Article in the Boston Globe on Fells trail plan

An article was published today in the Boston Globe that discusses MassDOG’s ongoing efforts to work with the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) on the trail plan at the Middlesex Fells. Below is a brief excerpt – click here for the full article.

While hikers/conservationists and trail bike enthusiasts continue to battle over who gets to use certain areas of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, the group that uses the state park the most has been lost in the shuffle.

Dog owners pushing for off-leash options at the Middlesex Fells Reservation were dismayed by the absence of any changes to pet policies in a preliminary draft trail plan released to stakeholders earlier this month, several groups said.

“They really weren’t giving any attention to the dogs, which is discouraging,” said Melrose Dog Society president and MassDog member Greg Penta, who attended the May 4 meeting. “When I asked why, the response was user conflicts and the environment.”

The draft, part of an ongoing assessment of the park’s trail network conducted by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, is still subject to change before it is presented to the public. Penta and others are holding out hope that the draft’s final version will include reference to requests for off-leash trails and the legalization of an off-leash open space near Sheepfold.

“I’m really hoping that it will be changed significantly before it gets released to the public,” said MassDog member Michele Biscoe, who is also on the Som Dog board of directors in Somerville. “I know for a fact that a lot of dog owners submitted comments.”

DCR Developing New Middlesex Fells Trail System Plan

On Monday, February 8, 2010, at 6:30pm, DCR will host a Stakeholder and Public Planning Workshop, open to the public, to get direct input on developing the new trail plan. FellsDOG will continue to participate in the process, and advocate for the new trail plan to finally include off-leash dog recreation at the Sheepfold.

DCR has asked members of the public and users of the Middlesex Fells trail system to provide input into the process for developing and implementing a new Middlesex Fells Trail System Plan. FellsDOG is encouraging dog owners to make their voices heard, in hopes that the DCR will finally recognize legal off-leash activity at the Sheepfold, the park in the Fells which is popular among dog owners. To learn more, please visit www.fellsdog.org.

Walk for Animals

Community-based dog-owner groups from Arlington, Dorchester and Somerville are pleased to represent the Coalition of Massachusetts Dog Owner Groups (MassDOG) in supporting MSPCA-Angell in the Walk for Animals Sunday, September 13, from 11:00 to 2:00 on the Boston Common. The funds we raise help the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Angell Animal Medical Centers care for over 200,000 homeless, injured, neglected and abused animals each year. Please consider registering for the Walk for Animals and joining one of the teams representing the Coalition: the Arlington Dog Owners Group (A-DOG), the Dorchester Dog Owners Group (dot dog) or the Somerville Dog Owners Group (som|dog). Or look for us at the Walk for Animals and ask us how to get involved in a dog owner group in your community!