9/15/22: Plympton Awarded MVP Grant for Turkey Swamp

The Plympton Open Space Committee is delighted to announce that Plympton has been awarded a $502,500 municipal climate resilience grant to preserve Turkey Swamp. Governor Baker announced the competitive Action grant, which is from the Baker administration’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program, on August 31.

 

The Town’s project is one of only 73 that received grants through the latest round of applications. During 2020-2021, Plympton completed the required Planning grant to lay the basis for this proposal, thanks to the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development Agency’s outstanding technical studies and report focusing on the Winnetuxet River area. This essential information documents the many ecological and water protection benefits that Turkey Swamp provides to Plympton and neighboring towns. Videos of these project presentations, plus the final report, can be found via the Plympton Open Space Committee’s web page. The 280-acre Plympton portion of Turkey Swamp is located between Maple St and Route 106.

 

The Chair of Plympton’s Board of Selectmen, Christine Joy, expressed her gratitude on behalf of the Town. “Plympton is a small town with a small budget and significant environmental assets. Preserving these benefits today, including our groundwater, natural flood controls and resilient forests, helps the Town to adapt to climate change both economically and environmentally.”

 

A Special Town Meeting will be scheduled for this fall to formally accept the MVP grant, as well as to approve the use of Community Preservation Act funds for the portion of the required $200,000 matching funds not covered by a private donation. Following the Special Town Meeting, the Open Space Committee looks forward to completing the final legal and other steps required to open Turkey Swamp to the public by fall 2023.