. The historic mills and a number of other structures are identified and surviving cultural resources at Doane’s Falls are evaluated. A resource inventory, together with cultural resource management recommendations, form separate sections of this plan. Land use history for the Tully Campground parallels that for Doane’s Falls. Specific information for the campground is drawn from Cherau and Boire (Final Report…, 2000) as well as details provided by Jeff Mangum, United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Park Manager. Essential sources for any Massachusetts land research are the late 19th/ early 20th century town and county histories prepared during the first wave of colonial revival enthusiasm, and a series of town and county maps beginning in 1793/4 and extending to a set done under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939/40. These sources serve as a framework for any more recent or more specific research. Royalston’s development was described in two town histories, two county histories and a commemorative address,iii but much of the material is redundant and transparently borrowed. Federal and state censuses from 1790 to 1930 are helpful, especially mid-19th century agricultural and manufacturing schedules, although they do not include addresses and thus require some geographic guesswork in order to reach land use conclusions. Reports of archeological investigations filed with the state and recent periodical articles contribute bits of information, while Worcester County deed and probate records pin down property owners and boundaries for the parcels in question. Local informants including John McClure, president of the Royalston Historical Society; Dick O’Brien, Central Regional Director for The Trustees; Kathy Morris and Gina Verrelli of the Phinehas Newton Library; Jeff Mangum, Park Manager for the U. S. Army Corps of


Engineers; and the Rev. Philip Jacobs, descendant of one of the town’s early families, have provided irreplaceable information about events of the recent past and unrecorded local lore. Additional thanks are due Ginny Slack, keeper of lists at The Trustees’ Land Conservation Center; and Tim Silva, recent Superintendent of the Quabbin Management Unit, patient and knowledgeable field guide. Despite all these sources, and others listed in Tritsch’s Border Lands bibliography, much of what follows is deduction – extrapolation from one site or set of circumstances to the Trustees properties and their owners through time. As such, it is offered as a ‘best guess’ outline of the sequence of opportunities, decisions and events concerning historic land use in Royalston and its impact on 436 acres within the town. 3.2 Pre-settlement and Archeology Little specific is known about Native American presence in Royalston. Three focused archeological surveys have taken place recently, precipitated by highway improvements on Route 32 running from Athol through West Royalston to Richmond NH, and by Army Corps of Engineers’ management planning for Birch Hill Dam in the southeast corner of the town and for the Tully Lake area.iv None of these surveys identified more than a handful of stone flakes that could be classed as prehistoric (pre-1600) artifacts, with the single exception of two partial projectile points in the vicinity of Doane’s Falls. The points and other flakes indicate occasional Native American presence near the base of the falls during the Late/Transitional Archaic and Woodland Periods (7,500-450 B.P.). This area, at the confluence of Lawrence Brook and the east branch of the Tully River, was a marsh environment that would have been rich in natural resources prior to its 20th century flooding as Tully Lake. The archeological survey team found almost no evidence of hearths, storage pits or middens, however, features that would suggest long-term habitation or multi-generational occupation of the area. The resulting conclusion was that Woodland and/or Contact Period Nipmuck groups, like their ancestors, were likely to have set up seasonal, temporary, and task-specific camps at the falls during the warmer months, possibly to take advantage of spring and fall fish runs and waterfowl migrations.v The Route 32 project report provides a generally applicable summary of findings for Royalston. The survey team could identify no local prehistoric artifact collections, nor did they identify any prehistoric sites among the 34 locations they tested in the western part of town. The few flakes they found led them to predict the following probable prehistoric land use:

Small temporary camps, probably strategically located to exploit specific resources, are predicted for the project area … primarily hunting and gathering, fishing, or raw material collecting and processing….


Immediately to the south in Athol, a number of prehistoric sites are reported in the river valleys. Some of these are quite large. However, activity in the hills in the north was apparently sparse and probably limited to occasional hunting and foraging without any permanent settlement.vi

Royalston was not an area ignored by the Nipmuc who occupied central Massachusetts, although state Historical Commission maps show Royalston on the periphery of use zones in prehistoric times just as during the historic period.vii Significant native populations had settled in the vicinity of Lancaster (Nashaway), Mendon (Nipnet), Worcester (Quinsigamond), Oxford/Dudley (Pegan) and the Brookfields (Quaboag), but there is little documented occupation of areas northwest of these until one reaches the Connecticut River Valley. Within Worcester County, Royalston is literally as far away as possible from these settlement cores. Similarly, while major trails traverse and intersect the heavily occupied areas, only three minor trails pass through Royalston. It is likely that even those three existed only because of the extremely difficult terrain: one heads northward from Pequog, now Athol, probably along the route of Athol and Fitzwilliam Roads. A second ran north–south in the vicinity of Route 32 or Bliss Hill Road. A third, east–west trail apparently cut across the middle of the town toward Winchendon and Ashburnham. It avoided much of the natural resource area along the Millers River in Royalston, because of extensive wetlands (located within what is now Otter River State Forest). 3.3 Local and Regional Land Use History

This is, as to the original grant and settlement, doubtless by many years, the youngest town in the county…. The lands in this town consist generally of hills and valleys; and the soil is very excellent, being suitable for tillage, pasturage, mowing and orcharding. The natural growth of wood is of various kinds, as oak, chesnut [sic], beech, ash, white, black and yellow birch, maple, or sugar tree, bass, alder, and the ever greens, as pine, hemlock, hacmatack and spruce, &c. This town is exceedingly well watered by rivers, rivulets and springs…. Peter Whitney, History of Worcester County, 1793

Peter Whitney, writing the first overview of Worcester County, devoted only three pages to Royalston, much of that on its settlement and first churches. Royalston’s history is shorter, and more sparsely populated than that of most Massachusetts towns. It is a border community – between states, between counties, even between prehistoric continents. Historically, border lands attract smaller populations than other areas for any number of


reasons, from difficulty of access to paucity of natural resources to challenging climate – usually a combination of all three. Although Whitney described the largely unworked soil as very excellent, it is probably significant that he quickly moved on from agricultural considerations to a detailed enumeration of the forest species found within the town. Whatever changes in land use have occurred over time in Royalston, wood and wood products have remained the town’s economic staple throughout its history. Settlement The territory of present day Royalston was among the last in Massachusetts to be divided by the General Court for settlement.viii Twenty-three hundred acres had been granted between 1737 and 1742 to four proprietors, as reward for services rendered to the Crown. Three of the grants were known as Pierpont’s, Priest’s and Hapgood’s Farms, plus a joint grant to Benoni Moore, Joseph Petty, and Robert Cooper that later became known as Hunt’s Farm.ix In 1752 the General Court ordered that all the remaining lands not yet granted lying between Athol (Pequog), Templeton (Narragansett Number Six), and New Hampshire should be surveyed and sold at public auction. A genuine closing-out sale, Fred W. Cross termed it in a later historical address.x Successful bidders included a number of Boston’s most influential and best-connected men: Samuel Watts, Thomas Hubbard, Isaac Freeman, Joseph Richards, Isaac Royal, Caleb Dana, James Otis, Joseph Wilder, Jr., and John Chandler, Jr. They purchased 28,357 acres of unclaimed territory around the “farms” for 1,348 pounds sterling – or about a shilling an acre.1 Over the next decade a number of other investors including John Hancock, James Bowdoin, and the widow of Sir John Temple joined the original list, buying portions of auctioned lots from their original owners.2 Before the town, initially named Royalshire, saw any appreciable settlement, it was rendered uninhabitable by the frontier fighting and dangers of the French and Indian Wars. Not until 1762 did the first six families establish permanent homesteads in Royalston. At that point the proprietors set off ten acres on the central plateau to be used for a training field, a burying ground, and the site of a meetinghouse, where both civic and religious functions would take place. This became the town’s core, the Royalston Common that has since been described as the best example of early 19th century town commons in Massachusetts.xi In 1765 the town, by then forty families, was officially incorporated.xii Royalston is located near the southern edge of what is classed as northern hardwood-

1 At the time, a single milk cow could be worth as much as 90 shillings. (cf: William Choate 1785 estate inventory, Essex Probate 357:544). 2 This was an era without banks or stock exchange, when liquid assets were scarce. Established merchants and wealthy landowners viewed land in frontier New England as an investment vehicle to be bought, sold, and traded, sight unseen. The value of proprietors’ lots lay in their marketable natural resources – the most obvious being virgin forest cover – and in the fact that acreage with or without forest had to increase in value as the region was settled and its land improved.


conifer forest, characterized by the hardwoods listed by Whitney, along with spruce and fir predominating among the softwoods.xiii The presence of northern forest species in the Royalston area was due originally to the natural combination of cool climate, evenly distributed rainfall, and shallow acidic soils. That the northern forest cover in Royalston managed to perpetuate itself, however, was largely due to two cultural considerations. First, a large percentage of the town’s land was too steep or too rocky for intensive agricultural use. Second, the town’s numerous water falls, although too small for major industrial use, provided easily-harnessed power for the low power demands of sawing and woodworking. This, in turn, allowed for the transformation of unwieldy, low-value cut timber into easily transportable, value-added market goods. Consequently, while Native Americans had found the base of Doane’s Falls most beneficial, colonial settlers identified an entirely different use for the 200 foot drop taken by Lawrence Brook as it leaves the Royalston plateau. The top of the cascade, where it drains out of extensive marsh land through a narrow rock gorge, was a perfect location for a water-powered mill. Considerations in its favor were its easily accessible siting (unlike Spirit Falls), its proximity to the planned village center (unlike Royalston Falls), its relatively reliable flow of water (how did they know?), and its location on an already-extant north-south Indian trail that would become the Athol-Royalston Road. As early as 1765, the Royalston proprietors commissioned Benjamin Marsh to build the town’s first mills – apparently both grist and saw – on Lawrence Brook at the site that would become known as Doane’s Falls. Marsh built the mill or mills, but soon sold out to Isaac Gale. By 1794, surveyor William Town, preparing Royalston’s first official town map, carefully enumerated: There is Seven Saw mills in this Town and three grist mills and one fulling mill. One each of these mills was located at Doane’s Falls, but the saw mills were scattered all over town, as close as water power would allow to the timber stands they served. According to Caswell, Royalston’s 1917 town historian, Benjamin Marsh was not equally adept as builder and miller. He gave his bond to build and maintain suitable mill accommodations; but failing to meet the conditions of his bond the proprietors recovered L200 in a suit at law…. .xiv Marsh sold out to his old friend and early co-proprietor, Isaac Gale, in 1769, for 20 pounds more than the settlement cost. Gale purchased a hundred-acre parcel of land on Lawrence Brook, with the mills & buildings thereon… [also] the liberty of flowing the proprietors land that they gave said Marsh.xv By 1797 Henry and Elijah Nichols had purchased the mills, although with considerably less acreage directly associated. William Brown, who must have been an early investor, sold to Elijah Nichols a certain tract of land…in Royalston containing half an acre and fifty poles of land and water and a grist mill and saw mill on said premises….xvi

Not far from the mill, on the ridge across the brook, Nichols built a house for his family with a garden and orchard,3 at the northwest corner of the Doane Hill Road intersection.4 3 He might have moved into a house already standing on the site, as the Gales owned land on both north


For the next 39 years, Nichols ran the grist mill and saw mill, establishing enough of a reputation that he could refer to his mills as the premises familiarly known by the name of Nichols’ mills when he finally sold them in 1836. During that period Nichols also acquired a substantial amount of land on the north side of Lawrence Brook in what is today Doane’s Falls Reservation. That property was the source of his involvement with Amos Doane, who became his next door neighbor. Royalston Industry Meanwhile, the youngest town in Worcester County was establishing itself. By 1790 it had 1,130 inhabitants. By 1840, high water mark of Royalston population, the count neared 1,700. Land was cleared for tillage and pasture, for, despite assorted mills, the economy was basically agricultural and land clearing had important side benefits. A 1985 report on central Massachusetts identifies some of them.

One of the few agricultural products that could be classed as a cash crop during this period was flaxseed…. Important products of agricultural towns, especially of the younger towns whose farmers were particularly in need of marketable products while establishing their farms, were potash, pearlash [and] charcoal …. The tannery was another outlet for forest products. Bark from sumac, chestnut, oak, and hemlock were especially desired by tanners for the processing of hides and skins. xvii

While production of these materials waned elsewhere as land was cleared in heavily agricultural towns, Royalston and other hill towns continued to export wood and wood byproducts through the nineteenth century. In fact, one of the town’s economic survival techniques was its adaptation of raw materials processing to the changing demands of regional industry. Thus, one of Royalston’s first documented industries was potash processing as early as 1760.xviii A tannery was one of the first manufactures established in the town, located within easy reach of the prized hardwood bark stripped from abundant northern forest trees.xix Later, mid-nineteenth century censuses identified specialized manufactures such as shoe pegs to serve the shoe industry of nearby towns, and chair parts for Gardner’s burgeoning furniture manufactures. One agricultural processing need did not change appreciably. The grist mill remained a constant of rural industry, despite the transplanting of most cereal crops to the midwest. Millstones that had earlier ground rye and wheat for human consumption were adjusted for the coarser grind of oats and fodder corn for livestock feed. At Doane’s Falls, the grist

and south sides of the brook. The garden is documented in a Nichols – Doane deed: the wall at the southeast corner of Nichols’ garden; remains of the orchard were recorded by the WPA survey team in 1939. 4 The present house on the site is of mid-20th century construction.


milling operation begun by Benjamin Marsh apparently continued, although it did not receive the attention from census takers and property sellers that the saw mill did. Royalston did not so much grow between 1800 and 1850 as it came of age. Any comparison of manufactures, buildings, or agricultural output indicates that the period was one of dramatic expansion. A major reason for this was that Royalston, youngest of Worcester County towns, had a lot of catching up to do. While agricultural land in older, south county towns had been cleared and worked for up to a century,xx much of Royalston was still uncut forest. While surrounding towns had established mill villages and commercial networks, Royalston had a handful of saw mills and a post road to New Hampshire. Older towns were running out of the timber that covered most of Royalston, and older farmers were running low on cultivable land that could be divided among younger farming sons. Within this regional context, Royalston began its catching up at the moment in American history when small New England towns, after decades of sedate social and economic development or decline, were rushing forward into a brief golden age of agricultural and industrial hegemony. In the new republic, small towns and small waterpower sources provided the perfect setting for industrial experimentation and development while industries, in turn, provided a market for a surplus agricultural labor pool and a demand for farm products. It is no surprise that Royalston blossomed during this period. Royalston’s 1840 population high of 1,667 was encouraged by the growth of a small manufacturing center on the Millers River in South Royalston. The keystone of this activity was the Royalston Cotton and Wool Manufacturing Company, founded in 1813. The South Royalston factory attracted mill hands from other states, eventually including a group of Finnish immigrants among its labor force. The mill continued production until its infrastructure was swept away when the breakup of winter ice dams in 1936 flooded most of the south village.xxi

A locus of activity developed around the textile mill and its associated water power, as was also happening on a larger scale downriver in Athol. Smaller factories, primarily engaged in woodworking activity, were built nearby and housing, civic buildings and churches multiplied around them. At Doane’s Falls the early mills continued in use and expanded during the first half of the nineteenth century. Here, as in South Royalston, manufacturing activity focussed on wood processing, with mills and craft shops turning out chair stock, wooden pails, and window and door parts. One manufacturer, Benjamin Bragg, developed a small textile operation above the falls, which survived until 1850. None of the Doane’s Falls mills required a large immigrant work force though, instead drawing their handful of employees from neighboring farms and perhaps the town center. John Barber’s 1839 description of Royalston includes figures from the first census of Massachusetts manufactures.xxii


In 1837 there were two woollen mills, 6 sets of machinery; 72,000 yards of cloth were manufactured; value $72,000; males employed 34; females, 34; there were 129,000 palm-leaf hats manufactured; value $16,225; three manufactories of chairs and cabinet ware; value of articles manufactured, $15,041; hands employed, 17; there were 11 saw-mills; value of lumber $18,165; hand employed, 22.

The list is impressive but on closer examination, barely a hundred people were employed in Royalston manufacturing, to which must be added women engaged in the cottage industry of palm leaf hat weaving. Two men, on average, ran each of the town’s eleven saw mills. Out of a total population of 1,660, very few counted industry as their source of support. Those who did not, by and large called themselves farmers, although what constituted agriculture in Royalston varied from one part of town to another, and from decade to decade.

Figure 1: View of Nichols Mill ca. 1900 Figure 2: View from similar angle in 2002 Royalston Agriculture In the western part of Royalston, farms were developed early along the north-south axis of the Athol-Richmond Road (Route 32). The Davis, Goddard and Bullock names were long associated with that corridor. Still farther west, a series of Bliss family farms lined the road bearing their name. But just east of this agricultural core lay an extensive stretch


of steep ravines and swampy intervale that defined the Tully River drainage.5 Less than a mile east of the Jacobs Hill ridgeline, North Fitzwilliam and Prospect Hill Roads defined another linear swathe of high farmland paralleling the ridge, extending into New Hampshire from Royalston Common. Nichols, Newton, Morse and Richardson families improved this area. Meanwhile south of the common, Raymonds, Hubbards and Woodburys farmed along Athol Road. The land surrounding Royalston Common to the north and east, together with the ridge known as Chestnut Hill south of Doane’s Falls, provided the best farming in town. In contrast, the immediate vicinity of Doane’s Falls was seen as patently unfit for cultivation from the town’s earliest white settlement. The rapid 200 foot descent of Lawrence Brook into the swampy Tully River valley discouraged any thought of cultivation. This was actually fortunate for the proprietors, who did not have to mediate between millers’ dams flooding meadows and farmers defending upstream haying rights above the dams.xxiii Jonathan Blake’s 1831 map, a copy of which is in land use history and cultural resource report for Royalston6, is a valuable period source of information on land use townwide. Blake clearly distinguished between open land and Forest Trees & Woodland. He delineated a swathe of forest and swamp extending from the New Hampshire border down Falls Brook and almost the entire Tully River drainage, including the swamp land west of Little Pond, to the Athol and Orange line. The cultivated Royalston plateau east of that drainage is interrupted by another long parcel of swamp land stretching along Lawrence Brook from east of the Common to Doane’s Falls. Elsewhere on the map, woodlands are distinguished from forest, drawn as carefully defined, discrete wood lots – a result of landowner’s choice more than difficult terrain. When the first federal agricultural census was taken in 1850, southern New England as a whole had reached its agricultural apogee, measured by the greatest number of acres cleared and under cultivation.xxiv South of Royalston in the Quaboag Valley, for instance, West Brookfield listed 78% of its farm acreage as improved – cleared, grazed, hayed or planted. Royalston’s total was nowhere near that: less than 62% was improved land, and this did not include the 6,000 or so acres belonging to landowners other than farmers. Royalston’s johnny-come-lately status worked to its advantage during the second half of the nineteenth century. Farmers in older towns were beginning to recognize that the expenditure needed to fertilize and maintain marginal agricultural land – land already worked for as much as a century – was not worth the return on investment. Consequently, Worcester County as a whole showed a steady decline in cleared acreage from 1850 on. By contrast, at a time when much of the area was in reversion, only 240 of Royalston’s 22,000 agricultural acres were listed by their owners as abandoned or unimprovable.

5 Significantly, this area was not always called the Tully River. Town’s 1795 map of Royalston indicates the flow south of Long Pond with the note: Dead River, so called, Running Nearly South six rods in Bredtth. It is likely that it was characterized as ‘dead’ due to its slow flow and swampy margins. 6 Tritsch, E.K. 2004. Border lands: Land use history and cultural resources at Royalston Falls Reservation, Jacobs Hill Reservation and Doanes Falls Reservation, Royalston, Massachusetts. 85+ pages.


Part of this stability was a result of Royalston farmers adapting to changing demands for agricultural products. There was a shift between 1850 and 1880 from generalized farming and crop production, to more limited products that met specific consumer demands and required less fertile growing conditions. Apple orchards increased in size and productivity; poultry farming became significant. Wood and maple sugar were added to the products enumerated by the census takers. Royalston’s improved land never approached the high percentages found in towns to its south and east, primarily due to the large tracts of land that could not be considered “farm” land by any stretch of the imagination. Almost a quarter of the town, 6,500 acres, was not accounted for in the agricultural surveys. This, plus the 8,000 acres of woodland associated with farms, was predominantly northern forest or swamp land. Farm owners alone cut 2,000 cords of wood from their land in 1879. Some of this was firewood, or swamp saplings used in furniture or woodenware manufacture, valued at only $1 to $2 per cord. Other timber must have been good quality hardwood for lumber, for it was worth up to $10 a cord and came from managed woodlots in the northwest part of town. The 1910 census, last of those consulted for this project, still listed 135 farmers and farm laborers among Royalston’s declining population of 781 people. In addition, twenty-one men identified themselves to the census taker as loggers or wood cutters, wholly apart from the 15 engaged in woodworking trades. Not surprisingly, almost all the wood cutters lived north or west of the Common. Farmers concentrated in the west and center of town, while tradesmen and industrial workers dominated the southern census area. The Role of Wood Wood, harvested from Royalston’s less-than-ideal land, was the ‘crop’ that would continue to sustain the local economy into the 20th century. In 1868, for instance, Joseph Perkins was willing to turn over his entire half of a 171 acre farm to his brother-in-law (?) Franklin Goddard – with one exception: reserving my undivided half of all the cut wood and timber now on said farm, and also my half of the hemlock and chestnut wood and timber standing….xxv 7 A. H. Bullock, delivering Royalston’s centennial address in 1865, observed: the fathers lived in the forests; their children live off of them. We are getting out of the woods, and a man is accounted rich as he has thick trees upon which to lift up axes.xxvi Bullock went on to note a recent decline in farming, but pointed to the ‘crop’ that would replace grain in Royalston’s economy.

In this, as in other towns, resolute and intelligent farmers make shining farms, and flourish in their honorable occupation. But the popular current is not in that direction, and in consequence not a little of our land is given over to “saplings.” These, especially the pines, make rapid growth and are esteemed a good investment.xxvii

7 Perkins was a real estate speculator and may never have personally worked this farm. He still prized the commercial value of its timber.


The pattern of declining cultivation and forest resurgence during the second half of the nineteenth century in rural New England is a familiar one, having been documented and discussed in a number of classic sources.xxviii In Royalston – as, presumably, elsewhere – that pattern was varied by wood product manufacturers leasing timber rights from local farmers. The manufacturer or logger gained needed raw materials. Perhaps more valuable, however, the landowners re-cleared acreage that was already in use as farm land: they received cash as well as services in exchange for unwanted trees.8 In case there were any question of the centrality of wood to Royalston’s economy, Bullock’s memorial address included 1865 census figures for manufactures in the town:

1,400,000 feet of lumber cut for market, 285 cords of staves, 50,000 shingles, chair stock valued at $5,650; 32,000 chairs, 36,000 pails, 6,000 bushels of shoe pegs, $12,000 worth of assorted woodenware, 1,585 cords of firewood.

By the late 19th century Royalston had become a one-product town – perhaps not literally, but certainly in terms of manufacturing raw materials. Its eight mills were all engaged in some form of woodworking, still relying on waterpower and on the wood that was its largest crop. Meanwhile, during the 1870s and 80s, new rail lines were completed that connected the abundant hardwood forests of northern New England with major cities of the northeast and brought new competition to the wood lot owners and woodworkers of north county towns. Coupled with this challenge was the almost universal change of motive power from water to steam in manufacturing. Mills were no longer tied to rivers – much less to seasonally variable streams such as Lawrence Brook. As a consequence of these and other drastic economic changes across the nation, not the least of which was the sea change brought about by the Civil War, massive, efficient factories in easily accessible urban areas drove the previous era’s independent, water-powered mills out of business. Royalston’s manufacturing statistics are not unusual: in 1850 the town listed 15 separate mills and manufactories employing 154 laborers. By 1880 there were only 8 mills, all woodworking, with a total of 69 employees. In 1910 the numbers were even lower: 42 industrial workers. During this century of rapid growth and decline, the fortunes of Doane’s Falls reflected those of the larger community. Elijah Nichols was sixty-six years old, when he finally sold Nichols Mills to a younger man in 1836. His mills were no longer the sole industrial enterprises at Doane’s Falls. Across Lawrence Brook, Amos Doane had built a long, rambling structure on land Nichols had sold him, to house his woodworking business that built window sash, doors and blinds. At the upstream end of Nichols’ mill pond, 8 See Borderlands report for examples of timber leases by John and William Prouty.


Benjamin Bragg had turned an early fulling mill into a woolen textile factory, and a blacksmith shop stood on the opposite side of the brook. Nichols, Doane, and Bragg all lived within a few yards of each other, and Shepardson and Bragg families were not far away, down Doane Hill Road and Athol Road respectively. Nichols’ sale of his mills began a new era of business dealings at Doane’s Falls. Over the next forty years, the three manufacturing concerns at the falls passed through the hands of over a dozen owners and probably twice that number of investors – whose share in the enterprises took the form of mortgages. Bragg’s mill burned down in 1850 and was never rebuilt. Amos Doane, after a bewildering series of land purchases, mortgages and sales, died intestate in 1876 and all of his property was sold, never to be used again for industrial purposes. The paper trail emphasizes the mortgages and defaulted mortgages rather than the products of Falls industries. A brief glimpse of production in 1880, however, suggests that many of the mortgage loans were put toward improving productivity. In that year, the one surviving Falls industry was the wood cutting and woodworking done by Abel Merriam. By then, Merriam owned Nichols’ sawmill, as well as one of the old Bragg buildings which he used as a workshop. The 1880 census listing of his products almost equals the whole town’s production from 1865, listed above. Merriam was listed as running one circular saw driven by (one of) two turbines powered by a 23 ½ foot waterfall. Both circular saw and turbines were mid-century innovations. Merriam was one of six lumber mill owners in Royalston. His mill was sited on the highest fall in town used for industrial purposes. It operated at the fastest speed (185 r.p.m.) to produce the greatest power (60 hp.), sawing 600,000 board feet of lumber, splitting 50,000 shingles, and producing 300,000 barrel (or pail) staves. Lest this be mistaken for a major lumber operation for the period, it should be noted that Merriam’s sawmill only operated six months out of the year, and employed only two men. The old Nichols Mill did manage to stay open until the end of the 19th century. The building itself collapsed in 1911 – the end of a hundred year era of industry at Doane’s Falls. As diverse industries closed down or left town, local residents were forced to depend more broadly on the resources of surrounding communities. Jobs and consumer goods were still to be found farther to the south, and Royalston’s population declined as residents chose to relocate closer to more lively economic areas. The outmigration continued as a post-war recession and the Great Depression during the 1920s and ’30s shut down many of the factories in neighboring industrial towns. Concurrently, development of synthetic materials undermined the demand for wood products that had sustained Royalston’s remaining industrial base. Plastic pails, metal chair parts, even plywood from huge lumber operations in Maine and the northwest, eliminated the specialized economic niche that had kept wood-based manufacturing profitable for so long. Due to the calamitous interaction of all these factors, by the twentieth century large tracts of land in Royalston were no longer useful, or desirable, to families whose previous


generations had found some minimal use for every acre. This, in turn, opened the door to a new generation of land buyers, including those who purchased what is now Trustees’ reservation land. Some buyers, like the original town proprietors, bought inexpensive Royalston acreage as straightforward investment. A tract of wooded land was purchased, its wood rights were leased out for a few years, and then the non-resident owner sold again for a small profit. Some out-of-towners found in Royalston a perfect rural vacation spot, whose isolated tracts of woodland held both peace and a special fascination. The twentieth century owners of Codding’s Meadow, for instance, built a small vacation camp on land that had earlier been useful primarily as floodable meadow upstream from Bragg’s mill. 3.4 The 32nd Reservation The Doane’s Falls area experienced a significant change as well, instigated by Edward Franklin Bragg. Bragg’s immediate connection with Doane’s Falls began in 1894, when he bought the first parcel of what would become a 1600-acre holding along both sides of Lawrence Brook and Miller’s River, with riparian rights. Bragg’s intention was to exploit the substantial hydroelectric power of these two waterways. On Lawrence Brook, Bragg was thorough about his purchases. He bought up land on both sides of the falls from Athol Road on the east, downstream to the Tully River. Bragg also acquired parcels above the falls, in the vicinity of Benjamin Bragg’s old dam and, even farther upstream at the White Privilege (Prouty’s Mill).9 The upstream purchases were presumably made to protect his right to control stream flow and water level at Doane’s Falls. Edward Bragg died in 1923. His will established a family trust to manage all of his land holdings, which was maintained through two more generations. At first there appeared to be development potential for the property. The New England Power Company looked into acquiring Bragg’s water rights in the 1920s but, as a descendant commented, even by that time small scale hydroelectric projects were becoming of questionable economic value. The depression completely ended any potential for hydroelectric development and rendered the hundreds of acres of land of very questionable value.xxix It is not known whether the approximately 1,000 acres along the Millers River later proved profitable or not, but the hydroelectric potential of Lawrence Brook was never developed. Other events sounded the death knell for Bragg’s vision. In 1930, possibly as a WPA project, the Athol Road bridge over Lawrence Brook was rebuilt. The new, concrete arch bridge was constructed in essentially the same location as the old one but with one significant difference: the bridge footings on the south side of Lawrence Brook were extended to a large, midstream ledge. This had the effect of strengthening the bridge. It

9 Bragg’s piecemeal accumulation of land and water rights proved a challenge to The Trustees in later years. The language in many of the deeds had not changed from the 19th century, and some boundaries were impossible to pin down with any exactness. The “White Privilege” deeded to Jean Bragg Ebaugh in 1975, was at the time generally agreed to be an unidentifiable tract of land, which she chose to hold on to “for sentimental reasons.”


also permanently sealed off the natural channel that had been used as the sluiceway for Nichols Mills. 10

Another series of events permanently altered the downstream end of Doane’s Falls. The disastrous effect of the Hurricane of ’38 drew federal government attention to this watershed area. During the 1940s, as part of a flood control project for the Connecticut River basin, the federal government took ownership of large parcels of land along the Tully River. Between 1947 and 1949, the USACE completed Tully Dam at the Orange / Athol / Royalston town line, reserving the land upstream as a dry bed reservoir to impound water during flood conditions. All of these changes were not without impact on the abutting Bragg holdings. The federal takings included the western end of the Bragg Family holdings, where Lawrence Brook flows into Tully River. The Trustees’ Standing Committee records indicate that the Bragg family had been encouraging public use of the Falls area. Committee minutes from 1951 note that the family trust courteously invites the public to inspect Doane Falls by posting signs in the area. But the property was clearly not immune to outside interference. In 1954 there was talk that the state might take the remaining Doane’s Falls Bragg property by eminent domain. This was discussed in the context of a much more ambitious state plan. Neither the Bragg Family Trust nor The Trustees of Reservations liked that idea, commenting that the area was more appropriate … to maintain in a natural state than for the state to develop for greater parking with picnic tables, etc. At that point the Braggs indicated they might entertain an offer from The Trustees to buy the property. In 1955 the USACE leased over a thousand acres of their Tully River land to the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM), for recreational development and natural resource management. Apparently the proposal to incorporate the Bragg property was dropped. Nevertheless, the idea of government taking and control of nearby lands had been planted in the minds of nearby landowners. Two years later, Professor Francis Bragg – not directly related to the Edward F. branch of the family – and his wife offered The Trustees an option to buy part of their land south of Lawrence Brook extending to within 10 feet of the water’s edge. In July 1959, 12 acres of Francis and Annabelle Bragg’s land became the first parcel in the eventual Falls Reservation.11

Attention continued to be focussed on protecting the remainder of the land surrounding Doane’s Falls. 1962 Standing Committee minutes note: The state is interested in assuring that this area will be preserved and is unable to accomplish any dealing, except eminent domain, with the [Bragg family] Trust …. we are trying to see what can be accomplished

10 A hint of the sluiceway can be seen today where a trickle of water leaks through the abutment at the south end of the bridge, into the wheelpit of Nichols Mill. 11 This branch of the family, also descended from Nathaniel, held onto a large portion of the original grant lands extending from just south of Doane’s Falls to the Athol line until the mid-20th century. See Coddings Meadow for further discussion.


with the Trust to assure the preservation of this area. The state, cooperating with the USACE, were able to accomplish other achievements in the area, however. In 1966 the dry bed reservoir behind Tully Dam was purposely flooded to form a 200-acre “summer conservation lake.” By the late 1970s the state DEM had constructed a campground with boat launch facilities on a peninsula at the north end of the lake. Meanwhile, sixteen years and a large stack of legal documents later, the Bragg Family Trust and The Trustees of Reservations finally completed transfer arrangements for the Trust’s 18 acres on both sides of Lawrence Brook. In March 1975, The Trustees’ Director Gordon Abbott reported to the Standing Committee that the process was complete. The whole of the long-imagined 32nd Reservation was in place, and one of the abandoned mill stones from Nichols Mill was brought across the stream and erected as a memorial to Edward Bragg. Funding for purchase of the Braggs’ eighteen acres came largely from an unexpected source: Richard Bullock. A November 1970 letter to Gordon Abbott from Trustees’ Vice President John Woolsey elaborates:

A man who identified himself as Richard Bullock telephoned me out of the blue from Fitchburg this afternoon. He said that he had long been interested in Doane’s Falls and wanted to take steps to see that this area is preserved. In this connection he had written to various members of the Bragg famly and had been referred to me. …. Mr. Bullock … said that if the purchase price is not too great he would like to contribute the land as a memorial to his father who was born and lived in Royalston.

The Bullocks, one of Royalston’s oldest and most influential families, had numerous land holdings in town, especially around the Common, where family members had built at least three of the imposing white houses that define that area. Many of the later 19th and 20th century family members made their marks outside of Royalston, but continued to return to town for summer vacations. Richard Bullock’s father was born and lived in Royalston, although Richard himself divided his time between Fitchburg and one of the Bullock houses in Princeton, according to Woolsey’s letter. Interestingly, despite the family’s widespread investments, the Bullock name is completely absent from records of historic land dealings in the Doane’s Falls area. Nevertheless, Richard Bullock provided seventy-five per cent of the purchase price for the Bragg acreage. His one request was that a memorial marker be erected on the reservation in honor of family members. The Bullock memorial became the first management issue to confront The Trustees at their new reservation. Mr. Bullock, having received Trustees approval for his preferred inscription, apparently paid for and arranged for installation of the memorial himself. The


stone, a massive block of granite, was installed overlooking the entrance to the new reservation. It both preceded geographically and outdid in size the Bragg memorial, causing a substantial outcry among Bragg family members and others. When The Trustees’ Management and Protection Committee formulated its first policy guidelines for Doane’s Falls two years later, the document recognized the markers as significant, but proceeded to address issues that more urgently required attention.

[There are] no stipulations in the transfer deeds or by the financial donor for specific management … [except that] the memorial markers to Bullock and Bragg shall be maintained. [General Policy Management Guideline; Nov. 14, 1977]

In an early recognition of the necessity to manage cultural as well as natural resources at the falls, the guidelines suggest that it may prove feasible to preserve enough of the stone ‘ruins’ to be meaningful to students of such workings. Then the committee makes its first observations on the one constant issue of Doane’s Falls management: public safety.

Practice has developed another use of Doane’s Falls Reservation to a very marked extent – swimming and jumping into the two pools. To negate this use would be extremely difficult; to control it in any significant way will pose real problems.

A young Royalston resident died at the falls in 1960 when she slipped from a ledge and her companion, who could not swim, was unable to rescue her. Although prior to 1960 accidents had been numerous and had kept the Royalston rescue squad busy during summer months, no deaths had occurred. Over the following years, four more deaths occurred and a number of factors were identified that aggravated the inherent dangers involved in water activities on Lawrence Brook. Excerpts from Headquarters files document the challenges and chronicle land management at Doane’s Falls. 1982 The goal here is to maintain a cleaner, more orderly reservation through the hiring

of a weekend warden, regular policing during the week, and the banning of glass containers.

Weekend warden hired for summer months. July [young swimmer broke his leg jumping from a hemlock tree into the lower pool] Aug. [another swimmer received head lacerations from slipping on rocks] 1983 [letter from superintendent Philip Truesdell to the Athol Daily News] The good

old days when only locals came to swim and the falls were never crowded are gone forever. Gone with them are the days when the owners could allow unrestricted use of the property.

Ban on alcohol consumption instituted -- [Athol Daily News article on alcohol ban: Fire Chief Wayne Newton reports that


the Fire Department rescue truck was dispatched to Doane’s Falls twenty-three times over the past three years -–but only four times this season – a difference Newton attributes to ban on drinking.]

-- Preparation of master plan suggested but postponed. 1984 [Local committee minutes] The group again acknowledged that visitors come to

the falls from all over Massachusetts; it is no longer a predominantly local crowd. Chief Newton states that largest number of emergency requests he could recall was 18 in one year – most serious injuries were to outsiders.

-- Conway School of Landscape Design contracted to prepare a study of the

reservation. The result, A Study in Preservation for Doane’s Falls, included observations on parking, foot traffic, cultural resources and fragile natural communities and environments, with recommendations for improvements. The report’s characterization of Doane’s Falls offers a summary of its late 20th century dilemma.

The foundations are all that remain of the once active mills

and farmhouses, and the fields have returned to forest. Now the falls are attracting visitors because of their dramatic beauty and the refuge they offer from an increasingly urban world. Once the favorite playground of local families, the falls have become a victim of suburban expansion. Word of mouth reports bring rising numbers of outsiders from sprawling suburbs and cities into the site to swim, dive and picnic.

…. The recent ban on alcohol has reduced some of the dangerous and obnoxious behavior, but there still remains concern over campfires, vandalism, and user-made paths to precarious ledges above the falls.xxx 12

A number of the study’s landscape observations and recommendations remain

valid today and are worth consulting by those engaged in the present management planning process.

1986 Two seasonal wardens are hired to “patrol and manage” the reservation between

Memorial Day and Labor Day; admission fees charged to non-Royalston residents.

This change in management seemed to have had beneficial effects. One letter to

Superintendent Dick O’Brien observes:

12 The two decades from the mid-60s to the mid-80s saw a major change in public behavior at recreation sites throughout the commonwealth. At The Trustees’ properties at World’s End (Hingham) and Rocky Woods (Medfield), for instance, increases in vandalism, drinking, teenage parties and other obnoxious behavior resulted in major changes in management policy.


The character of the Falls has made a drastic change this summer with the Wardens on duty. Even driving by, there are no more beer drinking crowds on the road, and this past Saturday I saw an elderly couple coming up the path. This was a [sight] I’ve never seen in past years.xxxi

1987 Dick O’Brien, in a 1987 communication to the Royalston Board of Selectmen,

clarifies The Trustees’ management policy after hiring wardens for a second year:

With regards to swimming and diving our policy will remain one of non-encouragement due to the potential for serious injury, but not one of prohibition. Although our wardens will advise visitors of the dangers involved, they will not act as lifeguards nor are they required to have those skills.

1988 19-year old male from Gardner dies at Doane’s Falls. 1989 16-year old male from Athol drowns at Doane’s Falls as he and friends are

celebrating a school team victory. -- A citizen petition is submitted to the Royalston selectmen “after a recent

drowning and an attempted suicide at the Falls” to close Doane’s Falls to swimming.

1991 18-year old male of Orange drowns at Doane’s Falls. This teenager’s death highlighted a different source for concern about swimming

at this location than alcohol impairment or daredevil recklessness. The 18-year old had gone swimming with friends in August, four days after an extremely heavy rainfall. Unusual for that season, the brook was still at near-flood conditions, the water high and the current extremely fast. He and a friend jumped in, not recognizing the strong circular undertow in one of the pools. Both tried to climb ashore but, while the companion was rescued by other friends, the 18-year old lost his grip and was pulled under.

As a result of this tragedy, the Doane’s Falls Safety Committee was formed,

chaired by the boy’s mother. The committee, together with The Trustees’ Central Regional Committee, held two public meetings about safety issues at the falls, and out of these they developed a new safety plan which The Trustees adopted in January, 1992. Much of the plan echoes recommendations in a thoughtful statement written by the chair after her son’s death. The plan included:

stronger warning signs installation of emergency phone on site safety equipment (life rings) at four locations


development of water safety awareness program for junior/senior high school at least one warden on duty during “dangerous” (either high or low) water

conditions Nov. The Royalston Fire Department buys “specially designed rescue equipment for

use at the Falls during emergency rescue situations.” The Trustees make a donation toward the equipment cost.

-- The Department of Environmental Management terminates its operation of Tully

Lake Campground due to budgetary constraints. By 1993 the campground is permanently closed. According to Dick O’Brien, the impact on Doane’s Falls management was to reduce professional presence in Doane’s Falls / Tully Lake area although Trustees and USACE rangers continued to patrol area.

1992 The Trustees add Coddings Meadow to Doane’s Falls Reservation. Acquisition of

this property, together with Massachusetts Dept. of Fisheries & Wildlife purchase of the adjoining acreage, protects a portion of the floodplain upstream from the falls.

During negotiations for the sale, an oil spill was discovered on the property which

required removal of over 35 tons of home heating oil-contaminated soil from the area immediately adjacent to the roadway. An old cabin on the property was also torn down.

1999 The Trustees lease Tully Campground from the USACE and assume

management. The property is operated under an annual lease and provides the geographic

connecting link between Doane’s Falls and Spirit Falls / Jacobs Hill. Doane’s Falls wardens use guard shack as local base of operations, thus providing a building for emergency phone, storage, and indoor rest spot. The arrangement is beneficial for Doane’s Falls Reservation as the infrastructure for a “strong professional presence” in the area.

2002 44-year old man, of Orange, dies at Doane’s Falls. The 44 year old, who had been diving at the Falls since his youth, was teaching

his daughter how to do so, when he slipped on one of the high ledges and fell to his death.

The Trustees immediately institute a new policy, specifically forbidding all swimming, diving, and wading in Lawrence Brook at the Falls.

Currently underway: -- Installation of additional life safety improvements -- Preparation of Management Plan for Doane’s Falls Reservation


3.5 Tully Campground The Tully Campground lies just west of Doane’s Falls. The campground is part of the 1,258 acre Army Cops of Engineers’ Tully Lake Project established in 1940s for flood control at Athol and Orange and other areas along the Millers River following the devastating floods associated with the 1938 hurricane. Following the completion of the dam in 1949, the USACE leased more than 1,100 acres to the state for recreation and management. Although the dam was completed in 1949, the 200-acre lake was not constructed until 1966. The campground was built in 1978 by the USACE and leased to the DEM (DCR) who later ended the lease in late 1991. A small gate house/ranger station, # primitive camping sites, and a comfort station that included showers were original. In 1999 The Trustees began leasing Tully Lake Campground from the US Army Corps of Engineers. The first official season of operation for The Trustees was the summer of 2000. In 2002 14 campsites were added and in 2003 an extension was added to the ranger station for office space and equipment storage. Prior to acquisition by the USACE, the 31 acres occupied by the campground was owned by Burl and Louise Mary Brockney together with Augustus O. Rantenen. The earliest record for this parcel indicates it was owned by Samuel Watts in 1752, but the property appears not to have been developed for most of the following century. In 1841 the land, including a sawmill standing on the east bank of the river, was sold by a Joseph Metcalf to Joseph, Amos and Chauncey Bosworth – Joseph Bosworth soon acquired his brother’s shares and constructed what may have been a house on the land before 1870. Two members of the Shepardson family also owned buildings across Doane Hill Road from each other in 1870. The Shepardsons were lumber merchants in the western section of town, and may have been shareholders in Bosworth’s sawmill. An 1896 deed from George W. Bosworth to Stephen Frye specifies land but not buildings. An 1898 atlas map does show a house and barn west of what is now the campground entrance, but closer to Doane Hill Road than Bosworth’s appears to have been in 1870. It is likely that the Shepardson/Frye house illustrated in 1898 was largely destroyed during construction of the Tully Lake and Campground entrance, leaving only a suggestion of foundation remains today, west of the entrance. Another of the Shepardson buildings indicated in 1870 was also destroyed at an unknown date, leaving a small cellarhole and well (?) east of the Campground’s Red Trail, near campsite #1. The third foundation, identified in the Cherau and Boire report as the “Bosworth Homestead,” is probably Stephen Frye’s barn, shown on the 1898 map, the remains of which are located between campsites #2 and #4. The Shepardson/Bosworth property, after a series of deed transactions throughout the early 1900s, was sold to the Brockneys and Rantenen. No further mention is made of buildings in the later deeds.


3.6 Summary of Historical Highlights 7500–500 BP Temporary Nipmuc camps near base of falls. A minor trail follows the

approximate route of Athol Road. 1765 Town of Royalston incorporated. Benjamin Marsh commissioned to build

and maintain saw and grist mills on Lawrence Brook. 1769 Marsh sells mills plus 100 acres to Isaac Gale. 1784, 1797 Henry and Elijah Nichols buy saw and grist mills. early 1800s Joel Nourse, then Benjamin Bragg run textile mill at dam upstream from

Doane’s Falls. 1830-1840 Amos Doane builds Doane’s Mill. 1850 Benjamin Bragg’s mill burns. 1847-1867 George and Sullivan Raymond enlarge Nichols Mills and expand

upstream to Bragg’s Mill. 1876 Amos Doane dies – apparently his mill ceases operation. c. 1880-1900 Various owners run sawmill at Nichols Mills. 1911 Nichols Mill falls down. 1907, 1913 Edward Bragg buys Doane and Nichols property. 1930 New Bridge constructed on Athol Road at Doane’s Falls. 1949 Tully Dam built by US Army Corps of Engineers. 1955 USACE leases 1,100 acres to DEM for recreation and natural resource

management. 1959 The Trustees acquire first parcel of Doane’s Falls Reservation. 1966 Tully Lake created. 1978 USACE constructs campground, DEM operates. 1984 Study in Preservation for Doane’s Falls written.


1991 DEM ends lease of campground and 1,100 acres of USACE property. 1999 The Trustees assume management of Tully Campground. 2002 Completion of Tully Trail linking 3 Trustees’ Royalston reservations. DOANE’S FALLS RESERVATION (46 ACRES) year

acreage

form

grantor

comments

1959 12 A. purchase $500

Francis C. & Annabelle Bragg

WD 4048:124 south of brook

1975 18 A. purchase $22,500

Bragg FamilyTrust

south & north banks of Lawrence Brook

1983 1 A. purchase triangular parcel, SW end of DF reservation

1993

14 A. purchase ($30,000)

Codding Meadow Realty Trust to Massachusetts Land Conservation Trust (MLCT)

Coddings Meadow plus 4 abutting parcels –price for all 5. MLCT sold others to DFW.


i James T. Skehan, Roadside Geology of Massachusetts (Missoula MT Mountain Press Publishing, 2001) p. 11 ff. His first chapter is an excellent introduction for the neophyte to this mind-boggling clash of the titans. ii Prof. Edward Hitchcock, writing in 1841, quoted in A. H. Bullock, Commemorative Address at Royalston (Winchendon MA: Frank W. Ward, 1865) p. 87. iii See Border Lands bibliography for listings. iv Ibid. v Kerrylynn Boire and Suzanne Cherau, “Final Report…Tully Lake” (PAL report # 1149 for USACE, 2000) p. 40 ff. vi Alan McArdle & Joannah Whitney, “Archaeological Locational Survey, Royalston MA…” (UMass Archaeological Services, 1987) pp. 12, 15. vii See Mass. Historical Commission, Historic and Archaeological Resources of Central Massachusetts (Boston: MHC, 1985). viii This section includes information from Boire and Cherau, p. 47. ix Mass. Historical Commission, “MHC Reconnaissance Survey Report: Royalston” (1984), p. 3. x quoted in Ellery Crane, Historic…Worcester County (NY: Lewis Publishing, 1907). xi 1974 preservation planning report quoted in Don Lessem, “…Royalston Cautiously Enters the 20th Century” (Worcester Magazine, May 1, 1985) p. 15. xii Whitney, repeated in George Horr, “Royalston” in History of Worcester County (Boston: C.F. Jewett & Co., 1879) p. 244. xiii David Foster, “Land Use History…in Central New England” in Humans as Components of Ecosystems (NY: Springer-Verlag, 1993) p. 93. xiv Lilley Caswell, History of … Royalston (Town of Royalston, 1917) p. 48. xv Worcester Deeds 78:449; written 1769; entered 1777. xvi WD 130:135 xvii MHC Central Massachusetts, op. cit.; pp. 273-274. xviii MHC “Reconnaissance…” op.cit.; p. 3. xix 1793 town map et al. xx See Tritsch, The Farm Adjoining to Pontauge Hill (2002) for an example of this earlier agricultural development in West Brookfield. The small-town context described in this and the following paragraphs is outlined for Norfolk County in Tritsch, Men of Useful Trades (1982). xxi Lessem, op. cit. xxii John Barber, Historical Collection of Massachusetts (Worcester: Dorr, Howland & Co., 1839) p. 600. xxiii Protracted battles over meadow rights took place in many New England towns from the time of their settlement through the early nineteenth century. See, for instance, William Prouty’s deed in Border Lands Appendix, in which he carefully reserves his land rights in a meadow parcel, should it no longer be part of a mill pond. See also Tritsch’s 1996 report on Medfield’s Fork Factory Reservation. xxiv See Raup and Foster articles in Border Lands bibliography. xxv WD 971:5 Perkins to Goddard, 1868. xxvi Bullock, op. cit.; p. 184. xxvii Ibid., p. 86, 87. xxviii See, for instance the Foster citations in the bibliography. xxix 1973 letter, Josephine Ashendon to The Trustees (headquarters file) xxx Molly Babize, McCargo & Roberts, “A Study in Preservation for Doane’s Falls” report by the Conway School of Landscape Design for The Trustees of Reservations, June 1984, p. 4. xxxi 1986 Norris to O’Brien letter (headquarters file).


Section 4: Natural Resources 4.1 Introduction This section of the plan describes the natural resources for Doane’s Falls and the adjacent Army Corps of Engineer’s Tully Lake, specifically the campground which The Trustees leases. Together, Doane’s Falls and the campground are managed as a single operation. This section includes a summary of the natural resources for both areas based on preliminary information. However, much additional work is needed to thoroughly document and assess all the natural resources for Doane’s Falls and the campground. 4.2 Methods Inventories were conducted by The Trustees’ staff in 2003 for Doane’s Falls. The scope of these inventories was directed at identifying the natural community types and the breeding birds present and using these as indicators of habitat quality and rare species habitat in particular. Additional data was collected on exotic invasive plants and wildlife. Information on the natural resources for Tully Lake was provided by the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This information covers the entire Tully Lake property; and no specific inventories have been done for the campground. However, the habitats at the campground are typical for the Tully Lake area. Other sources of information include the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (MNHESP), Soil Surveys, MassGIS, and local experts. Specific information on species and community types presented in this section focuses on Doane’s Falls. 4.3 An Overview of the Natural Landscape Forests of white pine, hemlock and mixed hardwoods surround the lakes, rivers and streams that are the focal points of this landscape. More than 700 acres of wetlands occur within the USACE lands alone and include red maple swamps, marsh and vernal pools. Streams meander through sunny marshes and plunge through shaded rocky ravines. Beavers are common throughout, contributing to the landscape diversity as they alter wetlands and the adjacent uplands. Topography is variable and includes gently rounded hills as well as steep slopes. Shaded ravines and isolated depressions support species more commonly found further north. 4.4 Regional Context and Open Space Setting The campground and Doane’s Falls are part of an extensive protected open space of several thousand acres that extends from New Hampshire south to Tully Lake and beyond (Map 11). Moreover, Tully Lake and Doane’s Falls are part of the North Quabbin Greenway. This area is one of the largest and least developed forested landscapes in Massachusetts and contains tens of thousands of acres of protected lands. The ecological value of the North Quabbin Greenway is illustrated by the designation of more than 9,000 acres as the North Quabbin Bioreserve.

4 – Natural Resources 4-1

Other ecological designations include:

• All of Doane’s Falls is designated as BioMap Core Habitat or Supporting Natural Landscape (Map 3). These areas represent the most viable rare species habitats and natural communities across the state and include large, minimally fragmented areas that safeguard the Core Habitat. BioMap assesses terrestrial and wetland species and community types. The area designated as core habitat that includes Doane’s Falls supports habitat for several rare wetland species. While Doane’s Falls does not offer ideal habitat for these species, it is possible that some of these species could be found on the reservation.

• The area has been identified by The Nature Conservancy as a primary “Major Forest Block,” an area important for species dependent on large blocks of forest interior habitat.

• Lawrence Brook supports Core Aquatic Habitat (Map 3). The Living Waters project identified this area as such because the brook “supports a healthy community of the more ecologically sensitive aquatic insects (e.g. mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies), indicating the stream and its associated habitats are relatively free of the impacts of development.” Upstream wetlands and undisturbed stream banks help maintain the habitat quality by shading the water to keep it cool and controlling the runoff of sediments and excess nutrients.

• Coddings Meadow along Lawrence Brook is identified as Supporting Watershed (Map 3). These designations are similar to the BioMap Core and Supporting Natural Landscape designations, but identify areas of biological importance for freshwater streams, ponds, and rivers, and surrounding watersheds.

4.5 Watershed Setting1

Both the Tully River and Lawrence Brook flow into Tully Lake which drains into the Millers River. The Millers River drains north central Massachusetts, with approximately 20 percent of the watershed extending into the southern section of New Hampshire. The headwaters of the Millers River are located in southern New Hampshire and in the Massachusetts towns of Ashburnham and Winchendon. The river flows towards the south, then westward, eventually emptying into the Connecticut River. The total drainage area for the Millers River Watershed is 392 square miles. Approximately 320 square miles are in Massachusetts. The watershed is made up of all or part of 17 municipalities, with a population of approximately 87,000 people, and includes 81 percent forestland, six

1 Watershed information taken from EOEA’s Preserving Massachusetts’ Water Resources http://www.mass.gov/envir/water/millers/millers.htm


Map 3


percent open space or farmland, six percent wetlands, and seven percent urban land. The population centers are concentrated in the Gardner, Athol, and Orange areas. The watershed encompasses some of the most rugged and steep terrain of the state's central upland, including "the Bear's Den," a five mile stretch of the Millers River known for its sharp drop in elevation and rapidly flowing whitewater. "Monadnocks," the residual hills of erosion-resistant rock, are an important component of the uninhabited mountain wilderness that is characteristic of the watershed. The watershed supports a wide variety of outdoor opportunities such as camping, hiking, picnicking, and scenic viewing, which are provided by the vast acreage of unspoiled open space and forestlands in public and quasi-public ownership. 4.6 Physical and Climatic Setting Tully Lake and Doane’s Falls are located within the Worcester/Monadnock Plateau Ecoregion.2 This area is very hilly and typically higher in elevation, and thus cooler, than the rest of Central Massachusetts. As a result, species that are typically more northern in distribution can be common. Elevations range from 500 feet to more than 1,400 feet above sea level. Mt. Wachusett, at 2006 feet, is the highest point in this region. Geology and Soils3

The many large boulders and outcrops (exposed bedrock) visible throughout the reservation from the parking area to the bottom of the falls are Monson Gneiss: a coarse to medium-grained rock much like a granite to a quartz diorite. This rock formed almost a half-billion years ago as sediment in an ancient ocean. Although similar to granite, gneiss can be distinguished by its stratified or layered minerals as opposed to granite’s dispersed minerals. Feldspar and quartz, the two most abundant minerals on earth, form the majority of the rock. Large, light colored crystals of both minerals are visible in the rock along the trails. Where the feldspar has eroded away, it has left the harder quartz crystals raised, creating a coarse and bumpy surface. This differential weathering is also visible where veins of harder material, likely containing a higher percentage of quartz than the surrounding material, have been exposed as the softer rock has eroded more quickly. Other minerals visible in the rock include mica, both muscovite and biotite and some Hornblende. The micas are visible as black flecks (biotite) or large crystals (muscovite) and make the rock sparkle where weathering and plants have not obscured the rock surface. The current gorge formed around 10,000 to 13,000 years ago when the last glaciers retreated from the northeast. As the glacier retreated it deposited rocks and soil that blocked the previous course of Lawrence Brook causing the brook to flow in its present course over the steep bedrock creating the spectacular falls. This gorge is still widening 2 Griffith, G.E., J.M. Omernik, S.M. Pierson and C.W. Kiilsgaard. 1994. The Massachusetts ecological regions project. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory. Corvallis, OR. No. 17587-74-70. 3 Information on Doane’s Falls geology provided by Robert Coyle, Geologist and Director of the Museum at the Millers River Environmental Center. Personal Communication 2004.


and deepening as the brook erodes material and washes it downstream to Tully Lake. The large slabs of rock at the base of the gorge are the result of the brook undermining the sides of the gorge, causing the overhanging rock to collapse into the gorge. Their sharp edges or angles indicate they have formed relatively recently since weathering smoothes these angles over time. Piles of eroded material are also visible as small islands below the falls. The cliffs and overhangs along the river are the result of glacial plucking. As the glaciers advanced from the north, they plucked boulders from the outcrops on their south side leaving jagged cliffs. Because the bedrock is primarily silicaceous (minerals formed from silica) it is acidic. As a result, soils are generally acidic. Three types of soil characterize Doane’s Falls and Tully Campground: muck, till and outwash. The soil series at Coddings Meadow is Bucksport and Wonsquek muck. This soil is derived from deep highly-decomposed organic material and is typically saturated due to a high water table or flooding since this soil is common in low, flat areas and depressions. Glacial till covers most of the reservation from Athol Road to the lower falls on both sides of Lawrence Brook. These Turnbridge, Lyman and Berkshire soils are well-drained to excessively-drained, sandy loams derived from glacial deposits. They occur on gentle to steep slopes and are very stony with stones visible on the surface. Bedrock is typically near the surface and outcrops are common. Finally, outwash of fine sandy loam covers most of the campground and the extreme western edge of Doane’s Falls, primarily along the brook. These water-sorted sands derived from glacial melt water accumulated on level or sometimes sloping areas. Groundwater can be high, seasonally. Soil Types found at Doane’s Falls and Tully Campground4

• Bucksport and Wonsquek mucks • Turnbridge-Lyman-Berkshire association, rolling, extremely stony • Lyman-Turnbridge-Berkshire association, steep, very rocky • Croghan loamy fine sand, 3-8% slope • Naumberg fine sandy loam, 0-5% slopes

4.7 Plant Communities for Doane’s Falls In some cases it has been difficult to delineate, as well as describe, community types at Doane’s Falls due to the varied environmental conditions and land use history at the reservation, and the small scale of these variations. For example, hemlock is common throughout the reservation but it is primarily an understory species on the northern half while it is common, sometimes dominant, in the canopy on the south side. This difference may influence the community classification depending on its interpretation. Community types and their variations typically transition into one another further complicating delineation. Land use history and the variability in physical site conditions across the state represent the primary factors responsible for the variations or the lack of a “good match” with the

4 Soil Survey, Worcester County, Northwestern Part. Worcester County Conservation District, USDA


MNHESP classifications. (The physical site conditions include topography, geology, soils, aspect and hydrology). Even slight changes in these factors can alter species composition within a community type. Last but not least, chance is a factor in what plants occur on a given piece of land. The proximity of seed sources, productivity within a given year, predators, disease, browsing pressures, weather conditions (e.g. drought) and natural disturbance (e.g. beavers) all influence what species colonize, survive and even prosper in a given area over the short and long term. While all of the above factors have undoubtedly influenced what plant communities occur at Doane’s Falls today, it is likely that land use, especially agriculture and industrial manufacturing, has had the greatest influence on most areas of the properties. Stone walls outline much of the property with internal walls and foundations common. Much of the reservation’s community types are in a state of transition from early successional species (e.g. white pine and white ash) to more shade tolerant, late successional species (e.g. hemlock and sugar maple). A notable exception to past human use being the primary factor in creating today’s plant communities is at Codding’s Meadow. In recent years, beavers have flooded this area, significantly influencing its vegetation by creating an open early successional wetland, as the red maples succumb to the higher water levels. Descriptions Eight community types were identified and described for Doane’s Falls, nine if the river and its associated aquatic community is counted separately. In reality, most of the upland forest types are simply variations on a theme that form a single forest mosaic that consists of mixed, second growth forest dominated by oaks, maples, white pine and hemlock. For the most part, communities have been identified on the plant community map (Map 4). Many, but not all, community types at Doane’s Falls match those described by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (MNHESP)5 well enough to classify them as such – mostly because the concept and environmental setting correspond for each. For more detail on plant communities at Doane’s Falls see Appendix F. The temptation on a small property is to identify even the smallest of variations in species composition. However, this temptation was mostly avoided at Doane’s Falls with some exceptions that seemed botanically interesting or those that likely correspond to land use history and, therefore, may assist with future interpretation of the property. These descriptions are open to interpretation and refinement with new information. Despite the bedrock and soils being acidic, “seasonal and permanent seeps increase the likelihood of rare plant species occurring along the slopes, and contribute to an unusually rich flora relative to other locations in Worcester County.”6

5 Swain, P.C. and J.B. Kearsley. 2000. Classifications of the natural communities of Massachusetts. Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Westborough, MA. 6 Personal communication, Elizabeth Farnsworth, Ph.D., Conservation Biologist and Harvard Forest Bullard Fellow.


MNHESP uses a “state rank” (e.g., S1) to indicate level of rarity and threat of plant communities. This section includes the state rank for communities where they fit the MNHESP classifications to illustrate a community type’s abundance at the state level.

• S1 = Typically 5 or fewer occurrences in the state. Especially vulnerable to extirpation.

• S2 = Typically 6-20 occurrences. Very vulnerable to extirpation. • S3 = Typically 21-100 occurrences. Vernal pools are given this rank because of

the limited acreage that they represent. • S4 and S5 indicate communities which are apparently or demonstrably secure in

MA. 4.8 Plants More than 150 plant species were observed at Doane’s Falls throughout 2003 representing approximately 5% of the state’s known flora.7 Exotic species represent less than 9% (n = 13) of all species. No rare or unusual plants were observed and none are reported by MNHESP. Species of botanical interest include ferns such as oak, rattlesnake and narrow beech, and wildflowers such as clintonia, trilliums, pink lady’s slipper and the showy, fringed polygayla. A similar number of plants, including many of the same species, have been documented from Tully Lake. However, differences occur between the two locations and with further investigation at both, the number of species is likely to increase significantly. One particular plant worth mentioning is the non-native Ural False Spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) growing around the Bosworth Farmstead historic site (HS-8) between campsites 2 and 4. This shrub was probably planted around the building by the former owner and has now completely occupied the foundation area. 4.9 Wildlife With the exception of birds, very little is specifically known about the animals that use Doane’s Falls. However, many of the animals known from the region or documented for Tully Lake can be expected to be using the reservation, even if only temporarily while traveling through the landscape. This region is one of the least developed in the state, and as such, contains many large and wide-ranging species including, bear, moose and bobcat. Lawrence Brook and its associated wetlands certainly offer habitat for many amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates and likely functions as a corridor for wildlife. Discussions of wildlife in the following sections comes primarily from the personal knowledge of individuals who work or live in the area, observations from field staff during visits to the property in 2003, and from Army Corps of Engineers reports for Tully Lake (Appendix A).

7 Appendix F


Map 4


BIRDS Doane’s Falls’ value to breeding birds is limited due to its small size. Nevertheless, 37 species were recorded at the reservation in 2003, probably in large part because of the significant differences in habitat between Coddings Meadow and the main reservation. Both areas of the reservation are part of larger habitats. Coddings Meadow in particular is an integral part of a larger wetland habitat important for many species, including the watch-listed least flycatcher and the endangered American bittern. All of the reservation contributes to the forest matrix of this region. Management issues are limited to potential habitat changes due to hemlock woolly adelgid and potential disturbance to sensitive species (e.g., bittern) from boating on Lawrence Brook. Forest dependent species, including those that prefer mixed or conifer habitat, are characteristic of the main reservation (Table 1). Habitat for these species seems reasonably secure at the reservation and throughout the region. However, one significant potential threat is the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). HWA feeds on hemlock; as it does so it weakens the tree and eventually can cause mortality. Since hemlock provides important habitat for some bird species, its loss will likely result in the decline of these species (e.g. blackburnian and black-throated green warblers) at Doane’s Falls and throughout the region. While HWA has not yet been observed at Doane’s Falls, this exotic insect is expanding its range northward through Massachusetts and will likely reach Royalston in the near future. Bolded species represent Priority Species for Partners in Flight, a collaborative of federal, state, and local agencies, philanthropic foundations, professional organizations, conservation groups, industry, the academic community, and private individuals engaged in bird conservation. These are species for which Massachusetts represents important breeding habitat range-wide and/or species which are perceived to be vulnerable based on their population levels.8 Table 1: 2003 Doane's Falls Breeding Bird Survey (plots, n=4)

No. of Relative Individuals Abundance9 Species

5 1.3 Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens

5 1.3 Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus 3 0.8 Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus 2 0.5 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus 1 0.3 Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca 1 0.3 Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus 1 0.3 Veery Catharus fuscescens 1 0.3 Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes

8 Blodget, B.G. 1995. Overview of Mass. Priority NTMB Species. Memorandum to Mass. Partners in Flight Working Group. 9 Species abundance relative to other species and area surveyed.


Not surprisingly, marsh and wetland species are common at Coddings Meadow (Table 2). No management issues were identified although disturbance to some species from boating may be an issue (see rare species discussion below). Beaver activity at Coddings Meadow is likely benefiting least flycatchers and bitterns (heard just beyond survey area) through the creation of wetland habitat. Table 2: 2003 Coddings Meadow Breeding Bird Survey (plots, n=1)

No. of Relative Individuals Abundance Species

4 4.0 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus 3 3.0 Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus 2 2.0 Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia 2 2.0 Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 2 2.0 Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus 1 1.0 Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana 1 1.0 Bluejay Cyanocitta cristata 1 1.0 Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 1 1.0 Mallard Duck Anas platyrhynchos 1 1.0 Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus 1 1.0 Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula

INVERTEBRATES Habitats at Doane’s Falls are typical for central Massachusetts; thus, invertebrates associated with these habitats should be expected. Habitat is marginal for butterflies since the reservation is forested. Coddings Meadow and Lawrence Brook undoubtedly provide habitat for numerous odonates (i.e., dragonflies and damselflies). Lawrence Brook upstream from the falls has been designated Core Habitat by MNHESP (Map 2) because it supports a healthy community of aquatic invertebrates indicative of an ecosystem with few negative human-caused impacts. Many additional invertebrates including butterflies, moths and dragonflies have been recorded for Tully Lake (Appendix A). AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES Only two species of amphibians, red-spotted newt and bullfrog, were observed in 2003 at Doane’s Falls. Newts (i.e., red efts) were common throughout terrestrial areas and bullfrogs were only observed at Coddings Meadow. The USACE lands support many additional species. No vernal pools were documented on the reservation but one pool identified as “potential” by MNHESP does occur just west of the main reservation on Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) land. This pool looks like it provides ideal habitat for obligate vernal pool species, especially those documented from USACE land. Another pool occurs along Gale Road on the way to Coddings Meadow that has been


certified. Although the USACE pool was not assessed for obligate species, the certified pool is clearly providing habitat for some obligate amphibians. Spotted salamander eggs were observed in this pool in the spring of 2003. Obligate species from these pools should be expected to be using the adjacent Doane’s Falls reservation. FISH10

Reports for the Army Corps of Engineers indicate that Lawrence Brook is stocked with brown, brook and rainbow trout. The creation of Tully Lake provided a warm water fishery supporting populations of largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, black crappie, hornpout, and bluegills. Many, if not all, of these species also should be expected in Lawrence Brook, including the warm water species. Park Rangers for the USACE have conducted voluntary "Angler Surveys" since 2001.

MAMMALS Many species of mammals undoubtedly use and depend on habitat at Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake. Both coyote and white-tailed deer were observed using the reservation in 2003. Beaver are also very active along Lawrence Brook above the falls at Coddings Meadow and throughout Tully Lake and River. Their activity is beneficial to other wildlife and very visible to visitors. Other mammals including otter, fisher, moose and

10 Fish data and graphics from USACE website http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/tul/tulnat3.htm


mink utilize the property and the Lawrence Brook corridor as well. Certainly small mammals including mice, squirrels and bats should be expected throughout. The location, setting and access of both Coddings Meadow and the campground makes these areas particularly well suited for viewing larger mammals and wildlife in general. 4.10 Rare Species11 No listed rare species have been documented by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program at Doane’s Falls. However, several rare wetland species, including obligate vernal pool species, have been documented nearby and may occur within the reservation or campground. Several additional rare species have been reported from elsewhere on the USACE land. These species are not discussed since it is believed habitat for these species does not occur at the campground. Both the endangered American bittern and the watch-listed least flycatcher were recorded during field investigations at Doane’s Falls (specifically, Coddings Meadow) in 2003. Rare and potential rare species include the following: American Bittern This endangered species was heard calling from wetlands further upstream from Coddings Meadow on May 30, 2003. Habitat appears suitable for this species along Lawrence Brook from Coddings Meadow upstream to Stockwell Road. Although Coddings Meadow likely provides marginal habitat for bitterns, it is part of more extensive wetlands along Lawrence Brook that may be important habitat for this rare species. Beaver activity will likely benefit bitterns by creating suitable habitat. Since bitterns are believed to be susceptible to human disturbance, providing or increasing boater access to the brook may result in unwanted disturbance to these secretive birds. Least Flycatcher Least flycatchers are a fairly common breeder in central Massachusetts, but they are rare or declining in much of the eastern portion of the state. Several pairs of this watch-listed species breed along Lawrence Brook in stunted red maple and shrub swamp habitat. These birds were primarily observed on the north side of Lawrence Brook where habitat is more open and red maples more stunted than those within Coddings Meadow. However, Coddings Meadow is an integral part of wetland habitat along Lawrence Brook and as beavers continue to alter this site, it will likely improve as habitat for least flycatchers. Bald Eagle Bald eagles, an endangered species in Massachusetts, are not breeding in the area, but they are occasionally observed during migration at Tully Lake. Bald eagles have been increasing in recent decades as a result of the banning of DDT and reintroduction

11 Rare species include those listed by the state as Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern as well as Watch-Listed species.


programs. As of 2004, Massachusetts supported 18 pairs of eagles. No management issues occur at this time. Jefferson Salamander & Spotted Salamander These obligate vernal pool breeders are both listed as species of special concern and have been documented on USACE land and nearby areas. Vernal pools and their associated upland habitat near Doane’s Falls and the campground could potentially support these species. Little to no management is needed for these species other than protecting vernal pool habitat and surrounding forest. Wood Turtle This species of special concern is found throughout Massachusetts. They prefer slower moving perennial streams with sandy bottoms and heavily vegetated banks. Well-drained areas are used for nesting. Wood turtles spend most of the spring and summer in upland areas near perennial streams, returning to these streams in late summer to mate and overwinter. They have been documented on USACE land and suitable habitat exists at Doane’s Falls along Lawrence Brook and at the campground. This species may be particularly vulnerable at the campground and near popular trails where visitors are most likely to encounter this species. Efforts to alert campers, visitors to Doane’s Falls, and hikers along the Tully Trail about this species and what to do if they encounter it should minimize negative impacts to the species. 4.11 Natural Resource Highlights

• Although small in area, Doane’s Falls and the campground are part of a large and important matrix of protected lands within an extensive undeveloped area that supports numerous landscape ecology functions including protection of biodiversity, habitat for wide-ranging species, interior forest habitat, water quality protection, ability for natural processes to occur uninterrupted (e.g. beaver activity) and rare species habitat.

• The geology of Doane’s Falls is striking, especially the bedrock formations that

create the falls – the primary feature of the reservation. The falls and outcrops are not notable for their ecological value, but instead it is the history of these natural resources that has value for visitor interpretation and education.

• The presence and potential occurrence of several rare species is significant.

Although most of the documented occurrences have occurred away from the reservation or campground, some have been documented on adjacent habitats making their presence on the reservation or campground likely.

4.12 Threats Ecological threats are those factors that diminish the capacity of an area to support biodiversity. Specifically, this includes anything that threatens the integrity of plant and animal communities, the persistence of significant species populations, or impedes


natural processes including disturbance patterns. The following are the significant threats to the natural resources at Doane’s Falls and/or the campground, in no particular order:

• Exotic Invasive Species.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) - Hemlock is a common tree throughout the reservation and campground. Although no HWA was observed, this exotic pest represents a threat to the hemlocks and the habitat they provide at Doane’s Falls. At the campground, hemlocks in the understory provide the principle screening between campsites. Monitoring for HWA will allow managers to assess this exotic pest’s impact and what, if any, management options exist.

• Exotic invasive plants threaten biodiversity through competition with native plants. These plants are aggressive and alter habitat for wildlife and rare species. At present, invasive plants occur in low numbers at Doane’s Falls and are limited in distribution (Map 5). This status is not likely to continue without intervention to control and/or eradicate these species. Both glossy buckthorn and purple loosestrife occur at the campground but their status is not well documented. Current practice by the USACE is to spray purple loosestrife on USACE lands including the campground.

Map 5


• Erosion and Silting. Currently these are minor but important issues at Doane’s

Falls. Several sections of trails are experiencing soil erosion, especially where trails occur on steep slopes or where they cross intermittent streams. However, with the proposed rerouting of trails according to the Safety Improvements (Appendix B), it is anticipated this issue will be corrected.

Runoff from the road is depositing silt on the reservation along Doane Hill Road where a culvert empties onto the reservation. While the silt may not be a management issue itself, ecologically it appears to be the source for exotic invasive plants and provides habitat for them to gain a foothold. Significant shoreline erosion occurs along campground sites 5, 6, and 7 at the campground, undercutting and exposing tree roots. Erosion is caused by wave action. The USACE restored about 150 feet of shoreline in 2004-2005 by installing boulders, soil and vegetation.

• Visitation Impact (present, future). The main threat resulting from visitation is

inadvertent trampling of vegetation, usually along trails or near the river as a result of visitors seeking better access to the falls for viewing. Until the ban on swimming was enacted in 2003 this included visitors seeking access to the river itself. While trampling continues to occur, it is hoped it will decrease with the recent ban on swimming. Visitor impacts to the river bank and slopes are anticipated to be further minimized with the installation of the proposed safety improvements (e.g., fencing and trail rerouting described in Appendix B) but requires monitoring.

• Additional damage to vegetation is occurring at the campground around campsites

from trampling and campers seeking firewood or level areas for tents. Campsites along the lake edge are especially impacted since these are the most popular and these sites typically have exposed rocks and tree roots due to soil compaction and erosion. Unless this trend is curtailed, some sites will likely become devoid of vegetation, facilitating soil erosion and further lakeside and campsite degradation.

• While bitterns are believed to be highly susceptible to human disturbance, it is

unknown at this time what impact boating may have on bitterns at Coddings Meadow. The impact of human disturbance to bitterns should be evaluated before increasing or promoting boater access to Lawrence Brook above the falls. If boating is promoted, evaluation should include a survey to determine the site’s importance to bitterns. Protocols have been developed for surveying marsh nesting birds (e.g. bitterns) that, when utilized, should provide managers with abundance and location data.

• Wood turtles are vulnerable to collecting from people. These turtles spend a

considerable amount of time on land where they are easily captured and handled


or relocated. This scenario is especially possible at the campground or along trails at Doane’s Falls.

4.13 Summary of Significant Opportunities

• The low number and limited distribution of exotic invasive plants at Doane’s Falls represents an opportunity to control these problematic plants before they spread. Similar efforts may be desirable at the campground.

• Doane’s Falls and the surrounding area have many significant natural resources.

Interpreting these resources represents a terrific educational opportunity for visitors to the falls and campers staying at Tully Campground. Providing visitors with information on natural resources will allow them to better appreciate these resources and support their protection and stewardship.

• Doane’s Falls could be managed for future old growth. Old growth forest is

missing from the region and this habitat will benefit species dependent on mature forest that have been identified as priorities for this region. Constraints, such as rugged topography and river/wetland protection regulations, limit the reservations potential to support forestry. Furthermore, the scenic and aesthetic qualities of old growth complement the visitor experience by adding to the scenic quality of the falls.


Section 5: Cultural & Structural Resources 5.1 Introduction and Methods Building remains, broken dams, worn paths and stone walls are features that define the cultural landscape of Doane’s Falls Reservation. Similar features together with modern amenities for campers define the cultural landscape for Tully Campground. Excerpts from a National Park Service publicationi elucidate this term.

a cultural landscape is a geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources,… associated with a historic event, activity, or person or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values.

Within this broad category, Doane’s Falls Reservation and Tully Campground are classed as a historic vernacular landscape:

a landscape that evolved through use by the people whose activities or occupancy shaped that landscape….the landscape reflects the physical, biological, and cultural character of those everyday lives. Function plays a significant role in vernacular landscapes…. Examples include rural villages, industrial complexes, and agricultural landscapes.

The National Park Service has spelled out the planning process recommended for the treatment of cultural landscapes, and that process is being followed for both Doane’s Falls and Tully Campground. The process includes:

historical research resource inventory and documentation of existing conditions evaluation of integrity and significance

Subsequently, a preservation approach, management plan and maintenance strategy are worked out, with arrangements for keeping a record of treatment and future research recommendations. 5.2 Cultural Resource Inventory 5.2.1 Prehistoric Archeological Resources As at the nearby Royalston Falls, there is small likelihood of locating prehistoric archeological resources in the immediate vicinity, due to a relatively narrow range of natural resources. However, some evidence of prehistoric seasonal camp sites and resource processing activities has been identified in the vicinity of Tully Lake Campground. Consequently there is a higher likelihood of prehistoric evidence remaining toward the lower end of the falls.

5 – Cultural Resources 5-1

5.2.2 Historic Archeological Resources (structures) Doane’s Falls The core Doane’s Falls property, located west of Athol Road, includes foundations and/or cellarholes from at least eight structures, as well as dam remnants (Map 6). In general, the structural remains are in good to very good condition, the cellar walls and foundation remains appearing stable and showing little recent disturbance by either visitors or vandals. There are two main reasons for the good condition. First, the stonework of most features – especially those associated with Amos Doane, on the north side of the brook – is monumental, composed of massive slabs of cut granite that give the viewer pause. (How were these pieces maneuvered into place? And why were they so big?) But their size, the flatness of their stacking surfaces, and the obvious expertise of the stonemason involved, have combined to preserve many Doane’s Falls structures from erosion and frost disturbance, as well as to discourage would-be stone stealers from liberating the granite blocks. The second reason for the structures’ good condition is the location of most of them at a strategic distance from frequented visitor paths. Until recently, a vast majority of visitors have come to the Reservation to swim, dive and picnic immediately adjacent to the falls. The structures, however, with the obvious exceptions of Doane’s Mill and Nichols Mills, are literally off the beaten path and more or less screened by foliage and underbrush, especially during the summer months of highest reservation use. The site integrity of Nichols Mills was compromised by the 1930 construction of a new road bridge spanning Lawrence Brook. The bridge is known to have eliminated the sluiceway to the mill. The construction of its southern abutment may have altered the mill’s back (southern) foundation wall as well, and if the road was concurrently widened, the east wall of the mill may have been destroyed. These last two effects have yet to be verified. The site integrity of Doane’s Mill has been compromised by the routing of a visitor path directly through the mill foundation, and probable rearrangement of some foundation stones to provide viewing seats and platforms. Subsequent foot traffic has damaged a section of exposed brick flooring. The main outline of the extensive wooden building, and its granite foundation and retaining walls are still substantially intact. While none of the individual building sites has a high level of cultural significance, as a group they form a rare example of a virtually intact rural industrial neighborhood, with resources that were exploited for over a hundred years. This is particularly true if the cultural context is broadened to include the Bragg Mill dam and at least two building sites upstream of The Trustees’ property. The area is rare because, thanks to the available waterpower, Lawrence Brook’s falls could support a whole sub-community of the town but, thanks to that waterpower’s limitations, the sub-community could not expand, replacing first-generation structures with later ones. Doane’s Falls presents an archeological snapshot of mid-nineteenth century rural industry.


Map 6


Tully Campground The eastern flank of the campground along the western shore of the Tully River includes foundations and/or cellarholes from at least three structures (Map 7). In general, the structural remains are in fair condition. The cellar walls and foundation remains have been reduced over time, but they appear stable and show little recent disturbance by either visitors or vandals – despite the close proximity of three campsites to the Shepardson and Bosworth sites. 5.3 Historic Landscape Resources Almost the entire core area of Doane’s Falls Reservation constitutes one sizable historic landscape within which the structural remains are located. Cultural landscape features include two monuments, extensive stone walling, old paths and roadways and a number of culturally significant plants and trees (Map 6). Coddings Meadow, a few hundred feet upstream from the main reservation, retains little in the form of cultural resources. Two parallel lines of stone walling, plus a well, are all that remain as evidence of a twentieth-century vacation camp. A “sampling location plan” in Headquarters files shows the location of an oil spill at Coddings Meadow, which came from a heating oil tank being converted to outdoor grill. The polluted soil was removed and replaced with sterile fill. The dirt driveway leading from Athol Road to Coddings Meadow was historically known as Gale Road, after Jonathan Gale, who owned land south of the roadway. The Trustees apparently hold a right of way over the portion of this road that is not on its property. At Tully Campground, stonewalls and an old roadway leading from Doane Hill Road to the lake (“Red Trail”) are the most visible features (Map 7). Less apparent but perhaps more intriguing are the submerged landscape features that document pre-lake land use. When the water level of Tully Lake is drawn down, features exposed include the stumps of mature trees that once lined Tully Brook; the continuation of the Red Trail roadway across the lake bottom toward the Athol line, marked by more tree stumps and a flat, packed roadbed; plus concrete revetements flanking the mouth of Lawrence Brook whose purpose is unknown. Based on the historical research reported at length in Border Lands [Tritsch 2004] and summarized in Section 3 of this report, the Doane’s Falls area incorporates village, industrial and agricultural components in a rare cultural survival. In Secretary of the Interior (NPS) terms:

The Doane’s Falls historic resource area has a high level of cultural significance at the local and regional level, affording insight into industrial history, waterpower technology, settlement patterns, and masonry construction techniques. It shows substantial site integrity and is potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.


Map 7


5.4 Structural Resources 5.4.1 Introduction While there are a limited number of buildings and structures at the Tully Campground, it is important to reinforce that the current configuration and design primarily reflects the standards as inherited from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in 1999. In May of that year, Dick O’Brien, Central Regional Director signed a ten-year lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, creating a partnership that has been beneficial to both organizations. The management planning process provides an opportunity to reflect on the current use and configuration of the property and develop a vision for its future. With a lease agreement in place, the success of the visioning process is dependent on the partnership with the Army Corps, and any new planning initiatives are to be approved by the Corps. While the Corps does not charge The Trustees a fee for the campground’s use, it is clear from the language in the lease that all routine maintenance, capital improvements, and capital renewal are the responsibility of The Trustees. The lease captures an agreement that in 2009 the property is to be returned in the same condition in which it was received. The creation and implementation of a planning vision can only result from a successful partnership between The Trustees and the Army Corps, a tremendous opportunity for both organizations. Since 1999, The Trustees of Reservations has continued to be a leader in resource protection and has created a number of new initiatives to reinforce our commitment to building and growing our expertise in resource protection. The Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster, an “earth-friendly building”, is the first “built” example of our endorsement of sustainable design. While each of The Trustees’ properties is recognizable for its special sense of place, the sum of these properties across the state is defined in messages that can be found in the visitor’s experience. The design of Tully Campground, defined by its collection of buildings and structures and the camping experience, has the potential to develop its unique sense of place demonstrating a conservation ethic. Built in 1978, the original Tully Campground consisted of 21 campsites with adequate parking, a comfort station (restroom facility), a ranger station, and infrastructure to support the facilities including potable well water, a 3,500-gallon septic system, electric service, pathways, roadways, and two accessible campsites compliant with ADA guidelines (Americans with Disabilities Act). Below is a summary of the buildings and structures and values used to develop routine maintenance and renewal needs. Building Approximate

Year Constructed Square Footage

Replacement Cost

Ranger Station 1978 with addition in 2002

380 $19,200 (Using $50/sf)

Comfort Station 1978 900 $67,500 (Using $75/sf)

21 campsites, Parking Lots, Septic System, Wells, other utilities

1978 For purposes of renewal use $80,000


5.4.2 Methodology In order to develop a meaningful management plan, it is important to include an understanding of the baseline condition of our buildings and structures. This is accomplished in two phases. The first phase consists of a brief systematic review of the building systems classifying their condition as excellent, good, fair, or poor. Building systems include the roof, chimney, the structural integrity of walls, the finish of walls, the interior condition, exterior trim condition, gutter and drainage issues, foundation condition, floor condition, and electrical, heating, and plumbing systems condition. Of course, only those systems which are present are assessed. Such a classification provides a snapshot of the current health of the building while modeling the immediate needs to achieve renewal of building systems. The excellent, good, fair, or poor ratings are indications of a building systems’ useful life. An excellent rating indicates greater than 75% of a system’s useful life remains; a good rating falls between 50 and 75%; fair falls between 25 and 50%; and poor indicates that less than 25% of a building system’s useful life remains. Predicting useful life is not an exact science and this first phase of review is meant to create a generalized assessment of building health while relating this assessment to the health of other structures across the state. All information gathered during this initial assessment is stored and updated on the structural resources web site (www.structural-resources.org), allowing access remotely from all corners of the state. Once the initial assessment is complete, identifiable deficiencies which make up the analysis of renewal need can be categorized as projects. These will help to identify costs associated with routine maintenance, deferred maintenance, capital renewal and capital improvements1. Once again, the web-based database is used to store project information which can help identify immediate and future needs. 5.4.3 Current Use and Condition Ranger Station Built in 1978, the original 12’ x 12’ ranger station is a simple wooden structure used to orient campers at the entrance to the campground. While the building is clearly in better condition than recorded in 1999 when the building was turned over to The Trustees, there have been no major system renewals. Chris Ward, Quabbin Management Unit Superintendent, reports that the exterior is in good condition and the only immediate work needed in 2005 is the painting of the south facade of the building. Interior wood paneling will be observed more closely to see if past reports of insect promoted frass (possible termite or powder post damage) is old or current. In the summer of 2002, a 12' x 20' addition was built at the rear of the ranger station to meet the storage needs of the Campground and the Quabbin Management Unit. Figure 3 shows the structure under construction. The heavy timber frame was constructed from red pine harvested from the Doyle Reservation in Leominster and sawn on a portable bandsaw mill at the site.

1 Appendix C - Understanding the Baseline Conditions of Buildings and Structures Statewide


Figure 3: Construction of extension to campground ranger station in 2002

Comfort Station Also built in 1978, the 30’ x 30’ comfort station is an ordinary utilitarian painted concrete block building that does not appear to have had any major renewal of building systems performed during its 27 year life. The building contains a men’s room with two sinks, two toilets, two urinals, and one shower stall, a women’s room with two sinks four toilets and one shower stall, and a utility room housing all the mechanical equipment. Damage to the louver of an exterior roof vent was observed in 1999. Other renewal needs include the installation of coin-operated shower valves to promote water conservation. The comfort station mechanical room houses an electric heater, hydro-pneumatic tank, and air compressor. This tank and associated water piping is routinely drained in the fall to close the facilities for the winter. Paths adjacent to the building are generally in good shape needing slight improvements to correct problems associated with the effects of stormwater runoff. The painted metal handrail at the exterior of the comfort station may need routine painting in the coming season. Each of the campsites has a picnic table and fire ring and sites one and two have handicapped-accessible fire rings and tables. While most sites are in good condition, removal of rocks and leveling some areas would improve some sites. Site 14 is low-lying and can be swampy. The bridge out to 20i has recently been reconstructed and anchored.


5.4.4 Infrastructure Given the proximity of the septic system to the Lake, it is important to verify that all components of the system are working effectively. The potable drinking water is currently supplied by a 140 foot deep well, housing a submersible pump of an unknown age. Water quality in this well is tested monthly during months of operation and a Massachusetts drinking water permit obtained annually in December. Likewise the septic system is pumped annually to insure proper operation at the end of the season and so the system is empty during Spring flooding to avoid possible lake contamination. Currently, there are two areas used for parking: the inner lot which currently holds 36 cars and the outer lot which currently holds 12-14 cars. 5.4.5 Other structures This briefing document does not identify other structures such as gates, trail markings, and stone walls. There are a number of structures in the landscape that will also need to be reviewed and assessed to form a complete inventory of buildings and structures. It is also important to note that as part of the life safety improvements for Doane’s Falls, major trail reconfiguration has been completed and 30 new steel cable stanchions will be positioned to strengthen the protective cable structure at the edge of the falls. 5.4.6 Routine Maintenance Identifying all the routine maintenance needs is extremely important to guard against the creation of deferred maintenance and the rapid deterioration of building systems. A simple list of Routine Maintenance follows, the time and labor or outsourced cost is an important consideration when considering resources required in carrying out a management plan.

Building System Interval Description Roof, gutters spring, fall,

winter Clean out gutters, repair gutters if needed, remove any build-up of organic material (leaves, fungus). In winter watch for signs of ice damming, protect roof from heavy snow loads.

Chimney fall Have chimneys cleaned regularly; check mortar joints for excessive wear and deterioration.

Exterior eight to ten years

Complete exterior paint job, clean all surfaces, provide surface prep and paint. If painting is needed more frequently look for moisture and ventilation issues.

Walls Interior winter, spring, summer, fall

Interior surfaces should be cleaned regularly with a major cleaning in each of the four seasons. Interior renewal, painting and wallpaper can follow an eight to fifteen year cycle.

Foundation (exterior)

annually Inspect mortar joints annually, watch for moisture problems related to improper drainage, high water tables, seasonal flooding. Make sure foundation is vented properly, dry air is best.

Windows Doors

spring and fall

Prior to heating and cooling seasons, make sure all weather-stripping, storm windows and doors, and insulation, is properly installed. All storm combinations are to be positioned properly to guard against unwanted water infiltration.

Floors periodically Floors should be cleaned periodically reducing excessive build-up of dirt and dust. Renewal generally occurs in five to ten years depending on the materials.


Electrical winter, spring, summer, and fall

Check all smoke detectors to make sure they are active. Make sure access to electric panels and sub-panels remain unobstructed.

Heating spring and fall

Heating systems should be maintained using a service contract. All filters should be replaced as recommended. Oil tanks should have containment underneath; any apparent leaks are to be reported immediately.

Plumbing annually Water softening equipment and pump house equipment to be serviced annually by a qualified professional.

Pest Control annually Regular pest control should be assessed and serviced by an outside contractor.

Site annually Vegetation around the building perimeter is to be cleared away annually.

Septic annually Septic tank is to be pumped.

5.4.7 Capital Renewal When creating a management plan it is important to proactively plan for the renewal of building systems. The rule of thumb for building a reserve to pay for renewal needs is to set aside 2% of the building replacement value for renewal needs annually. In the case of the Tully collection, total replacement cost for the buildings and structures identified is $166,700. At 2% annually, the renewal costs should be approximately $3,330 per year. This renewal figure assumes that all building systems were recently renewed and includes a ballpark infrastructure renewal associated with site improvements (i.e., roadways). Funds should be adjusted in the budget to fund the completion of all deferred maintenance projects (these deficiencies are known as deferred maintenance) 5.4.8 Capital Improvement Funds associated with capital improvement projects will be identified as proposed programmed uses are identified. While it is not expected that the use of Tully campground will change, it is expected that capital improvements could significantly improve the camping experience. Examples of Capital Improvement projects include:

• Burying of the existing electric power distribution. This work would help improve the visor’s experience, maintaining the campground as a primitive campground.

• Use of alternative wastewater technologies, alternative power sources, and other “earth-friendly” technologies appropriate for camping. At Islandwood, an environmental education center on Bainbridge Island, Washington, the simple campus was constructed using earth-friendly sustainable techniques to involve participants in energy conservation, composting, recycling, and harnessing alternative energy sources.2

5.5 Summary of Significant Threats and Issues The wide range of stone features that currently exists at Doane’s Falls has proven remarkably

2 http://www.islandwood.org/default.asp


stable in a challenging climate and natural environment. Old photos and postcards do show evidence that additional stone features once existed, such as the remarkable dam/bridge feature at Doane’s Mill. Nevertheless, despite some losses, most of the stone structures in the reservation have resisted frost upheaval, as well as flood and ice damage from Lawrence Brook. A few threats can be identified.

Disturbance of stone walling by tree trunk and root growth. Damage to Doane’s Mill caused by (past) management choices including routing

of foot paths, choice of location of safety features. Potential for increased vandalism (graffiti, trash) to features in interior of property

as visitors are encouraged away from the Falls. Potential for rock fall on foundation walls caused by visitors climbing. Potential for increase in unauthorized digging / looting by bottle-hunters and

metal-detector explorers.

Similar threats exist for the campground.

Disturbance of stone walling by tree trunk and root growth. Damage to the Shepardson and Bosworth sites due to three campsites being

constructed within the site perimeters. Potential for rock fall on foundation walls caused by visitors climbing. Potential for unauthorized digging / looting by bottle-hunters and metal-detector

explorers. The current 10-year lease period constrains The Trustees in considering the types

and amount of investment in can make in the campground structures and related infrastructure.

An additional threat, not encountered upstream, is caused by changing water levels and currents in Tully Lake.

soil erosion and disturbance reduces the prehistoric archeological potential of the lake shore erosion wears away the submerged road bed exposure of wood features such as cut tree stumps at times of low water leads to

their decay 5.5 Summary of Significant Opportunities The recent ban on active water-based recreation at Doane’s Falls presents a new issue for management planning. What can the reservation offer to visitors as an activity or focus of interest that is not dependent on getting one’s feet wet? While scenic views and pleasant walking trails are obvious answers, the existence of a large historic resource inventory may present another alternative and attract a new audiences as well. Many of the cultural features at Doane’s Falls cluster together at the visitor’s point of entry to the reservation. With thoughtful landscaping and path design, these features can serve as a mental


point of entry as well, drawing the visitor into the cultural and natural history of an extraordinary landscape. The potential for interpretation of this rare survival – a rural industrial community – is discussed further under management recommendations. Moreover, the additional cultural resources of the adjacent campground complement those upstream. Briefly, the Doane’s Falls/Tully Campground cultural landscape offers significant opportunities to engage:

casual visitors via trail design, signage and interpretive literature; school groups from surrounding communities including Royalston, Athol and

Orange through educational programming; scholars and special interest groups via publications and field trips; and campers at Tully Campground (more than 3,000 in 2004) through interpretive

programming such as guided or self-guided tours i Charles Birnbaum, Protecting Cultural Landscapes (Preservation Brief #36, National Park Service 1994) p. 1 ff.


Section 6: The Visitor Experience 6.1 Introduction Doane’s Falls is a popular recreation spot for the local community. Residents of Royalston and the surrounding communities, especially Athol, come to the falls to appreciate the site’s scenic beauty. Historically the falls attracted many visitors interested in swimming during summer months. However, due to multiple swimming-related fatalities at the Falls, swimming and all water-related activities have been banned as of August 2002. As a result, management has focused on improving visitor safety as well as the visitor experience by highlighting the significant natural and cultural resources of the property. While visitors can no longer plunge from the cliffs into Lawrence Brook, they can enjoy hiking on trails that lead them past old mill foundations and to key viewpoints over the three cascades of the brook. During the spring thaw each cascade offers a sense of awe for the power and energy of the brook that inevitably gives way to the peaceful tranquility of a meandering brook during the drier summer months. A slightly longer trail leads visitors to a totally different experience at Coddings Meadow upstream from the falls. Here, Lawrence Brook meanders through marsh and visitors can glimpse wildlife or sit for a while in solitude. And below Doane’s Falls, where Lawrence Brook empties into the northeast corner of Tully Lake, lies Tully Lake Campground, a tents-only campground nestled under a white pine and hemlock canopy along the lake’s shoreline. It has also become a popular recreation spot, offering camping, boating, fishing, and hiking to visitors from all over the state and Northeast. 6.2 Demographics1

Tully Lake is located in northern Worcester County, a mostly rural area of the state, about two hours west of Boston, and about an hour north of Worcester. The largest nearby populations are Athol and Gardner (Map 8). According to the 2000 U.S. Census (www.census.gov), the local communities are mostly English-speaking people (Map 8). Nine local town populations have grown by an average of 23% between 1980 and 2000. In the immediate towns of Royalston, Athol, and Orange, the population averages 97% white ethnicity, 27% under age 18, 14% over age 65, 20% disabled, and 9% in poverty. 6.3 Past and Current Use Until the tragic fatality of a swimmer in 2002, swimming and hiking were the significant recreational activities at Doane’s Falls. The popular swimming pools were located at the upper and lower falls. The subsequent institution of a permanent swimming ban after the 1 Text and data from United States Army Corps of Engineers

6 – Visitor Experience 6-1

Map 8 Area Demographics

Source: Mass GIS (www.mass.gov/mgis) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers


fatality, however, has concentrated visitor usage to viewing the falls, hiking and nature study. The Campground was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and leased to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM) in 1978 until late 1991, at which time the USACE assumed management of the property. Prohibited from operating the Campground due to federal regulations, the USACE explored third party options to lease and operate the Campground. In 1999 The Trustees were granted a Commercial Concession Lease by the USACE to operate Tully Lake Campground. In 2003 a visitor survey was conducted at Doane’s Falls “to determine visitor characteristics, activities, and visitation patterns, as well as interest in learning opportunities, support for prospective management activities, and evaluation of facilities and services offered at Doane’s Falls.”2 The survey dealt specifically with visitors at Doane’s Falls and did not include the Campground. Results from the survey were used to complete the following section in relation to Doane’s Falls. Information obtained from 2004 registration records and visitor comment cards were used to complete the following section for the Campground. A registration record is a single registration receipt or group of registration receipts from a single stay or multiple stays identified to one user, typically the person who reserved the campsite. In cases when this person did not physically register at the Campground the first person who did assumed the primary role for record. Table 1 is an example of one registration record. Table 1. Registration Record for Tully Lake Campground

Last Name

First Name Address 1 City State

Zip Code Phone

TTOR Member

Total Spent

Number of Return

Visits

Doe John 123 High

Street Athol MA 01331 (978) 555-

1212 y $171.00 2 This record represents all registrations and purchase receipts recorded to a particular campsite registered to John Doe throughout the season. Invariably this record encompasses more than just one visitor; however, due to the available technology, time and abilities of staff, and the needs of the Campground, keeping every individual visitor/monetary transaction is cumbersome. This record is also useful in our Membership Incentives Program described in Membership section of Current Management. In 2004, 673 registration records were created for the Campground. 2 Appendix D: Anderson, L.E., D.K. Loomis and L. Vernegaard. 2004. Doane’s Falls Reservation: Visitor Characteristics, Experiences and Interests. The Trustees of Reservations and University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources Conservation.


Who visits the property? The visitor survey for Doane’s Falls identified the vast majority of visitors (88%) were from Massachusetts. Despite Royalston bordering New Hampshire, only 2% of visitors were from that state. The survey also indicated the majority of visitors to Doane’s Falls were residents of Athol and the surrounding communities, particularly Gardner and Orange, 60% of which were repeat visitors to the falls. Only 10% of visitors were members of The Trustees. No Royalston residents were captured in the survey at Doane’s Falls. Map 9 illustrates the distribution of where visitors to the Campground are coming from.

Map 9

The falls have become a popular destination for day hikers staying at Tully Lake Campground or hiking the Tully Trail. Sixteen percent of visitors surveyed at Doane’s Falls were staying at the Campground and 20% were exploring off the main trunk of the Tully Trail. The trail at Doane’s Falls is a section of the larger loop trail that circles Tully Lake which connects directly to the 18-mile long Tully Trail. While these visitors combine to represent a significant portion of the visitor base, the visitor survey identified that the majority of visitors, approximately 50%, still come just to visit Doane’s Falls.


Analysis of registration records for the Campground identified a similar trend; 89% of the 673 records were attributed to Massachusetts residents (Map 8). The records also included residents from the other six New England states as well as Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Michigan. Germany and Quebec were also recognized. Specific numbers are presented in table 2.

Table 2. Registration records by state.

State Number of

Records Percentage Massachusetts 599 89% Connecticut 25 4% New Hampshire 12 2% New York 12 2% Maine 7 1% Rhode Island 6 1% Vermont 4 1% Foreign Countries 2 <1% New Jersey 2 <1% North Carolina 2 <1% Colorado 1 <1% Michigan 1 <1%

What experience does the visitor seek at the property? The visitor survey identified spending time with family and friends and enjoying the reservation’s scenery as the two most important reasons visitors had for coming to Doane’s Falls. Other important reasons visitors came to Doane’s Falls included: • to relax, • to explore natural features and wildlife, • to get exercise, • to find peace and quiet, and/or • to explore a new place. Although no visitor survey was conducted at the Campground, one could surmise that visitors come to the Campground to camp, boat, fish, and hike for the same reasons visitors come to Doane’s Falls. What services and facilities await the visitor to the property? Doane’s Falls Presently, visitors to Doane’s Falls are greeted by the standard Trustees’ hanging welcome sign located at the pull-off parking area near intersection of Athol and Doane


Hill Roads. This location provides direct access to the trail on the north side of Lawrence Brook which leads to viewpoints at the upper, middle and lower falls. An outdated bulletin board, which is scheduled to be replaced, is also present along the trail and is visible from the parking area. An emergency telephone connected directly to the Royalston Police Department is also present near the bulletin board and parking area in case of an emergency. On weekends during the camping season visitors are likely to encounter a seasonal ranger patrolling the falls to enforce the swimming ban and to provide interpretation/information to the visiting public. During the camping season staff is also available 24 hours per day at Tully Lake Campground to answer questions or provide information about visiting Doane’s Falls. Doane’s Falls is being improved to enhance visitor experience as well as institute certain safety precautions as a result of the permanent swimming ban. These improvements are described in the Current Management section of this management plan. The visitor survey identified that most visitors were satisfied with the services and facilities offered at Doane’s Falls but also identified an interest in seeing better accessibility to drinking water and benches at the site. There is currently no access to either amenity; however, drinking water, restrooms, picnicking and recreation areas are available at Tully Lake Campground. Currently, day visitors are required to pay a visitor fee for use of these amenities. Tully Lake Campground Visitors to the Campground are required to check-in at the Ranger Station. Information on recreational activities in the region is available at the Station and camping reservations and canoe/kayak rentals can be arranged as well. Firewood and ice can also be purchased at the Station. The Ranger Station is staffed from 8am-10pm daily while the campground is open. Along with the Ranger Station and 35 tent-only campsites, each equipped with a fire-ring and picnic table, the Campground offers a comfort station with hot showers and flush toilets. A dish washing sink is also available to campers at the comfort station. What interpretive programming and materials are present at the site? Current plans for formal interpretive programming and materials at Doane’s Falls are limited to the erection of a small bulletin board at the entrance that will identify trails and explain, at least briefly, the cultural and natural resources at the site. However, several opportunities exist for guided hikes and educational presentations at Doane’s Falls. The Trustees cooperates with the Athol Bird and Nature Club and the US Army Corps of Engineers in developing educational and interpretive programs during June, July and August at Tully Lake Campground. These programs are led by members and staff of the


above and have included guided hikes and canoe paddles, plant and insect identification walks, and historical presentations. The potential to expand educational programming that focuses on Doanes Falls is strong, given the wealth of information about the site’s history and geology combined with a ready-made audience from the Tully Lake Campground (the 2003 survey showed that 16% of the Falls’ visitors were staying at the Campground); with over 3,000 annual visitors to the Campground, this sets the stage for good interest in Doane’s Falls educational programming. With the exception of long hikes on the Tully Trail each program at the Campground has been well attended and received by participants. Additionally, the accessibility to the large pool of program leaders from the above organizations limits the expense in providing the programs. What is the access and circulation of the property? Access to Doane’s Falls for those arriving by vehicle is mainly concentrated at the pull-off parking area located at the intersection of Athol and Doane Hill Roads. Vehicular parking is also available at the USACE gate located on Doane Hill Road and is utilized regularly by the public. The Trustees’ lot has room for two-four cars and an additional two cars can park at the USACE access gate. Foot traffic from Tully Lake Campground also uses the Doane Hill Road entrance. Typically, parking at Doane’s Falls is sufficient but the potential for parking to interfere with traffic on very busy days does exist. The trails at Doane’s Falls are part of a larger trail network in the Royalston area that provides additional access to some, especially hikers (Map 1). There are three major trails relevant to Doane’s Falls: the Tully Trail, Tully Lake Trail and the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail. The Tully Trail head is located at the Campground. The trail is approximately 18 miles long and connects all three of The Trustees’ properties in Royalston: Jacobs Hill, Royalston Falls and Doane’s Falls. Although mountain biking is prohibited at Doane’s Falls, mountain bikers can access Doane’s Falls via a 7.5 mile long bike trail that connects to the Tully Trail. The Tully Lake Trail is an approximately four mile loop around the lake, including both sides of Doane’s Falls, and connects directly to the Tully Trail. Finally, visitors interested in an even greater challenge can access the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail from the Tully Trail. This roughly 160 mile long trail extends from the Metacomet Trail on the Connecticut state line to Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire. Sole vehicular access to the Campground is via Doane Hill Road and two parking areas await visitors. The larger lot, located inside the gated entrance, is available only to registered campers and visitors while the smaller outside lot is available for public use. Parking can be a problem on high volume weekends and expansion of the current lots is in progress to help remedy the problem.


The remainder of the Campground is off limits to vehicles to benefit the rural camping atmosphere, with the exception of authorized staff and/or emergency services. Campers have access to four garden carts to haul equipment and supplies via four trails, the red, blue, white, and green, into the campsites. Although swimming is allowed at Tully Lake there are no designated swimming areas. What services are present for visitors with disabilities? Currently, no facilities exist for visitors with disabilities at Doane’s Falls. The rugged and steep topography of the reservation presents a challenge for providing universal access. However, opportunities for improving access for the disabled should be explored since the falls are near parking and road access. Tully Campground offers a handicapped-accessible bathroom and allows vehicular access for visitors with disabilities to two campsites, 1A and 2, for transporting equipment and supplies only. The vehicles are then required to park in the large lot which maintains two handicapped-only parking spots. The two campsites have handicapped-accessible fire-rings. 6.4 Scenery and Aesthetics Doane’s Falls, although limited in area, does support significant scenic resources. The falls are among the most impressive and well known in Massachusetts and the reason most visitors come to the reservation. The falls are most impressive during spring runoff and after heavy rain.

Figure 4: View of lower falls during high water


The other significant scenic resource is the view of Lawrence Brook at Coddings Meadow. After a short hike along Lawrence Brook and through dense forest, hikers are rewarded with an open view of Lawrence Brook meandering through extensive marsh. This relatively unknown access provides an intimate and tranquil setting ideal for wildlife viewing.

Figure 5: View of Lawrence Brook from Coddings Meadow vista

The Campground lies under a predominately softwood canopy of white pine and hemlock and sits on Tully Lake, a picturesque 210-acre flood control reservoir. The entire shoreline of the lake is protected by the USACE and with the exception of the dam, most of the shoreline is undeveloped. Most of the ridge line above the lake is also undeveloped and only a few houses are visible from the Campground. The setting is peaceful and beautiful year round but especially exceptional at sunset on calm days when the lake’s smooth surface reflects the colorful skies and surrounding slopes. 6.5 Summary of Elements Important to Visitor Experience A visit to Doane’s Falls is increasingly becoming an activity or destination associated with a greater experience or set of activities focused on the Tully Region. For example, 20 % of visitors surveyed indicated they were visiting the falls because they were hiking the Tully Trail and 16% indicated they were staying at the campground. However, the visitor survey still identified enjoying the reservation’s scenery (i.e., the Falls) as the most important reason visitors had for coming to Doane’s Falls. Coddings Meadow, while not as well known, is also important for its scenery. While no visitor survey was done at the Campground, the voluntary comment card survey does provide feedback on the experience the Campground is offering. Maintaining high marks of satisfaction from the visitor while continuing towards The Trustees’ vision of a state-of-the-art, “green” campground will guide the development of the operation.


Thus, significant elements of the visitor experience include:

• The Falls as the primary scenic feature of the property and Tully Region • Coddings Meadow as an important alternative experience to the dynamic and

more frequently visited falls • A high degree of visitor satisfaction with the set of factors important to the

camping experience • Proximity to Jacobs Hill and Royalston Falls as alternative experiences within the

Tully Region • An opportunity to experience the Tully Region, a relatively unspoiled part of

Massachusetts, one that lies within two hours of two major metropolitan areas. 6.6 Significant Threats to the Quality of the Visitor Experience There are four significant threats that could diminish the quality of the visitor experience primarily as it relates to aesthetics at Doane’s Falls: Doane’s Falls • Litter Allowing the accumulation of roadside debris at or near the entrance or along the trail would detract from the scenic quality of Doane’s Falls. In addition, there is the potential for that debris to ultimately be deposited in Lawrence Brook which would also detract from the scenic quality of the site. During patrols, the ranger collects and disposes of trash. Typically one or two full 13-gallon trash bags are removed on a weekend. • Vandalism Vandalism has been a problem at Doane’s Falls. To date, incidents of vandalism have included graffiti on rocks, defacing of signage or total destruction of signage. All take away from the scenic quality of the reservation but can potentially impede safety as well when certain signs are destroyed or specific rules/regulations are obstructed. • Erosion While little threatens the Falls themselves, erosion and soil compaction at viewing sites and along trails can detract from the visitor experience. Areas can become denuded of vegetation and trails can be widened or re-routed when hikers are forced off of established trails due to precarious footing. The latter can potentially cause visitor injuries as well as the trampling and killing of vegetation.

• Safety The swimming fatality in August 2002 prompted The Trustees to institute a permanent swimming ban and begin installation of permanent cabling and trail re-routing to improve visitor safety at the site.


Tully Lake Campground As with any hospitality operation, the significant challenge in promoting a good visitor experience is meeting a visitor’s expectations. While there are a variety of important factors that determine success in doing just this, the two most significant at the Campground are customer service and the condition of the facilities and amenities. Therefore, ensuring good customer service and maintaining tidy and properly functioning facilities and amenities are imperative to a successful operation. Scenery and aesthetics are also important to the Campground operation and there are two significant threats: • Site Condition and Privacy

Bare patches of soil caused by trampling of vegetation and exposed tree roots and rocks detract from the aesthetics and reflect poorly on The Trustees’ management. The loss of trees as screening between sites due to mortality from vandalism, collecting of fire wood, and trampling detract from the camping experience by reducing privacy between sites.

• Development

The visible ridgeline opposite the Campground is mostly undeveloped; however, the potential for this land to be developed does exist. While The Trustees’ ability to respond to this threat is limited, specific projects that directly impact views from the Campground are currently being considered.

Potential Threats to Visitors to both sites:

• Hunting: The regulations for hunting vary across the two properties. While there is good logic for this, it is important that we post clearly these regulations so that visitors coming to the properties during hunting season will be alerted when they enter an area where hunting is permitted.

• With more than 3,400 campers annually and the Campground’s remote location, the probability of a visitor needing emergency CPR or other medical attention is not insignificant, and plans should be put in place to address this emergency in a practical fashion.

6.7 Significant Opportunities to Enhance the Quality of the Visitor Experience Doane’s Falls

• Opportunities exist for guided and self-guided hikes and educational programs that highlight the site’s interesting and rich history which is virtually unknown to most visitors. The site is also particularly well suited to interpret land use history and the changing landscape of Massachusetts and New England.


• Encourage day visitors to utilize amenities such as restrooms, picnicking and

recreation areas currently available at Tully Lake Campground. This could improve the quality of the visitor experience as well as increase property income by increasing the amount of visitor usage fees collected.

• Address issues identified by visitors that would benefit the visitor experience

(e.g., access to drinking water and benches) that, if provided, may have a disproportionate positive impact on the visitor experience based on cost.

• Explore potential access for visitors with disabilities particularly the section

between the main parking area and the upper falls and the section between the USACE parking area and the lower falls. The steep terrain of the section between the upper and lower falls precludes this area from being accessible to most visitors with serious disabilities.

Tully Lake Campground

• In keeping with the desire to make the Campground financially self-sufficient, there is an opportunity to attract would-be campers, especially during the middle of week when attendance is low, by making potential campers aware of other regional resources, including services and cultural events.

• The Campground offers us a unique opportunity to engage visitors more

substantially than at other properties. This may suggest unique types of programs that are geared to the one – to – several day visit.


Section 7: Overview of Current Management 7.1 Introduction The management of Doane’s Falls is always evolving to meet the demands of its visitors while preserving its character and history. In 1959 when The Trustees first began acquiring land at Doane’s Falls for the protection of public access to the scenic falls, the property was the popular swimming hole for many of the local residents. Tully Lake Campground did not exist and when it came online three years later, it was managed by the state’s Department of Environmental Management. The Tully Trail would not be dedicated for another 26 years. Today, much has changed. The lease and operation of the Tully Lake Campground was added to the reservation in 1999, the Tully Trail was completed in 2001, and swimming was banned at the Falls in 2002. The Trustees assumed operation of the Campground, seeing it as an opportunity to facilitate access to Doane’s Falls, other Trustees’ properties in the area, and the remote Tully Region. Furthermore, the operation of the Campground would allow for an increase in The Trustees’ staff presence at Doane’s Falls, thereby improving the visitor experience by minimizing banned and prohibited activities. Staff continues to work towards preserving Doane’s Falls’ scenic beauty and rich history while managing an increasingly popular destination for recreational enthusiasts. This section describes the current management for Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground and, highlights challenges that staff face today, including the apparent inadequacy of staff and funding resources to address routine management and baseline needs. 7.2 Management Overview The discussion of current management that follows focuses on the change in use from swimming as the primary visitor activity to hiking and the appreciation of nature as well as the addition of the Tully Lake Campground and creation of the Tully Trail. As such, Doane’s Falls is managed administratively, financially and operationally in conjunction with Tully Lake Campground. The proximity of each to one another, the overlap in visitor use and the communal use of resources deems this the most logical management approach. Promotion of the Tully Trail, whose trail head is located at Tully Lake Campground, has also become a focus for management and visitors alike. 7.2.1 Doane’s Falls Prior to the reservation’s dedication in 1975, and during the years that followed, the primary recreational activity at the Falls was swimming. A tragic swimming fatality at the Falls in 2002, however, forced the organization to reevaluate its management of the

7 – Current Management 7 - 1

property. A temporary moratorium on swimming was enacted immediately following the fatality and was made permanent in 2003. With the institution of the ban, the primary visitor activities at the property shifted from swimming to hiking and nature study. Management has adjusted to the shift by focusing on enforcing the swimming ban and installing safety improvements. 7.2.2 Tully Lake Campground Owned by the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Campground was built in 1978 but had not been operated between 1992 and 1999 when The Trustees began leasing the site. The Trustees re-opened the Campground to the public in the summer of 1999. The lease with the USACE expires in May 2009. The lease agreement calls for “operation and maintenance of the Campground for park and recreational purposes only and in accordance with a development and management plan as approved in writing by the [Park Manager.]”1 An operational plan accompanied by a financial report outlining expenditures and income for Tully Lake Campground is submitted annually by The Trustees’ Quabbin Management Unit Superintendent to the Army Corps Park Manager. An important note under the terms of the lease states that any monies generated from the property must be utilized by The Trustees for “administration, maintenance, operation and development of the premises…within a five year period.”2

While this lease arrangement appears to be working well for The Trustees and the USACE, its 10-year time frame seriously constrains The Trustees’ ability to make significant capital improvements that would advance several of this plan’s main goals. 7.2.3 Tully Trail The Tully Trail is a partnership effort of government agencies, conservation organizations and private landowners through the North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership. The 18-mile loop trail (Map 10) was “designed to provide the public with an exceptional hiking experience and showcase various types of land conservation.”3 The Trustees have taken the leadership role in maintaining the trail. Operational costs for the trail are attributed to the Quabbin Management Unit cost center, not the Tully Lake Campground/Doane’s Falls cost center. The trail head is located at Tully Lake Campground. Although Doane’s Falls is not immediately located on the Tully Trail, it is an integral part of the region’s trail network and remains the major side attraction for hikers on the Tully Trail.

1 Corps of Engineers. 1999. Draft Plan of Operation Tully Campground Commercial Concession Lease. Department of the Army. 2 Corps of Engineers. 1999. Lease to Nonprofit Organization for Park and Recreational Purposes, Tully Lake Project. Lease Number DACW33-1-99-061. Department of the Army. 3 The Trustees of Reservations. 2002. The Tully Trail Map & Guide. The Trustees of Reservations and The National Park Service & Trails Program


7.3 Routine Management Table 7-1 summarizes the routine management tasks in detail by three seasons. These seasons are defined by major transitions in the annual management of the Campground. February 1 is the first day campers can make reservations. The superintendent spends considerable time taking reservations, some days up to eight hours, until the Campground opens on Memorial Day. The Campground is open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. Seasonal staff are present during most of this time. Columbus Day to February 1 is considered the “off” season but work continues as the Campground needs to be prepared for the winter and staff prepare for the coming season. As is clear from the list, the majority of tasks are related to the Campground. Tasks for Doane’s Falls are mostly limited to regular patrolling, which includes trash pickup, and trail maintenance (e.g., mowing edges and removing downed trees and branches). Additional time is needed to update and maintain the entrance bulletin board. 7.4 Current Capacity to Meet Baseline Needs 7.4.1 Staff Resources Management and oversight of Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground are designated to the Field Operations staff of The Trustees’ Central Region. Onsite management involving stewardship, protection of cultural and natural resources, enforcement of rules and regulations, and visitor information and interpretation at the property is delegated to the Quabbin Management Unit (QMU). The management unit includes nine properties totaling 1,700 acres in four towns and also currently includes management of Peaked Mountain, due to the lack of a Quaboag Hills Management Unit Superintendent or other staff. Staffing for the QMU consists of one full-time superintendent and four to five seasonal staff: one campground manager and 3-4 rangers dedicated to the Doane’s Falls/Tully Lake Campground operation. As a requirement of the lease agreement with the Army Corps, staff must be present at the Campground 24 hours/day during the 16 week regular season when campers are registered. The schedule scales back accordingly during the fall weekend season. The QMU also receives funds for a seasonal maintenance position. However, the funding for this position has been redirected to the Campground to supplement staffing levels to meet the actual staffing needs of the operation. This eliminates the MU maintenance technician position and severely limits the ability of the QMU Superintendent to safely perform many of the routine maintenance tasks in the MU. As a result, the MU Superintendent has been unable to address the routine, baseline maintenance on several other properties and a backlog of deferred trail maintenance has developed that needs to be addressed.


Table 7-1 Seasonality and Frequency of Routine Tasks at Doane's Falls/Tully Lake Campground

Seasonal Dates February 1 - Memorial

Day Memorial Day - Columbus Day

Columbus Day - February 1

Task \ Frequency D W M A D W M A D W M A

Secure Board of Health permit •

Handle reservation phone calls •

Prepare and mail confirmation letters •

Hire Staff •

Secure bridge to 20-I •

Unsecure bridge to 20-I •

Order supplies •

Reactivate contracts for trash and phone •

Operational Plan to ACE •

Financial Report to ACE • Spring clean-up: raking, pruning, moving picnic tables and fire rings •

Turning on water in Comfort Station •

CPR and First Aid training for staff •

Schedule programs with ACE and ABNC •

Clean bathrooms •

Clean sites •

Deliver, split, stack wood •

Patrol Falls •

Handle reservations •

Prepare deposit •

Submit timesheets •

Prepare and send confirmation letters •

Post Office Run •

Dump Recyclables •

Clean canoes and kayaks •

Mow, weed-whack and rake •

Handle sales at Ranger Station •

Pump septic •

Visitor Report to ACE •

Safety report to ACE •

Billing for vendors •

Prepare Deposit and deliver to bank •

Complete Daily Cash and Attendance Logs •

Program set-up •

Winterize Comfort Station •

Prepare budget •

Secure picnic tables and fire rings •

Suspend contracts for trash and phone •

Obtain MA Drinking Water Permit • Prepare paperwork - registration slips, logs, receipts, reservation book •

D = Daily, W = Weekly, M = Monthly, A = Annually


Additionally, current start times by seasonal staff make opening the Campground challenging, at best, prior to the arrival of the first campers. Seasonal staff typically start three days before the Campground opens and it has been difficult to bring staff on earlier. At the same time, the organization and operational plan with the USACE has also required that seasonal staff be trained in CPR and first aid (8 hours) and organizational safety (2 hours) adding to the list of tasks that must be completed prior to opening. As a result, pre-opening preparations are typically rushed or more important, some tasks not completed prior to opening. In order to prepare the Campground for an on-time opening and to train staff adequately, an additional two weeks of seasonal staff time is needed in the spring. On the other end of the season, closing the Campground after seasonal staff have left, demands most or all of the superintendent’s time for two weeks, resulting in management needs at other properties in the QMU being ignored. Extending seasonal staff by two weeks would free up the superintendent for other responsibilities (e.g., stewardship at other QMU properties) and improve the quality of the operation, communication between Campground staff, and safety of employees. Safety is an issue due to the necessity of staff working alone when two should be present (e.g., work requiring chainsaws). Currently, funding for a seasonal maintenance technician for the management unit is being used to supplement staffing needs at the Campground, thus, the management unit is without seasonal staff. The regular season weekly schedule for Campground staff as of FY2006 looks as follows:

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Manager Off Off 8a – 4p 8a – 4p 8a – 4p 8a – 4p 8a – 4p Ranger 1 8a – 530p 8a – 530p 3p – 10p 3p – 10p 3p – 10p Off Off Ranger 2 5p – 10p 3p – 10p Off Off Off 330p – 10p 330p – 10p Ranger 3/4 10p – 8a 10p – 8a 10p – 8a 10p – 8a 10p – 8a 10p – 8a 10p – 8a The need to reinstitute a Doane’s Falls Ranger to enforce the swimming ban was also identified during the 2005 camping season. Given our experience over the previous two years with the swimming ban in place, it was thought that the illegal swimming issue was substantially resolved and would cease to be a serious problem at Doane’s Falls in 2005. However, despite the efforts of completing the installation of additional cabling along Lawrence Brook, illegal swimming did not diminish and, in fact, seemed to increase. One of the critical factors contributing to this may have been that we did not have as much of a presence at the Falls as we had over the past two years. It appears that having a very visible presence at the falls during peak times and weather conditions remains the most effective management action The Trustees can take in implementing the ban on swimming. Therefore, the permanent institution of this seasonal ranger position will be necessary in subsequent years at the falls.


7.4.2 Equipment Resources Most equipment used at Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground is available from the equipment caches located at Tully Lake Campground and the Doyle Conservation Center and is available for all properties in the Central Region. Equipment typically used at the property includes mower, weed whacker, chainsaw with personal protection equipment (PPE), loppers and other pruning tools. Tully Lake Campground does have some specialized equipment designated solely for the Campground; this includes six canoes, four kayaks, a wood splitter and four garden carts. A small maintenance or utility vehicle is a much needed item that would help staff when cleaning sites and moving materials such as firewood and fill around the Campground. Currently, the staff competes with campers for the use of the four garden carts which places an added burden on the carts and visitors. The green aspirations for the Campground outlined in the Executive Summary should be considered in selecting a vehicle, including but not limited to, alternative fuel source vehicles. 7.4.3 Committees and Volunteers There is no active property committee at Doane’s Falls; however, volunteers do actively participate in the stewardship of the property. This includes volunteer workdays to prepare the Campground for opening and maintaining trails at Doane’s Falls. To date, volunteer groups from the Boy Scouts, Pioneer Valley Hiking Club, and Camp Squanto in New Hampshire, as well as individuals have been instrumental in assisting the QMU superintendent with stewardship when staff is unavailable. A property committee, based on the Petersham model, for the Royalston properties would be useful and could specifically advise, assist with property management, and assist with fundraising. 7.4.4 Budget Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground are managed as one cost center by The Trustees. The physical proximity of the properties, the similarity of management issues, the shared involvement of staff and resources, and overlap in visitor use make this the logical approach. Revenue from the Campground operation and funds from The Trustees are used to offset the cost of operation which includes salaries and benefits, maintenance and repairs, purchase of merchandise, property service, uniforms, other miscellaneous costs, and organizational overhead as well as capital improvements to the property’s structures and services. In FY05, 70% of the property’s operational costs were offset through revenue generated by the property while The Trustees assumed the remaining 30%. In FY05 a large portion of the administrative work for the properties which had previously been assigned to the Central Region Administrative Assistant was reassigned to the QMU superintendent and the regional budget was redesigned to incorporate


management units. These shifts have reduced the allocated expenses associated with the properties and are responsible for the significant decrease in expenditures in FY05. Table 3 highlights income and expenses for the cost center for the last three fiscal years.

Table 3. Doane’s Falls/Tully Lake Campground Income and Expenses

Fiscal Year 2003 2004 2005 Camping Season Summer 2002 Summer 2003 Summer 2004 Income $48,732 $56,307 $64,553 Expenditures $108,607 $100,629 $72,829 Net Surplus/(Deficit) ($59,875) ($44,322) ($8,276)

Currently there is no funding for purchase of merchandise such as ice and firestarters. If The Trustees plans to sell ice for a profit the annual budget should be increased to allow the purchase of product at the beginning of the season. Also, if converting to “green” cleaning products in the spirit of the vision, the budget will need to increase to meet the additional cost of these products. 7.5 Safety Management As a result of the 2002 swimming fatality, management at the reservation has prohibited swimming and other water related activities at Doane’s Falls and focused on improving visitor safety. As part of this new focus, The Trustees are instituting certain safety precautions. These improvements (Map 10), scheduled to be completed in FY 2006, include the following:

• Repaving the pull-off parking area that holds 2-4 vehicles near the intersection of Athol and Doane Hill Roads.

• Replacing the temporary cabling currently installed to keep visitors out of unsafe and restricted areas with permanent steel stanchions and cabling at the upper and lower Falls.

• Replacing the existing bulletin board with a standard Trustees’ 4’x4’ bulletin

board.

• Installing new rules and regulations signs at the parking area and the two trail entrances located on the south side of Lawrence Brook and at the US Army Corps of Engineers’ gate located on Doane Hill Road.

• Rerouting trails to limit access to restricted areas (e.g., Lawrence Brook and

adjacent steep slopes), discourage swimming, alleviate difficult sections of the trail, reduce erosion and soil compaction, and protect archeological sites.


Map 10

Safety of campers at Tully Lake Campground remains a top priority for The Trustees’ and the organization complies with all US Army Corps of Engineers safety and health requirements. A few key points are emphasized below:

• The Trustees perform monthly inspections of the Campground and ensures all

deficiencies will be corrected as quickly as possible.

• The Trustees comply with Tully Lake’s Fire Protection Plan and all state fire bans. Fire extinguishers are located at multiple locations on the Campground.

• The Trustees ensure adequate lighting at the comfort station and check-in station

for the safety of campers at night. • The Trustees have first aid kits at multiple locations on the Campground and

provide First Aid and CPR training for the Campground staff. • Emergency phone numbers are posted near the public pay phone and the check-in

station.


Staff safety is also a top priority at the property. Proper protective equipment for safe tool use during maintenance of the grounds and facilities is available for the staff. In the event of an emergency situation, staff has the discretion to contact police and emergency services as needed. 7.6 Rules and Regulations Rules and regulations have been developed separately for Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground in order to fully address safety concerns and visitor experience at each location. Rules governing water-based recreational activities at Tully Lake Campground and on Tully Lake have not been affected by the changes at Doane’s Falls. Tully Lake and the larger recreational area are managed by the USACE and, thus, The Trustees’ regulations are not applicable to these areas. Boating and fishing are allowed on Tully Lake in accordance with state and federal regulations. Despite there being no designated swimming area at Tully Lake, swimming is allowed. 7.6.1 Doane’s Falls

Swimming, diving, and wading are prohibited at this reservation.

Please stay on marked trails. Public access into posted restricted areas along Lawrence brook is prohibited.

Alcoholic beverages, fires, camping and littering are prohibited. Motorized vehicles are prohibited except for purposes related to the property’s management. Horseback riding is prohibited. Mountain biking is prohibited.

Disturbing, removing, defacing, cutting, or otherwise causing damage to a natural feature, sign, poster, barrier, building, or other property on the reservation is prohibited.

Dogs must be leashed at all times.

Hunting, trapping and firearms are prohibited on the Doane’s Falls tract of this reservation. Hunting is allowed on the Coddings Meadow tract of the reservation. Hunters are required to follow the rules established by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.


Conduct that disturbs the tranquility of the reservation or its enjoyment by others is prohibited.

The reservation is open from sunrise to sunset. Entering or remaining on the property between sunset and sunrise is prohibited.

Issue to watch Despite these rules, The Trustees staff continue to encounter visitors swimming at the Falls. Furthermore, staff have received requests from kayakers to ride the falls and kayakers have been observed emerging from the brook, leading one to speculate they had just ridden the falls. The current regulations do not specifically mention kayaking and the perception by some visitors may be that kayaking is permitted. Amending the existing regulations to specifically mention that the launching of kayaks and other boats is prohibited on Trustees’ property may eliminate any unintended confusion and prevent this activity. 7.6.2 Tully Lake Campground

Camping is permitted at designated sites only. No more that two tents shall be allowed per campsite, unless campers receive permission from the Campground Manager to place additional tents at that site. Placement of camping equipment or other items on a campsite and/or personal appearance without overnight occupancy at a campsite for the purpose of reserving a designated campsite for future occupancy is prohibited. Camping at one or more campsites for a period longer than 30 days during any 60-consecutive-day period is prohibited without written permission of the Campground Supervisor.

Fires shall be confined to designated fireplaces. Fires shall not be left unattended and must be completely extinguished prior to departure. The burning of materials that produce toxic fumes, including, but not limited to, tires, plastic or treated wood products is prohibited.

Alcoholic beverages and illicit drugs are prohibited.

Campers shall keep their sites free of trash and litter during the period of occupancy and shall remove all personal equipment and clean their sites upon departure. Campers are encouraged to use the rinse sink on the outside of the comfort station to wash their cooking and eating utensils.

Pets must be on a leash no greater than 6 feet long or otherwise physically restrained. All pets, except properly trained animals assisting the handicapped, are prohibited from the comfort station. Pet owners are responsible for cleaning up their


pet’s wastes. If pets disturb the tranquility of any patron’s experience the staff may ask the owner to remove the pet immediately.

Swimming, diving, snorkeling or scuba diving is done at the camper’s own risk. These activities are prohibited at launching sites, designated mooring points and areas so designated by the District Engineer.

No nails or screws shall be driven into trees. No rocks shall be dug from the ground or taken from stone walls. The digging or leveling of any ground or the construction of any structure is prohibited. Cutting or gathering of trees or parts of trees is prohibited. Gathering of dead wood on the ground for use as firewood is permitted.

An adult must accompany all campers under the age of 18.

Visitors must check in at the Ranger Station upon arrival at the Campground and must depart the Campground before 10:00 p.m. Quiet hours begin at 10:00 PM and end at 7:00 AM. Loud or intrusive noise during quiet hours will be cause for patrons’ ejection from the Campground. Check out time is 11:00 a.m. Campers staying beyond their checkout time may be assessed an additional day’s rental fee for that site.

It is likely that the current regulations for both Doane’s Falls and Tully Campground will need to be revised to reflect issues identified as a result of this planning effort. Additionally, the vision articulated in the Executive Summary may also require further revision of regulations. Because the regulations on hunting vary between Doane’s Falls, Coddings Meadow, and the Campground, visitors need to be warned of any changes as they go from one area to another. 7.7 Membership The 2003 visitor survey conducted at Doane’s Falls indicated only 11% of visitors to Doane’s Falls were Trustees’ members. Registration receipts for Tully Lake Campground in 2003 indicated only 4% of visitors to the Campground were members of The Trustees. In 2004 this number increased to 11%. To help continue growing membership to The Trustees, the Membership Incentive Program has been established at Tully Lake Campground. Visitors can earn a $10 credit toward membership to The Trustees for each $100 they spend at Tully Lake Campground. Due to the lease agreement with the USACE no additional benefits can be given to members over nonmember visitors because of federal restrictions discouraging discrimination. However, this policy is being reviewed by the USACE. In addition to the incentives program, the property staff takes every opportunity to promote annual membership to visitors.


7.8 Partnerships with other Organizations Partnerships with the Athol Bird and Nature Club and the US Army Corps of Engineers are well-established and have resulted in an annual cooperative educational program during the camping season. See Section 7 for more discussion on educational programs at Tully Lake Campground. Without these partnerships, it is unlikely The Trustees would be able to provide these programs, and participation by the Athol Bird and Nature Club and the USACE will be critical in improving upon and expanding the educational and interpretive program in the future.


Section 8: Land Conservation 8.1 Introduction The Trustees of Reservations supports an active land conservation program using a variety of tools and approaches for preserving ecological, scenic and historic landscapes and special places that are threatened by inappropriate development. A primary focus of the land conservation program is to acquire or protect by other means (such as a conservation restriction) important, privately owned inholdings or other threatened properties adjacent to existing reservations. In addition, we often work in collaboration with government agencies and other conservation groups to achieve common land protection goals. The Trustees also supports a program of establishing greenways or wildlife corridors that link areas of protected land, not necessarily owned by The Trustees. Beyond the aspect of ecological benefits, greenways also preserve scenic and recreational corridors. The area surrounding Doane’s Falls offers many opportunities to create new connections among existing conservation land, many of which are linked by recreational hiking trails (Map 11), or to expand on existing corridors. In addition, with several other like-minded organizations active in the area, (Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, US Army Corps of Engineers, Harvard Forest, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, etc.) it is important to coordinate and sometimes partner on land protection projects. 8.2 Description and Evaluation Why is it important for The Trustees to continue to save land surrounding Doane’s Falls? Doanes’s Falls is located in the midst of an increasingly popular outdoor recreation area roughly delineated by the Tully Trail. It is also the southernmost Trustees’ property in an emerging corridor of protected open space extending north through the Ledges, Jacobs Hill and Royalston Falls. There still exists an opportunity to complete the connections among Trustees’ properties and other protected lands. This would create a truly significant block of conservation land protecting expansive wildlife habitat and preserveing the rural, scenic beauty of the region. On an even bigger scale, Doane’s Falls is part of larger initiatives to create a conservation corridor from the Quabbin Reservoir to the New Hampshire border and on to the center of the Granite State (Map 11). The Trustees participates in both the North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership and the Quabbin to Cardigan Initiative, which are working to establish priority areas and increase funding for land protection in this area.

8 – Land Conservation 8 - 1

Map 11


As described in Conserving Our Common Wealth, The Trustees defined two important land protection objectives for the Doane’s Falls area :

“Tully Lake Greenway and Trail: In cooperation with Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust and the Army Corps of Engineers, complete protection of the Tully Lake Greenway and Trail in the towns of Orange and Royalston, eventually linking Doane’s Falls with Royalston Falls five miles to the north. North Quabbin Greenway: Work with the North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership to protect forestland and wetland, establish and secure trail links between Quabbin and the New Hampshire border, and connect private and public open space in this region.”1

8.2.1 Present Property Configuration and Description Doane’s Falls and Coddings Meadow cover 46 acres at the intersection of Athol Road and Doane Hill Road. Immediately across Doane’s Hill Road from Doane’s Falls is a privately owned, undeveloped 2.8-acre property bordered by Old Doane’s Hill Road to the north (map 13, lot 30). This parcel is part of the scenic drive from Doane’s Falls to Tully Campground. Several of the privately owned parcels to the north and south of Doane’s Falls on Athol Road have been developed along the road frontage. However, much of the back land on these parcels remains undeveloped and may be difficult to develop at this time, given the constraints on the land and the fact that ANR (approval not required) frontage lots-- and not subdivisions-- dominate the local real estate market. There may be an opportunity to protect the backland on these parcels, creating additional connections to other protected areas, including to the Ledges and Jacobs Hill. Finally, besides the developed properties, there remain several large undeveloped parcels in the immediate vicinity, such as the area upstream of Coddings Meadow, and two parcels north of Doane Hill Road (map 13, lot 32-1 and lot 39). In addition, there are numerous parcels within the expansive viewshed of Tully Lake Campground and Jacobs Hill that should be protected to preserve the scenic vista to the west of the reservations. The most immediately threatened is the Duquette property in Athol, which faces Tully Lake and whose owner is seeking to create a large residential subdivision. 8.2.2 Management Considerations Acquiring land that connects Doane’s Falls to the Ledges and Jacobs Hill would allow The Trustees more flexibility in routing hiking trails, provide consistent ecological management of the habitats, and give The Trustees more legal (if not practical) control over trespassers. Unauthorized snowmobile and ATV use has been a problem, and often originates from privately owned land in the area. However, direct ownership of new

1 Conserving Our Common Wealth – A Vision for the Massachusetts Landscape, The Trustees of Reservations, June 1999 p. 23.


property brings greater management burdens. Also, raising the necessary management endowment is likely to constrain any major new property acquisitions. As an alternative, the use of conservation restrictions to protect many critical lands may be a more appropriate approach. Acquisition or protection of abutting and nearby properties in order to create connections, protect the integrity of the view sheds, and preserve important habitats of Doane’s Falls will require significant fundraising within the community. Since the local fundraising resources are limited, The Trustees may need to use conservation buyers, or limited development approaches, to protect larger, expensive properties. 8.2.4 Roadways and Vehicular Approaches to the Property There are two public roadways to Doane’s Falls – Doane Hill Road and Athol Road. The gated, dirt Gale Hill Road that extends to Coddings Meadow is not publicly accessible. The steep Doane Hill Road is closed during the winter, when snow and ice make it too dangerous to traverse. Parking for Doane’s Falls is located at the southwest corner of the Doane Hill Road and Athol Road intersection. The unpaved parking area is relatively small. Visitors can also park at the Tully Lake Campground and walk to Doane’s Falls along a wooded trail. 8.2.5 Views from the Reservation Scenic resources at Doane’s Falls include the interior views of Doane’s Falls itself and, upstream, of Coddings Meadow. From the road the major scenic qualities are the wooded and undeveloped stretch of Doane Hill Road. Scenic, panoramic views to the north, south and west from the Ledges and Jacobs Hill are truly spectacular. These views encompass much of the Tully area, with views extending far into the Towns of Warwick and Orange and into New Hampshire. Development within the Tully Trail area, particularly along exposed ridgelines and northward and eastward-facing slopes, could impact the view from Jacobs Hill and Tully Lake Campground. A proposed 42-lot subdivision on the Duquette property in Athol, just to the south of Tully Lake, poses an immediate threat to the views from the campground shoreline. The Trustees are working with the Friends of Tully Lake on how to reduce or eliminate the scenic impacts from this development. A separate viewshed analysis may be justified to identify and rank the most important parcels for conservation, possibly carried out in conjunction with a management plan for Jacobs Hill.

8.2.6 Ecological and Landscape Considerations The overall ecology of Doane’s Falls could be enhanced through the protection of nearby and adjacent properties. Perhaps the most important consideration is to establish the


remaining links between Doane’s Falls, the Ledges and Jacobs Hill. This is confirmed by the fact that most of the area between Doane’s Falls and Jacobs Hill is identified by the MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program as BioMap Supporting Natural Landscape (see Section 4). 8.3 Critical Lands Inventory, Assessment, and Recommended Actions The Trustees has developed criteria for assessing adjacent and nearby lands that may be important for maintaining a reservation’s integrity and special character. These “critical lands” are ranked according to the impact, both positive and negative, they have on exiting resources on the reservation and by the potential impact to the reservation, if they were to be developed or their land use changed. The critical lands for Doane’s Falls have been ranked using the following criteria:

Critical: Parcels whose preservation is essential to the protection and integrity of key features on the reservation, such as wetland and aquifer recharge areas, hilltops and other unique landforms, scenic roads or road frontages, special vegetative features, rare species habitat or scenic views seen from the reservations. They also include parcels that eliminate inholdings.

Significant: Parcels whose preservation would add significantly to the

reservation, but whose loss would not detract significantly from the character and quality of the reservation.

Valuable: Parcels whose preservation would add to the scenic, historic or

ecological value of the reservation or would contribute to its efficient management, but are not considered critical or significant (e.g. contiguous parcels of land without unique features). Valuable parcels would include those that support an open space or biotic corridor.

Specific parcels identified as having an impact on Doane’s Falls are identified below and on Map 12. However, this assessment is not intended to suggest that other adjacent and nearby parcels not identified here are of no conservation value. As discussed in the above sections, these parcels may be important. Instead, the following parcels are thought to represent the most important from a potentially longer list of parcels. It is also believed that by limiting this assessment to the parcels listed below, land protection efforts will be more focused and, therefore, successful. This assessment is suggested as a guideline to future acquisitions. As new information and opportunities arise, land protection priorities may change.


Critical 1. Parcel 10-47, directly abutting the Ledges and Jacob’s Hill. This 47-acre parcel is

critical to providing for trail access to the reservations, protecting contiguous habitat (BioMap supporting habitat), preserving views of the hillside from Long Pond and Tully Lake and linking The Trustees’ properties.

Recommended Action: Identify residence of current landowner and explore purchase of backland, since one seasonal residence already exists along the Athol Road frontage. Alternatively, find a conservation buyer to purchase and restrict entire property.

2. Parcel 13-39, abuts both the Ledges and Army Corps of Engineers land, containing BioMap supporting habitat. Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to protect this parcel from development or to minimize the impacts of development by obtaining a conservation restriction and trail easement.

3. Parcel 13-32-1, land to the north of Doane Hill Road. This 49-acre parcel connects

the larger with Army Corps Land, and contains BioMap supporting habitat.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to protect this parcel. Further investigate whether this parcel can be developed.

4. Parcel 13-30, land between Old Doane Hill Road and Doane Hill Road. This small 2.8-acre parcel includes extensive frontage on Doane Hill Road.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to protect this parcel. Further investigate whether this parcel may be developed.

Significant

1. Parcel 10-45, , abuts both the Ledges and the Rabinowitz CR.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to protect this parcel from development or to limit development to the frontage.

2. Parcel 13-7. This 11-acre parcel on the south side of Doane’s Falls includes an existing house along Athol Road, but shares a long convoluted boundary, that is also a trail for much of its length, with the reservation.


Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to protect this parcel from further development and permanently protect the backland.

3. Parcel 13-4. This 18-acre parcel also includes an existing house along Athol Road,

but abuts Army Corps land.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to protect this parcel from further development and permanently protect the backland.

4. Parcel 13-50. This 5.9-acre parcel MAY abut Coddings Meadow parcels.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to protect this parcel from development and permanently protect the backland.

5. Parcel 13-40. This 73-acre parcel is across the river from the Coddings Meadow parcel. It includes extensive frontage on Athol Road and abuts the Millers River WMA.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner to obtain a CR on the backland or finding a conservation buyer, protect this parcel from development and permanently protect the backland.

Valuable 1. Parcel 10-51. This 9.5-acre parcel abuts Jacobs Hill reservation and has a recently

built cottage.

Recommended action: Work with landowner to negotiate a CR on the property and/or a possible Right of First Refusal (ROFR) on the property.

2. Parcel 11-55. This 124-acre parcel abuts Jacobs Hill Reservation and has developable frontage on Athol Road. The owners wish to sell part of the property, but The Trustees has told them we are only interested in the undeveloped back portion.

Recommended action: Work with the future landowner to obtain a CR on the backland.

3. Parcel 10-53. This 70-acre parcel is across the street from Jacobs Hill Reservation.


Recommended action: Work with the future landowner about a CR on the backland.

4. Parcel 13-3. This 16.7-acre parcel has a house on Athol Road, but contains extensive

backland extending west toward Army Corps land and Tully Lake. Protection of the backland would help buffer Doane’s Falls and prevent the potential extension of the proposed development on the Duquette parcel to the south in Athol.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner about granting a CR on the backland.

5. Parcel 13-1. This 16-acre parcel also has a house on Athol Road, but contains

extensive backland extending west toward Army Corps land and Tully Lake. As with parcel 13-3, protection of the backland would help buffer Doane’s Falls and prevent the potential extension of the proposed development on the Duquette parcel to the south in Athol.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner about granting a CR on the backland.

6. Parcel 13-37. This 2.4-acre parcel has a small cottage facing Long Pond, an existing hiking trail, and abuts land owned by the Army Corps. Although further development of this parcel is questionable, and should be determined, a poorly sited or designed structure or extensive cutting could threaten the scenic view from Long Pond.

Recommended action: Explore development potential and work with the current landowner about granting a CR.

7. Parcel 13-38. This 4.1-acre vacant parcel also faces Long Pond, the hiking trail, and

abuts land owned by the Army Corps. Although development of this parcel might be difficult or nearly impossible, and should be determined, a poorly sited or designed structure, or extensive cutting, could threaten the scenic view from Long Pond.

Recommended action: Explore development potential and work with the current landowner about granting a CR.

8. Parcel 10-42. This parcel abuts the Ledges and Rabinowitz Conservation Restriction and provides an additional buffer and connection among other critical lands parcels.

Recommended action: Work with the current landowner about granting a CR, focusing on the back portion of the property (excluding frontage on Athol Road) if necessary.


9. Athol Parcel 1-24, land owned by Duquette. This 250-acre parcel faces Tully Lake and abuts land owned by the Army Corps. A 44-lot development plan of this parcel is being reviewed by the Athol Planning Board. The subdivision plan would threaten the scenic views from Tully Lake Campground.

Recommended action: Continue to work with the Friends of Tully Lake and Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust to reduce or eliminate the scenic impacts of this proposed development.


Map 12


Documents

Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground Management …€¦ · Doane’s Falls and Tully Lake Campground Management Plan 2005 The Trustees of Reservations Doyle Conservation Center