City Council resolution supports inclusion of 108 Walter Street in Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild

On November 5, 2020, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announced $8.7 million in grant awards to municipalities and land trusts to support the acquisition and conservation of over 676 acres of land throughout the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and Division of Conservation Services (DCS) is making funding available through the Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) Program.

The LAND Program was established in 1961 to assist municipal conservation commissions in acquiring land for natural resources protection and passive outdoor recreation purposes.

The City of Boston applied for a LAND grant on July 15, 2020 for the purchase of land to be part of the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild area and has identified a now privately-owned parcel commonly known as 108 Walter, which is part of the designated urban wild area known as the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild. This parcel is for sale and would enable approximately 35,471 SF of land that would be preserved for conservation of this natural resource area.

Mass Audubon last year ranked the 108 Walter Street parcel as the highest priority for acquisition and conservation in the Urban Wild Management Plan for the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild. This week, the Council adopted a resolution in support of inclusion and preservation of 108 Walter Street in the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild area, which enables protection of an important resource for climate resiliency.