A group around the Windham County town of Londonderry is challenging the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation's plans to increase infrastructure at Lowell Lake State Park.It’s been a few years since the state first introduced its Master Plan for the park, but after years of talking about the project the department this winter released its draft plan.
And at a recent meeting, Robert Nied made it clear that the community is concerned.
“There is fairly widespread concern in the community that some of the development projects being proposed could potentially have a negative impact, not only on the experience of Lowell Lake, and the character of Lowell Lake, but on the ecology of the lake and the surrounding wetlands and forest,” Nied said.
Nied is helping organize a local group that he says wants to take a closer look at the state’s plans, and they have been holding meetings around Londonderry.
Lowell Lake is an absolute gem.
It’s kind of hidden away, tucked into the woods just outside of Londonderry, with a three and a half mile hiking trail around it. There’s no entrance fee, or park ranger. You just slip your boat into the clear water and off you go.
Nied says the state’s plan could change all that.
The state wants to expand parking and maybe introduce overnight camping. The plan includes improved toilets, a park office building and maybe a new swimming area.
The people working with Nied say it's too much.
“Rather than just wave our arms and say ‘Hey, we don’t like this.’ Let’s look at it and see what’s viable, see what potentially poses a problem,” he said. “ And ultimately, hopefully we will propose some alternatives and have negotiations with the state and we’re optimistic that they’ll listen and perhaps adjust their plans accordingly.”
"There is fairly widespread concern in the community that some of the development projects being proposed could potentially have a negative impact, not only on the experience of Lowell Lake, and the character of Lowell Lake, but on the ecology of the lake and the surrounding wetlands and forest." Robert Nied, Londonderry resident
Nied said he’s asked the state how the plan would affect the environment, but he says the state’s already decided what it wants to do without doing an environmental impact.
Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation, regional manager Ethan Phelps says public input is an important.
“Many of the concerns they have, we share all of their same concerns,” said Phelps. “You know any potential impacts to wildlife habitat, or to the forest ecology to any of the natural communities, all of those factors are being taken into account as we develop some concept plans for what the park might look like going ahead.”
Phelps says visits to the park are way up.
Almost 15,000 people visited Lowell Lake in 2018, up from about 5,000 just three years ago.
And he says the environment there needs the upgrades to better protect it.
“You know our goal is not to just exponentially increase the number of people that go there. Our goal is to provide better facilities so that we can better manage the traffic flow,” said Phelps.
As the state gets more details in the coming months Phelps says he expects to work more with the people around Londonderry.
He says sometime this summer the department will set up an online survey to gather input on the plan.
