To the editor:

Voters at the Town of Barrington’s annual Financial Town Meeting on May 22, 2019 will be asked to approve the town’s acquisition of property located on George Street, adjacent to the Douglas Rayner Wildlife Refuge.  This acquisition will help protect the conservation values of the Rayner Refuge and the rural nature of Nockum Hill. It is an unquestionably wise investment by the Town which should be supported by the voters.

Land conservation provides significant ecological benefits, including water quality protection, increased habitat for plants, animals and pollinators, fish production, carbon sequestration, and improved aesthetics. Preservation of large, contiguous blocks of open space is especially important because these areas are more likely to contain fully functioning ecosystems that provide more valuable ecological benefits.

Land conservation also leads to quantifiable economic benefits. Numerous studies have shown that the conversion of open space to residential use negatively affects local government budgets. Residential land use requires municipalities to spend more money on services such as infrastructure, fire and police protection, and schools than the property taxes generated by such use.

In addition, open spaces promote exercise and provide places for community members to reflect and recharge, resulting in a healthier community and reducing health care costs.  

Conserving additional open space adjacent to the Rayner Refuge will make the Rayner Refuge an even more valuable asset within the Town of Barrington, while saving taxpayers money that would otherwise be spent to accommodate as many as 27 new housing units. 

Please support Barrington’s investment in the benefits of land conservation by attending the Financial Town Meeting at the Barrington High School on May 22, 2019 and voting in favor of the Town’s acquisition of open space.

Peter Burke

Barrington

Mr. Burke is co-president of the Barrington Land Conservation Trust.