Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
Bedford’s Clem Larson earned a SuAsCo River Stewardship Award for his work in completing the trail connection from Route 225 to Route 4 physically building bog bridges and signs and patiently working through the legal complications of trail easements needed to avoid excessively wet areas.
The awards were presented to residents of five area towns for their work to protect and preserve the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord (SuAsCo) Rivers. The award is sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the River Stewardship Council. The event, hosted by the Sudbury Valley Trustees at their Wolbach Farm headquarters, opened the annual Riverfest weekend of recreational activities to celebrate our wild and scenic rivers. Awards were presented by Massachusetts Representative Carmine Gentile.
In 1999, 29 miles of the SuAsCo Rivers were federally designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers because of their outstandingly remarkable resources including ecology, recreation, scenery, history and literature. The River Steward Award il to honor unsung heroes of the river communities along the Wild and Scenic corridor who are doing their part to promote, preserve and protect the SuAsCo Wild and Scenic Rivers today, and for future generations. Eligible communities for the awards include not only the shoreline towns of Framingham, Wayland, Sudbury, Lincoln, Concord, Bedford, and Carlisle but all of the 36 towns in the SuAsCo River watershed.
Other Awards
Libby Herland, retiring Refuge Complex Manager with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW), was granted a Conservation Hero Award for her long career managing eight refuges throughout eastern Massachusetts, and in particular her dedication to the SuAsCo Rivers and watershed. Despite having to manage such an expansive territory, Libby always made extra effort to support the SuAsCo rivers and watershed, including personally serving as the USFWS representative on the River Stewardship Council. She has been everywhere where needed and an inspiration and mentor to many. Her calm approach to problems, her willingness to hear all sides of an issue, and her thoughtful insight made her a highly effective advocate for the rivers, who will be sorely missed.
Acton Resident Dave Pincumbe received the River Steward Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a water quality specialist and wastewater discharge permit writer. From the early 1990s to his retirement this spring, Dave demonstrated exceptional skill, courage, and a commitment in restoring the ecological health and recreation enjoyment of the SuAsCo Rivers. His work has contributed substantially to a significant reduction of eutrophication (excessive aquatic plant growth) that had severely damage the recreation, scenic, and ecological value of the rivers for decades. His commitment is “extra” ordinary because he worked to restore the three rivers, not just prevent further degradation. This took courage to insist on using sound scientific data to drive regulatory decisions when political pressures were arrayed against that approach.
The other River Steward Award recipients this year were: Ron Chick of Framingham for his leadership in bringing together the neighbors, the State, OARS, the Framingham Conservation Commission and DPW, the EPA, Paddle Boston, and Friends of Saxonville to tackle the invasive water chestnut problem in the Sudbury River; Paul Goldman of Marlborough for designing and teaching Water Wise Workshops to young children since 2004; Clem Larson of Bedford for his work to complete the trail connection from Route 225 to Route 4 physically building bog bridges and signs and patiently working through the legal complications of trail easements needed to avoid excessively wet areas; Eileen McGourty of Sudbury who as a Wildlife Biologist with the USFW has been at the forefront of finding innovative ways to control invasive species in the SuAsCo watershed; and the Teens Representing Environmental Excellence & Stewardship (TREES) of Lowell who initiated, coordinated, and led a conference for other teen environmental groups within the Merrimack and SuAsCo watersheds giving young people the opportunity to share their voice opinions, and experience.
About SuAsCo
To learn more about SuAsCO, visit their website at https://suasco.org/
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