Yankee Rowe Revisited Prepared for the Town of Rowe, Massachusetts Project Goal Explore potential future land uses for the former Yankee Rowe site which benefit the Town of Rowe and maintain the ecological value of the site. These uses include:
RenewableConservation Energy
ResidentialDevelopment Development
Looking east from Sherman Reservoir to Yankee Rowe as it appears today.
RecreationRecreation
Renewable Energy Conservation
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study
The Conway School | Spring 2011
Yankee Rowe Revisited Index Regional Context....................................................................................................1 Historical Context...................................................................................................2 Process for Site Analysis and Land Use Suitability.................................................3
Case Study: Rancho Seco..................................................................................4
Case Study: Trojan.............................................................................................5
Case Study: Maine Yankee................................................................................ 6 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................7 Site Analyses
Legal Constraints ..............................................................................................8
Slopes, Access and Circulation .........................................................................9
Flora and Fauna ..............................................................................................10
Ecological Analysis .........................................................................................11
Ecological Implications................................................................................... 12
Land Use Analyses
History of Yankee Rowe Nuclear Power Plant In 1954, under the Eisenhower administration program “Atoms for Peace,� a consortium of eleven New England electric utility companies formed Yankee Atomic Energy Company for the sole purpose of designing, constructing, and operating a prototype power plant. The plant, known as Yankee Rowe, was constructed on the eastern bank of the Sherman Reservoir on the Deerfield River in the town of Rowe, Massachusetts. It was the third nuclear power plant to be built in the United States and the first in New England. Construction of the four-loop pressurized water power plant began in 1958 and was completed two years later. Commercial operation began in 1961. The plant was expected to operate for six years but instead generated power for more than thirty years, producing 44 billion kilowatt hours of electricity for New England customers.
In 1992, YAEC determined that closing the plant would be in the best economic interest of its customers. The decommissioning process began in 1998, including dismantling and removal of the nuclear reactor and the buildings associated with its operation. In 2003, an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) was constructed to house the rods that remained on the site. The ISFSI occupies about four of the seventeen acres which immediately surround the location of the former plant. Final decommissioning was completed in 2007 and included delineating a 325-meter restricted zone, approximately eighty acres, around the ISFSI area. This small portion of the site, which YAEC continues to monitor, maintain, and secure, was not included in the land use analyses developed for this report, which focuses on the remaining acreage that served as a large buffer during the years of operation.
Solar Array Suitability ....................................................................................13
Wind Turbine Suitability ..................................................................................14
Residential Suitability .....................................................................................15
Recreational Suitability ...................................................................................16
Acknowledgements
Seasonal Recreation .......................................................................................17
Conservation Suitability ..................................................................................18
We would like to thank the Town of Rowe, especially Walter Quist and other members of the Yankee Land Committee, for giving us the opportunity to be involved in this project. Thanks also to the many professionals who gave of their time and expertise: Peggy Sloan from the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Bob Mitchell from the Yankee Atomic Electric Company, Richard Hubbard from the Franklin Land Trust, Keith Ross from LandVest, Inc., and Bill Lattrell of Lattrell Ecological Consulting.
Suitability Summary.............................................................................................19 Wise Stewardship ................................................................................................20 Revenue Prospects...............................................................................................21 Revenue Prospects, cont. ....................................................................................22
We are especially indebted to the faculty, staff, and fellow students at The Conway School for helping us see this project through to completion while maintaining our sense of humor.
References ...........................................................................................................23 Additional Resources ...........................................................................................24
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Not for construction. This document is part of a student project and is not based upon a legal survey.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
The Conway School | Spring 2011
Regional Context Rowe’s Highland character is unique Rowe, Massachusetts, lies in the Deerfield River valley, within the greater Connecticut River watershed stretching from Canada through Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut to the Long Island Sound. The Deerfield River is cold and clear and its pristine nature is in large part a consequence of the extremely steep and rugged terrain which historically discouraged widespread settlement and industry in the area. Rowe, a remote rural community in western Massachusetts, bounded by the towns of Heath, Charlemont, Florida, and Monroe, is sparsely populated, with just under five hundred residents. It is one of the thirty-eight communities, often called the Hilltowns, which make up the Highlands Region of thestate lying between the Housatonic and Connecticut
Rivers and encompassing much of the Connecticut River watershed. With only three stoplights among them, these towns comprise fourteen percent of the state’s land area but are home to only one percent of the population. The towns, villages, historic farms, and extensive forests of the area are connected by winding country roads and a network of rivers. The region has a rich tradition of agriculture and forest stewardship and its beautiful landscape contributes to a rural character rarely found elsewhere in the state.
Highlands HighlandCommunities Hilltowns of MA
Large tracts of unbroken forest, some of the largest in southern New England, support the region’s exceptional ecological diversity and wildlife habitat.
Town of Rowe
Images and photos courtesy of thetrustees.org
Old train trestle on Deerfield River.
The Deerfield River is part of the Connecticut River watershed.
Deep valleys and undeveloped forests characterize the Highlands.
A typical country road in the Highlands.
Scenic Beauty
Cold, Clear Rivers
Rugged Terrain
Rural Character
The rugged and remote Highlands region of western Massachusetts is known for its scenic beauty including large tracts of undeveloped forests.
Yankee Rowe borders the Deerfield River enjoyed by many, including rafters, kayakers, and anglers.
The Highlands are characterized by steep slopes, deep valleys and cold, clear rivers.
Open fields, classic farmhouses, historical barns, and outbuildings dot the countryside of western Massachusetts.
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Historical Context Natural resources have shaped Rowe’s history There is no evidence at Yankee Rowe of Native American settlement. The earliest known settlement of the site occurred in the early 1700s, when the Royal Colony of Massachusetts divided the land between the Housatonic and Connecticut Rivers into four plantations for sale. The river valleys provided rich alluvial soils for agriculture but the settlers of the hilltowns including Rowe, originally called Myrifield, found the steep slopes and rocky soils unsuitable for cultivating crops and better for raising livestock. The rugged terrain of the town limited development during the nineteenth century with most economic activity focused on small-scale agriculture and industry, such as wool production and sawmills. The construction of the Hoosac Tunnel and arrival of the Wilmington Railroad dramatically changed Rowe and Monroe, bringing in an influx of people to work in new industries, including a paper factory in Monroe and a local lime kiln.
The Deerfield River was developed intensively for hydroelectric power by the New England Power Company (NEP) during the first three decades of the twentieth century and ultimately this development included the construction of ten dams. The fullyautomated hydroelectric Sherman Development was completed in Rowe, in 1927, on the current Yankee Rowe site. Building the Sherman Dam inundated this portion of the Deerfield River and created Sherman Reservoir. By the 1950s the prospect of nuclear power encouraged several utility companies, including NEP to form the Yankee Atomic Electric Company (YAEC). YAEC acquired the lands that comprise the current Yankee Rowe site in order to build the plant, which generated power and provided local jobs from 1961 until the beginning of its decommissioning in 1992.
Photo courtesy of P.W. Brown
Photo courtesy of YAEC
Dam #5 at Monroe Bridge near Yankee Rowe site.
Yankee Rowe began operation in 1961.
Early Hydropower
Hydropower Today
Nuclear Power
The Bear Swamp Dam was one of ten hydroelectric power facilities to be constructed along the Deerfield River.
Hydroelectric energy continues to be produced at sites along the Deerfield River, including Dam #5 adjacent to the southwestern portion of the Yankee Rowe site and the Bear Swamp facility a mile further south.
The production of hydroelectric power at the Sherman Dam on the Deerfield River was followed by atomic energy production at the same location by the Yankee Rowe power plant.
The railroad, completed in 1877, changed Rowe.
Bear Swamp Dam completed in 1974.
Hoosac Tunnel The Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad brought new industry and an influx of people to Rowe and nearby Monroe.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Photo courtesy of P.W. Brown
Stone walls and the foundations of former houses and barns provide evidence of the 19th century farming community that lived on the eastern side of the Yankee Rowe property.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
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Process for Site Analysis and Land Use Suitability
Review included a baseline environmental report, a site characterization status report, an archaeological resources management plan, and a natural resources inventory and management plan prepared by outside consulting firms as part of the Yankee Rowe Site Closure Project Plan. The Conway team also gathered information relating to the site from representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Finite Carbon Corporation, Sacramento Municipal Utility District in California, Maine Yankee and the Chewonki Foundation, and Portland General Electric of Oregon. The team took an initial tour of the ISFSI at Yankee Rowe, and later, accompanied by an ecologist, hiked Shippee Road to the power lines traversing the eastern portion of the site. Additionally, cases were studied on the West Coast and in Maine to determine how other communities are using the local sites of former nuclear power plants after their closing. Community input included an initial meeting with members of the Rowe Yankee Land Committee, Peggy Sloane, Executive Director of Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), and Bob Mitchell from Yankee Atomic Electric Company. The Land Committee provided a copy of the Yankee Land Committee Questionnaire completed by Rowe townspeople in April, 2010. A meeting followed with members of the Rowe Energy Committee, which in turn was followed by a public meeting held at the Rowe Elementary School on June 2, 2011. Initially, a map was created that includes political boundaries, hydrology, topography, infrastructure, and nearby permanently protected lands. This map serves as the base upon which other attributes and
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Additional considerations for the uses that were studied—recreation, wind farms, solar arrays, and development—included access and proximity to roads, access to power, proximity to wetlands and other protected areas, and potential constraints to construction. From that, individual locations and/or areas of the site which met the criteria were determined and alternatives developed from that information. For example, to answer the question “Are there locations on the Yankee Rowe site suitable for photovoltaic solar arrays?” the following steps were taken to produce the associated maps:
Site Boundary ISFSI Location
Topography
GIS Sources: Franklin Regional Council of Governments Planning Department, MassDOT, MassGIS, and VCGI. Parcel data provided by the Town of Rowe, Massachusetts.
B
Hydrology
Recreation
C
Land-Use Plan
Land Permanently Protected
Conservation
Proximity to Existing Roads
• determine local zoning from a FRCOG data layer
• determine slopes less than 15% (based on FRCOG’s use of slopes less than 15% as a guideline for siting solar overlay districts)
Wind
Residential
determine adequate distance from ISFSI, using a 325-meter radius mapped from the center point of the installation
• determine areas with south and southwest solar aspect using the GIS Aspect tool, and MassGIS Elevation Contours
Alternatives A
Built Environment
• determine the proximity of roads for access and maintenance and existing transmission lines, using MassGIS and VCGI data •
Suitability Analysis Solar
Inventory & Analyses
The initial steps of the Yankee Rowe project were to review relevant documentation, become familiar with the site and meet the people of the community.
criteria, capable of being mapped, are applied. These include legal (such as zoning) ecological criteria (such as habitat delineation), physical attributes of the site (including slopes, elevations), and the necessary criteria for various specific uses (such as solar aspect necessary for a photovoltaic solar array).
Additional Considerations
Developing the Alternatives
Site Analysis Process to Determine Alternatives for Future Land Use Transmission Lines
Connectivity
Flora & Fauna
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Case Study: Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station The Story of Rancho Seco Located in California’s Central Valley 25 miles from Sacramento, the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Plant ran for fourteen years, from 1975 through 1989. The facility was operated by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) until the citizens of Sacramento voted by public referendum in 1989 to close down the plant in order to seek more economically viable—and less environmentallycontroversial—forms of energy production (Sacramento Bee). The spent nuclear fuel is stored one-third of a mile to the west of the decommissioned plant. According to the US Department of Energy, 79 acres around this ISFSI area have been released for unrestricted use. The 2,100-acre site is bounded by agricultural lands to the west and northwest, to the southwest by the small town of Clay, California, and, to the south and east, by Howard Ranch, a 12,000acre conservation parcel owned by The Nature Conservancy.
ay hw Hig
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LEGEND Property boundary
ISFSI
decommissioned nuclear plant site
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation
Nature Preserve
solar array
natural gas plant
R
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Howard Ranch Trail Agricultural preserve Active agriculture Amanda Blake Wildlife Refuge Residential development
Howard Ranch
Industrial area
• Fully decommissioned in 2009 • Spent nuclear fuel stored on-site on 6 acres • 25 miles southeast of Sacramento • Flat, rural, agricultural landscape • 2,480 total acres • 1,200-acre nature preserve • 400-acre recreational park
• 14 special status species • 3.2-megawatt solar array • 500-megawatt natural gas plant • 200-megawatt solar thermal plant
Lessons for Yankee Rowe
www.smud.org www.smud.org
www.smud.org
Rancho Seco Nature Preserve
A Recreational Wonderland
www.smud.org Diversified Energy at Rancho Seco
In June 2006, SMUD, in collaboration with two land trusts, put more than 1,200 acres of Rancho Seco’s lands into a nature preserve. In addition to raptors and migratory birds, the site serves as habitat for three endangered species and two threatened species (Area West 3). The preserve’s 75-acre Amanda Blake Wildlife Refuge hosts captive-bred and rescued endangered birds and mammals from around the world. Also, a permanent wetlands mitigation bank will soon protect many of the wetlands within the nature preserve, while also providing biological “credits” for offsetting future SMUD power projects (Area West).
The Rancho Seco Recreational Area was given to the County of Sacramento in 1992. The 400-acre park is open year-round, and also has a 160-acre lake for fishing and boating. Lakeside amenities include twelve campsites with barbecues, picnic tables and potable water, six wheelchair-accessible fishing piers, and over 100 shaded picnic areas. The Howard Ranch Nature Trail, a portion of which is located within the nature preserve, traverses riparian and marsh habitat along Rancho Seco Lake, and connects to open ranch and trails on the nearby Howard Ranch.
Since 1984, SMUD has installed six utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays to the southeast of the cooling towers. Even prior to the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant, SMUD began investigating methods for diversifying its energy sources. The power generating capacity of the 3.2-megawatt solar array is much less than that of the 873-megawatt decommissioned nuclear plant. In 2006, SMUD also built a 500-megawatt natural gas power plant on the Rancho Seco site. A planned 200-megawatt solar thermal power plant on the Rancho Seco grounds is currently under environmental review.
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• Owned and managed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District
• 75-acre animal sanctuary
Representatives from the Sacramento Valley Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and SMUD meet in 2006 to create the Rancho Seco Nature Preserve.
www.smud.org
Rancho Seco at a Glance
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
• Trails at Yankee Rowe could connect to trails on adjoining lands • On-site renewable energy at Yankee Rowe is likely to produce only a fraction of the energy generated from the former nuclear plant • Ecological mitigation credits can help conserve important landscapes while also generating an economic return
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Case Study: Trojan Nuclear Power Plant Trojan’s Story The former Trojan Nuclear Power Plant is located in a sparsely populated part of Oregon along the Columbia River. The site is bounded by the small town of Prescott to the north, Highway 30 and forested land to the west, the Columbia River to the east, and a private landholding to the south. A functioning railroad runs through the site. Built by Portland General Electric (PGE), the Trojan plant began operations in 1975. Seventeen years later in 1992, a cracked steam tube released radioactive gas into the plant (oregon.gov). This accident, combined with competition from cheap hydropower on the Columbia River, a deregulated energy market, and anti-nuclear public sentiment, led to the plant’s closure later that year, almost twenty years before its anticipated termination date (Farrow, 67). Decommissioning and demolition of the plant was completed in 2006. The 300 tons of spent fuel rods are stored in concrete/steel storage casks on 134 restricted acres, next to the Columbia River.
Trojan Park: An Adaptive Reuse
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• Fully decommissioned in 2006 • Spent nuclear fuel still stored on-site, and overseen by PGE
• Original nuclear plant site totalled 634 acres • Immediately adjacent to a small town • 42 miles north of Portland, Oregon • Flat topography, on banks of the Columbia River
• 75-acre recreational park, within a 500-acre nature preserve • 1 special status wildlife species (Peregrine Falcon)
Image courtesy of Portland General Electric
Oregon showed amounts of radiation at Trojan were acceptably low enough that “the site could be used for any purpose, including residential use.” Day trippers from metropolitan Portland already seek out Trojan Park for outdoor weekend activities. For the better part of a decade, Portland General Electric (PGE) and the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation had openly discussed creating a 500-acre state park, by merging the existing PGE Trojan Park with a portion of the former site. This would have been Oregon’s first state park built between Portland and the Pacific Ocean, a distance of more than 100 miles. However, lack of public involvement in the planning process, combined with fiscal disagreements between PGE, the State of Oregon, and the federal government, resulted in the project being halted. In 2007, the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation built the 1,600-acre L.L. Stub Stewart State Park, 30 miles away.
LEGEND property boundary Prescott (pop. 76)
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation
Swan Lake
trails conservation
IS-
Reflection Lake
Recreation Lake
railroad
Lessons for Yankee Rowe • Stakeholder involvement is vital to creating an enduring reuse plan • Other decommissioned nuclear power plants across the United States have successfully responded to any potential social stigma of on-site nuclear fuel rod storage through conserving land and creating recreational infrastructure for the public
ON GT IN SH WA
According to High Country News (2000), some people may be leery of recreating in the park, due to the presence of the spent fuel rods nearby. However, tests for residual radioactivity conducted by the State of
• Owned and managed by Portland General Electric (PGE), a private utility
ON EG OR
Portland General Electric has managed a 75-acre recreational park at the Trojan site since the plant was first constructed. Trojan Park is equipped with ADA-accessible picnicking and day camping facilities, nearly two miles of paved walking trails, a disc golf course, a ball field, and a 29-acre lake for fishing and non-motorized boating. PGE also owns more than 500 acres of intact wetland, woodland, and riparian habitats surrounding the park, which are home to nearly 200 different species of wildlife. The more than 100 resident species of waterfowl, raptors (including the threatened peregrine falcon), vultures, and shorebirds make for exceptional birdwatching yearround (Rickard, 63).
Trojan at a Glance
Trojan Park
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Case Study: Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant Maine Yankee’s Story
ISFSI
• Owned and managed by Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company, a private utility • Fully decommissioned in 2005
Montsweag Creek
• Spent nuclear fuel still stored on-site on 12 acres
LEGEND
Point East property
Chewonki-owned
ISFSI
lands
Chewonki-owned
Young’s (residential
lands
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation development conservation Back River Trail
Bailey Point
Google Earth photo
Sh Rive eepsco t r
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INSET: Aerial photo of the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant area during decommissioning.
residential
A Conservation Ethic
Trailblazers
Redevelopment Possibilities
In 1998, due in large part to the work of the Friends of the Coast (a group advocating a nuclear-free future for the state), Maine Yankee agreed to set aside a portion of its lands for environmental conservation and education purposes (Howes). Seven years later, in March of 2005, the Maine Yankee Atomic Electric Company donated a 200-acre portion of its property to the Chewonki Foundation, an environmental education non-profit based in Wiscasset. The agreement stipulated that Chewonki would “create a nature preserve, maintain public access through a trail system, foster stewardship of the estuarine environment, and provide a forum for dialogue on environmental policy issues” (Farrow, 64).
As of 2008, the Chewonki Foundation had constructed the first 4.5 miles of trails on the land they acquired from Maine Yankee. This footpath is a part of a larger trail network known as the Back River Trail, which will connect seven publicly owned parcels into a linked multi-use trail system (ICON Parks Design). Once fully completed, the Back River Trail will be the longest coastal hiking route outside of Acadia National Park (Chewonki). A $1 million federal government grant through the Housing and Urban Development Authority enabled the Chewonki Foundation to pay for liability insurance on the newly-acquired property (Schimmoller 16).
In the late 1990s, Maine Yankee sought to market the land surrounding Bailey Point (the site of the former nuclear plant) to potential developers. However, due to the slump in the real estate industry after September 2001, the property was taken off the market (Howes). In 2005, more than 400 acres of land to the northeast of the decommissioned site was sold to the town of Wiscasset, which then sold it to Point East, a business specializing in redeveloping distressed properties (Farrow 64). This land was completely forested, apart from a rail line and a transmission line that run through the parcel. A portion of this forested property has since been converted to an industrial park, with two current tenants: Rynel, a manufacturer of highgrade medical foam, and the Central Maine Power Company, which has an office and a maintenance plant on the property (Howes).
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• 25 miles northeast of Portland, ME
Maine Yankee’s original property boundary
Maine Yankee closed in 1997 due to concerns about the plant’s safety and long-term economic viability. In 2005, Maine Yankee was successfully decommissioned and determined to be free from contamination, apart from the spent nuclear fuel rods. These rods are stored on twelve of the 180 acres remaining under Maine Yankee’s jurisdiction. (Maine Yankee)
• 4 miles southwest of the small town of Wiscasset • Flat, rural, riparian landscape • Original nuclear plant site totalled 820 acres • No special status species on-site
Ba ck
In 1972, a consortium of ten New England utility companies constructed the Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant near the small town of Wiscasset, Maine. Yankee operated for 25 years, from 1972 to 1997. Sited on 820 acres, the property was bounded by the Back River to the east, the Wiscasset Airport to the west, and Young’s Point, a residential area, to the southwest.
Maine Yankee at a Glance
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
Lessons for Yankee Rowe • Trails at Yankee Rowe could connect to trails on adjoining lands • Other decommissioned nuclear power plants have successfully developed the lands directly adjacent to the closed nuclear facility
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Existing Conditions Yankee Rowe is steep and rugged Mile
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Yankee Rowe as it looks today.
Present Day Yankee Rowe
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Today, the site of the power plant looks much different than it did when it was operation. The nuclear reactor and other buildings and equipment relating to the running of the plant have been removed as part of the site decommissioning and closure plan. An administration building and adjacent parking lot is used by YAEC employees who still work there performing ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and security of the site. The ISFSI is surrounded by a high chain link fence and houses the remaining rods in large concrete cylinders. The power lines that cross the property are part of the greater New England grid.
Shippee Road
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Photo courtesy of YAEC
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Monroe Bridge
Ford Hill Road
Monroe Hill Road is the only paved and maintained road that crosses the property. A short access road from the entrance to Yankee Rowe ends at the YAEC administration building near the dam.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Yankee Rowe
Yankee Rowe
National Grid owns and maintains high voltage transmission lines that bisect the property.
Fourteen historic ruins dating to the nineteenth century were field verified during the archaeological survey completed as part of the decommissioning of the power plant (Heitert, Abstract 2003). These resources include: eight farm complexes and residences; one sawmill; one cemetery; one barn; two sugarhouses; and the abandoned Hoot, Toot & Whistle Railroad alignment. Four of the ruins are located along the lower portion of Shippee Road, abandoned in 1847, which extends north from Ford Hill Road through the property and into Vermont. Others are scattered throughout the site.
Transmission Lines
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Vermont Massachusetts
Lord B
The Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) holds the radioactive rods that have remained on the site after the closing of the nuclear power plant. This area is designated on the map by a pink circle defining the 325-meter restricted buffer zone that surrounds it.
1
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The property is made up of two parcels, a smaller one in Monroe and the remainder of the acreage in Rowe. It straddles the Deerfield River for almost two miles, but has no direct access to the river. A narrow strip of land along the river belonging to Trans Canada Corporation separates the site from the water. Three streams cross the site. Wheeler Brook and Lord Brook descend directly to the Deerfield River. On the eastern side of the property, Shippee Brook fed by several upland wetlands flow off the site and join other streams further south before entering the Deerfield River. A large wetland sits west of Wheeler Brook in the northwest corner and a small portion of a large pond runs through the northeast corner of the property.
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The remote, unpopulated, 1860-acre Yankee Rowe site is three miles northwest of the town center in Rowe, Massachusetts, and less than one-quarter-mile north of nearby Monroe Bridge on the west side of the Deerfield River. The property abuts the Vermont state line to the north and two portions of the Monroe State Park to the south and east.
Rowe
Section A - A’ A’
Yankee Rowe Base Map
Monroe Bridge
A Deerfield River
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
Powerline Corridor
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Legal Constraints Stringent restrictions relate to the ISFSI
• At the center of the Owner Controlled Area is the four acre fenced Radiologically Controlled Area immediately surrounding the former nuclear plant area. It includes the ISFSI located at the center of the pink circle on the map.
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• The thirteen-acre fenced Industrial Area surrounding the RCA.
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13-acre Industrial Area
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Monroe Bridge
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80-acre Owner Controlled Area
ISFSI
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• The 1,783-acre Non-Industrial Area outside the Industrial Area including woodlands, roadways, and surface water bodies.
Ag/Res Zone
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• The 325-meter Owner Controlled Area, which buffers the ISFSI, is shown as a pink circle on the map.
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During decommissioning of the former power plant, the Yankee Nuclear Power Station was divided into several land areas for the purpose of assessment and remediation. These include:
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View of Yankee Rower power plant during operating years.
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Ag/Res Zone
Ag/Res Zone
Utility lines traverse the Yankee Rowe site and are governed by easements and rights-of-way. Future use in these areas would require permission from the utility company.
1,783-acre Non-Industrial Area Ford Hill Road
Diagram of Designated Areas. Not to scale. Rowe
Deed restrictions exist on these areas specifically prohibiting residential development and strictly limiting other types of disturbance and development in the immediate area.
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Zoning and other regulations Most of the Yankee Rowe site, including a small area skirting the Deerfield River, is designated as the only Industrial Zone in the Town of Rowe. The remainder of the property is zoned for residential and agriculture uses.
4-acre Radiologically Controlled Area (ISFSI at center)
Yankee Atomic Electric Company has an obligation to both monitor and maintain the security of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation under its license agreement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission until such time in the future when the Department of Energy removes the spent rods from the site and the site is declared clean.
Photo courtesy of YAEC
Federal and state regulations relating to wetlands, stream buffers, areas of critical habitat and archaeological resources also apply to the site and restrict certain uses involving those areas.
Legal analysis of Yankee Rowe Note: Various documents present somewhat different figures for land area. For the purposes of this report the entire site, including both the Rowe and Monroe parcels, is assumed to be 1,860 acres as per a FRCOG GIS data layer.
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Slopes, Access and Circulation Steep slopes and few roads limit current activity at Yankee Rowe 1
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There are only 75-80 acres on the Yankee Rowe site with gentler slopes, less than 5%, which makes them the most appropriate for access and building, but they are non-contiguous and scattered throughout the parcel.
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Over 70% (1300 acres) of the site has slopes greater than 15%, which includes 550 extremely steep acres with slopes over 30%. ve Ri ld fie er
Yankee Rowe
Traveling past the entrance to Yankee Rowe, Monroe Hill Road continues downhill to the river and on to the nearby town of Monroe Bridge. It is the only improved road in the vicinity of Yankee Rowe.
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Monroe Hill Road is currently the only paved road leading to the Yankee Rowe site. Although well paved, it is steep, winding, and as it descends from the entrance to the site there are several runaway truck pullout spots. A short paved access road terminates at the YAEC administration building.
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Shippee Road
Access and Circulation
Monroe Hill Road
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Many uses of the Yankee Rowe site are inappropriate, or impossible, due to the predominance of very steep slopes.
Steep curves wind down Monroe Hill Road.
Shippee Road, abandoned in 1847, extends north and south across the eastern portion of the site. It is unpaved, heavily rutted, and requires grading for vehicular use. The northern portion of Shippee Road extends into Vermont and provides access to the transmission lines for maintenance and is also used for the periodic harvesting of timber under the Yankee Rowe forest management plan. Short sections of rough road also exist under portions of the transmission line.
Old building foundations line a portion of Shippee Road.
Shippee Road
Snowmobilers use Shippee Road and the access areas beneath the utility lines in the winter. Future uses of the Yankee Rowe site may require improvement of the existing roads and/or the building of additional roads for greater access.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Slopes steeper than 15% dominate Yankee Rowe’s topography Slopes > 15% Paved Road
Historic ruins of homes, barns, outbuildings, and old stone walls are still visible along stretches of Shippee Road, abandoned in 1847, and are evidence of early European settlement.
Maintenance access
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
The Conway School | Spring 2011
9/24
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Rare plants and animals including bristly black currant (Ribes lacustre), pale green orchis (Platanthera flava var. herbiola), ocellated darner (Boyeria grafiana), and spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus) depend upon specific habitats within the site. A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) habitat along the eastern bank of Sherman Reservoir has been identified by the (Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program).
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Eight natural communities compose the landscape of Yankee Rowe. Northern hardwood-hemlock-white pine forest predominates. Hemlock ravine forests offer habitat for the bristly black currant and yarding areas for overwintering deer. Red oak forest provide valuable acorn mast. Maintenance of the transmission line corridor creates upland shrubland, a natural community that is rare in the region. Upland shrubland provides valuable browse for animals such as deer and moose, and also serves as a corridor for easy movement. Several wetland types—hemlock-hardwood swamp, shrub swamp, emergent marsh, and vernal pools—offer rich habitat crucial for the survival of some of the rare and threatened species.
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Yankee Rowe is characterized by both abundance and rarity. The ecosystems on site host abundant wildlife and flora, with at least 10 species of reptiles, 16 amphibians, 52 mammals, 132 birds, and 104 of species of plants (Woodlot Alternatives, 2004).
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High ecological value exists where these natural communities meet. These areas of overlap, called ecotones, provide edges where species from each community mix, resulting in increased diversity. Yankee Rowe has many such ecotones, accounting for its rich species composition.
Courtesy of Paul Slichter Courtesy of Jason Gibson
Courtesy of Peter Grube
Courtesy of Paul Slichter
Courtesy of Steve Collins
Platanthera flava var. herbiola.
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus
Ribes lacustre
Boyeria grafiana
Pale Green Orchis
Spring Salamander
Bristly Black Currant
Ocellated Darner
The pale green orchis, a type of orchid, lives along the banks of Sherman Reservoir. This perennial has a state Threatened status that legally prevents disturbance.
A population of spring salamanders lives near Wheeler Brook. Although recently delisted, the Commonwealth believes this species deserves conservation attention.
Bristly black currant, listed as a species of state Special Concern, occurs southeast of the power plant facility along the Wheeler Brook Divertment.
This species of Special Concern has been found in the Deerfield River. Maintaining water quality is a primary concern when managing for this protected species.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
The Conway School | Spring 2011
10/24
Ecological Analysis Recognized Values Various organizations have recognized the values for natural integrity, wildlife habitat, and ecosystem services that the Yankee Rowe site possesses. These values are described below and summarized on Sheet 12 (Ecological Implications). Green Mountain National Forest Vermont Massachusetts
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Pelham Lake Park Monroe State Forest
Priority Habitat represents the geographic extent of state-listed rare species in Massachusetts based upon observation and known habitat requirements. These areas have very high conservation priority due to the rare species known to depend upon these ecosystems. This designation requires approval for activities within these areas through both the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program and the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Core Habitat identifies specific areas necessary to promote the long-term persistence of rare species, other Species of Conservation Concern, exemplary natural communities, and intact ecosystems. The BioMap2 Core Habitat designation suggests land conservation priorities, but does not carry legal stipulations. “Protection and stewardship of BioMap2 Core Habitat and Critical Natural Landscape is essential to safeguard the diversity of species and their habitats, intact ecosystems, and resilient natural landscapes across Massachusetts.� Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Old growth forest occupies the eastern 40 acres of the Yankee Rowe parcel in Monroe. Old growth forests are unique in the age and size of the tree canopy and have a higher likelihood of harboring rare species. It is estimated that the total amount of old growth forests remaining in Massachusetts could fit within the 1,860 acres of the Yankee Rowe site. Potential bald eagle habitat has been identified along the eastern shore of Sherman Reservoir. This area is a suitable nesting and rookery location. Disturbing habitat for this state-endangered bird must be avoided.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
Critical Natural Landscapes are priority intact landscapes that are able to support ecological processes and disturbance regimes, and a wide array of species and habitats over long timeframes. Almost the entire site has been identified as a Critical Natural Landscape. This designation refers to the intact, unfragmented ecosystem of Yankee Rowe. Careful consideration should precede any activity that might fragment or otherwise negatively impact the landscape’s ability to support natural processes.
The Conway School | Spring 2011
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Ecological Implications Ecological Value 0
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The majority of the significant habitat and areas of other ecological value occur near the banks of the Sherman Reservoir and Deerfield River. This is likely due to the rugged terrain that has restricted human activity in these areas and allowed natural processes to occur relatively undisturbed. The streams that flow into the Deerfield provide habitat and wildlife access routes through the steep slopes.
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The Yankee Rowe site, as outlined on preceding Sheets 10 and 11, has a high ecological value because of the habitats and associated species that it contains. Any use of the site should carefully consider likely disturbances. Any and all activities, should be evaluated for potential impacts including effects that may occur down-stream or later in time.
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The old growth forest stand was never cleared due to the inaccessibility of the rugged terrain. Because of its ecological significance and rarity, this old growth forest stand should be preserved.
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One of the unique features of the site is its large intact character, creating conditions required for some interior species. Activities which may potentially fragment this large tract should be avoided. As one of the largest single-owner forested parcels in Massachusetts, Yankee Rowe has unique potential for maintaining ecological integrity in western New England.
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Ecosystem Services
The Yankee Rowe landscape performs a key role in connecting western New England’s forest habitat.
People benefit from Yankee Rowe’s intact landscape and functioning ecosystem. The natural world provides many services that we often take for granted, collectively known as ecosystem services. “Ecosystem Services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystem processes. These include water and air purification, flood control, erosion control, generation of fertile soils, detoxification of wastes, resistance to climate and other environmental changes, pollination, and aesthetic and cultural benefits that derive from nature.” (Stockholm Resilience Organization. Web. 18 June 2011). A loss of the ecological functions of Yankee Rowe would result in increased costs and decreased quality of life for the citizens of Rowe and beyond.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
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Ecological analysis composite shows many designations of environmental and habitat considerations. Designations overlap on the areas of highest ecological significance.
While many of the plants and smaller animals may spend their entire lives within the boundaries of the Yankee Rowe site, the land also serves as a corridor linking larger habitats. Moose and bear may use this land to move seasonally between Massachusetts, Vermont, and beyond. Many bird species rest and feed here as part of longer distance migration routes, while plants slowly disperse through these corridors. Nearby permanently protected parcels include the Monroe State Forest to the west with small parcels abutting Yankee Rowe to the east, Green Mountain National Forest to the north, Pelham Lake Park to the southeast, and Savoy Mountain State Forest to the southwest.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
The Conway School | Spring 2011
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Solar Array Suitability Mile
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Rowe has been a producer of electricity for over eighty years, first with hydropower, then with nuclear, and now with solar. The sun offers an abundant supply of energy, which Rowe has already began to tap with a 1-megawatt array at Rowe Elementary School. In applying for Commonwealth of Massachusetts Green Communities status, Rowe is also considering a Solar Overlay District that will grant as-of-right permission for the construction of certain solar arrays within that zone. Developing large solar arrays also offers Rowe an additional source of income through energy revenue, taxes, or other means.
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Locations most suitable are on gently sloping or flat ground with an aspect that faces south or southwest to maximize exposure to the sun. Steeper slopes are more difficult to develop and maintain.
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Solar Suitability Level 1: Good
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Could solar arrays be part of Yankee Rowe’s future? The best suited locations for siting solar arrays are located at the interior of Yankee Rowe and deep within interior forest. Only a small portion of Yankee Rowe, approximately 30 acres, qualifies for this designation. Even the best suited locations represent significant challenges due to topographic features and environmental considerations. Other potential locations for siting solar arrays meet the same challenges, plus have the added political hurdle of not being zoned industrial. A cursory analysis revealed numerous much larger areas elsewhere in Rowe meeting the criteria for Solar Suitability Level 1.
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Solar Suitability Level 2: Fair
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• south/southwest aspect
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• slope 15-20% grade
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Solar Suitability Level 3: Poor • south/southwest aspect • slope 20-30% grade
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Best Suited Locations for Solar Array
These areas have the most potential for solar power, are near the transmission lines for grid tie-in, and are along an existing road (although Shippee Road would need improvement). They are also within the town’s industrial zone.
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Solar Suitability Level 1 south and southwest aspect <15% slope
Potential for Solar Array
These areas meet all the same criteria as the Best Suited Locations, except they are not zoned industrial. Building a solar array here would require changes to zoning code or special variances.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Yankee Rowe’s most suitable locations for the placement of solar arrays
Solar Suitability Level 2 south and southwest aspect 15-20% slope Solar Suitability Level 3 south and southwest aspect 20-30% slope
Installing solar arrays on the Yankee Rowe site would require construction of roads and the clearing of forest. Impacts from road construction could be minimized by upgrading the existing Shippee Road. However, a significant amount of improvement would be necessary. Solar arrays require approximately 3 acres of land per megawatt of panels installed, thus, clearing of forested land would be proportional to the amount of energy to be generated. Necessary buildings include an operations & maintenance building to service the arrays, store equipment, and provide a workspace. An electrical switchyard to tie into the electrical grid is also necessary.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
The Conway School | Spring 2011
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Wind Turbine Suitability 0
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Ridgelines of western Massachusetts offer access to an abundant source of clean renewable energy: wind. The Commonwealth has stated a goal to “install 2000 megawatts of wind energy by 2020” thereby reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions while decreasing dependence on fossil fuels. To do so will require development of wind-farms across the state, including on marginal and sub-prime locations. Developing wind turbines also offers Rowe an additional source of income through energy revenue, taxes, or other means. Locations most suitable have wind speeds greater than six meters per second and slopes less than 15 percent. Steeper slopes are more difficult to develop and maintain.
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Wind Suitability Level 1: Good
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Could wind turbines be part of Yankee Rowe’s future?
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Wind Suitability Levels
The best suited locations for siting wind turbines are located within the interior and along the eastern edge of Yankee Rowe. Approximately 140 acres qualify for this designation. The best suited locations face significant challenges from rough topography and environmental considerations. Other potential locations on site have the same challenges, but also fall outside of the town’s industrial zone. A cursory analysis revealed large areas elsewhere in Rowe that meet basic wind suitability criteria. It may be that Yankee Rowe is not the best location within Rowe for siting wind turbines.
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Wind Suitability Level 2: Fair
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• wind speed greater than 6m/s at 70m vertical • slope 15-20% grade Wind Suitability Level 3: Poor
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• wind speed greater than 6m/s at 100m vertical • slope 20-30% grade
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Best Suited Locations for Wind Turbines
These areas have the most potential for wind power, they are near transmission lines for tie-in to the electrical grid, and near an existing road (although Shippee Road would need significant improvement). These areas are within the town’s industrial zone.
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Wind Suitability Level 1 wind >6m/s @ 50m vertical <15% slope
Potential for Wind Turbines
These areas meet all the same criteria as the Best Suited Locations except they are not zoned industrial. Building widn turbine here would require changes to zoning code or special variances.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Yankee Rowe’s most suitable locations for the placement of wind turbines
Wind Suitability Level 2 wind >6m/s @ 70m vertical 15-20% slope
Wind Suitability Level 3 wind >6m/s @ 100m vertical 20-30% slope
The construction and maintenance of wind turbines requires a significant amount of disturbance to the landscape. During the construction phase, a system of roads connecting all the turbines to accommodate oversized vehicles requires a 50-foot width, 115-foot turning radius, and grade less than 10-percent. Additionally, roads off-site may require widening and other alterations to accommodate these vehicles. An area of over a half-acre, plus the turbine foundation, must be cleared and graded for each turbine. Several buildings would be necessary, including an electrical switchyard and an operations & maintenance building to service the turbines.
Other Constraints Constraints that have not been addressed in this report include the potential of turbulence created by the steep slopes and the surface roughness of forest cover, which may reduce turbine efficiency. Public concerns exist about views of wind turbines, the shadow cast by moving blades known as “flicker,” noise produced by turbines, and disturbance to intact habitat.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
The Conway School | Spring 2011
14/24
Residential Suitability The Yankee Rowe site presents multiple challenges to residential development rvoi r rma nR
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2. Advance Equity. Ensure that the interests of future generations are not compromised by todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decisions.
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1. Concentrate Development and Mix Uses. ...promoting development that is compact, conserves land, protects historic resources, and integrates uses.
Monroe State Forest
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Aggricultural/Residential Zoning is needed for residential development to occur on the site, while avoiding restricted areas, further limiting development prospects. The wetlands and associated hydric soils, riparian buffers, habitat areas, and historical ruins also limit the number of areas on the site that are suitable for residential development.
Under Governor Deval Patrick, the state has developed ten guidelines for sustainable development. Although none refer to residential development exclusively, each principle, especially number four has at least one element that directly relates to future residential development at Yankee Rowe.
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The characteristic stoniness and permeability of the soils generally found on the site, Berkshire and Lyman (Heitert 12), may not provide acceptable percolation and land use is typically limited to woodland, unimproved pasture, logging and recreational purposes where the slope is not excessively steep. Depending on the proximity to the former power plant site, drilling wells would involve an analysis of the groundwater quality.
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and site conditions, residential developers typically seek reasonably level terrain and access to existing roads and utility lines. The availability of existing municipal water and sewer is an additional benefit. Although a portion of the Yankee Rowe site has some access to a nearby paved road, the site is predominantly steep and the town of Rowe does not have municipal water and sewer infrastructure, requiring residential development on the site to incorporate septic systems and wells.
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Due to the higher costs of construction associated with steep terrain
Sustainable Development Principles
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4. Protect Land and Ecosystems. Protect and restore environmentally sensitive lands, natural resources, agricultural lands, critical habitats, wetlands and water resources, and cultural and historic landscapes. Increase the quantity, quality and accessibility of open spaces and recreational opportunities.
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5. Use Natural Resources Wisely. Construct and promote developments ...that conserve natural resources
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6. Expand Housing Opportunities. ...build homes near jobs, transit and where services are available Ford Hill Road
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Based on site analyses and generally accepted criteria the most suitable location on the site for residential development is the southwestern corner, close to Monroe Hill Road.
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Although unsuitable for residential development due to its location in the Industrial Zone, the small area shown on the map has the site attributes most desirable for any type of development, including proximity to roads and power and flatter slopes. This area is explored further in the discussion of recreational opportunities on page 16.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Decisions ...permitting process
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7. Provide Transportation Choice. ...expand transportation options that conserve fuel and improve air quality 8. Increase Job and Business Opportunities. ...support local businesses including sustainable natural resource-based businesses 9. Promote Clean Energy. ...reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Yankee Roweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most suitable locations for development
10. Plan Regionally. ...foster land and water conservation Development Suitable
Massachusetts Sustainable Development Principles. Boston, MA.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
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Recreational Suitability
Connections
Additional connecting trails could link Yankee Rowe to existing trail networks in Monroe State Forest to the west, south to Florida State Forest, Savoy Mountain State Forest, and Mohawk Trail State Forest. Southeast of Yankee Rowe, connections could be made to Rowe’s Pelham Lake Park trail system, which in turn could connect to Mohawk Trail State Forest, creating a grand loop with potential for well over 30 miles.
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The trail corridors shown on this map represent a potential trail network through this scenic and rugged topography. Detailed trail design should take place on the ground, responding to the particular physical conditions found on site.
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Possible recreational trail networks traverse the site
Possible Trail Corridors Possible Trailheads Potential Vistas
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
A view across tranquil Sherman Reservoir
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New trails on the Yankee Rowe property could tie into much larger trail systems. The Catamount Trail, a 300-mile winter-use trail spanning the length of Vermont, terminates at the Yankee Rowe property border. Currently, the Catamount trail dead-ends at the Massachusetts border, forcing skiers to double-back from the terminus. A more convenient trailhead could be established on the Yankee Rowe property, eliminating the need to back-track and extending the trail network. The Catamount Trail intersects with the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail approximately 70 miles north of Yankee Rowe.
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Prominent geological features attract attention, invite further exploration, and encourage natural history lessons, while water features—from wetlands to the Deerfield River—provide soothing places to connect with nature. The flora and fauna offer a natural classroom for the biological sciences. Archaeological remnants from the early settlers of the plantation of Myrifield (Rowe’s predecessor town) incite impromptu history lessons, memorialize Rowe’s past, and help visitors and residents alike appreciate Rowe in its historical context.
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Yankee Rowe’s steep, rugged terrain constrains most kinds of development. However, the same features create opportunities for interesting trails and other low-impact recreational activities. Steep hillsides create spectacular and rewarding panoramic vistas where hikers can gaze across Sherman Reservoir to the west or look east across Rowe.
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Recreational Opportunity
Before constructing a trail it is important to first define the purpose and intended users. Opportunities and constraints of the site need to be assessed. For Yankee Rowe, these include the vistas and panoramic views available from atop hills, ancient cellar holes and other archaeological ruins, rock faces and other interesting geologic features, running brooks and placid Sherman Reservoir. Trails may coexist with some ecologically sensitive area, providing trail-users the opportunity to interact with these important natural features, but need to be thoughtfully constructed to avoid negative impacts such as erosion, wildlife disturbance, or the introduction of non-native invasive species. Trails have costs associated with construction and maintenance, but many organizations are willing to support such costs because of the many benefits of trails, including community health and stewardship of open space. Recreational trails may complement other uses. Enabling people to directly experience land that is conserved helps generate public support and awareness for such conservation projects.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
The Conway School | Spring 2011
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Seasonal Recreation Recreation Trails Yankee Rowe provides myriad options for recreational trails on the property that would present the opportunity to tie into a much larger trail system. The Catamount Trail, a 300-mile winter-use trail running the length of Vermont ends at the Massachusetts border where it abuts Yankee Rowe property. Currently, skiers must head south from Harriman Station to reach the trail’s beginning in order to ski north. A trailhead could be established on the Yankee Rowe property, eliminating the need to double-back and providing an interstate experience. The Catamount Trail intersects with the Appalachian and Long Trail approximately 70 miles north of Yankee Rowe. Connecting trails could also link Yankee Rowe to existing trail networks in Monroe State Forest to the west, with further connections being imagined running south to Florida State Forest, Savoy Mountain State Forest, and Mohawk Trail State Forest. East and south from Yankee Rowe, connections could be made to Rowe’s Pelham Lake Park trail system, which in turn could connect to Mohawk Trail State Forest, creating a grand loop. Such a lengthy trail system also lends itself to a hut-to-hut system where hikers, bikers and skiers could overnight in a cabin at intervals along the trail.
Trails, such as this, could allow hikers to explore Yankee Rowe.
Image used under Creative Commons from Stephen_Downes Secluded campsites at Yankee Rowe could offer relaxing getaways.
Trail networks could expand upon the existing snowmobile trails.
Hiking, Biking
Birding, Camping
Snowmobiling and XC Skiing
In late spring, summer and fall, sensitively designed multi-purpose trails could be utilized by both bikers and hikers.
A trail system at Yankee Rowe could provide access to interior areas of the property for viewing the many species of birds, and other animals, who live on the site and areas for camping could be designated along the trails.
Shippee Road and the network of utility lines at Yankee Rowe are currently used by snowmobilers in the winter. A connection to the Catamount Trail could attract cross-country skiers as well.
Photo courtesy trailblaze.com
Photo courtesy trailblaze.com
The well-known Tenth Mountain Trail Association in Colorado, and the newly created Maine Hut System could serve as successful models for trail development, construction, and management. Recreational trails also complement other uses. Conservation and recreation typically have synergy— each making the other more viable and accessible to the public.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Photo courtesy trailblaze.com
Photo courtesy trailblaze.com
Yankee Rowe’s challenging terrain could appeal to those interested in mountainbiking.
Birders seeking rare and unusual species can find many at Yankee Rowe.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
Photo courtesy trailblaze.com
Connecting to the Catamount Trail through Yankee Rowe could extend that 300-mile cross-country ski trail.
The Conway School | Spring 2011
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Conservation Suitability Valuable landscapes should be protected Green Mountain
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The edge between forest and wetland has high habitat value and provides many ecosystem services.
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Certain areas of the site should be conserved because of their documented high natural resource value. Damaging these areas could have irreversible consequences for the local and regional ecology. Other areas of the site should also be investigated for ecological significance, as it is likely that other significant habitat exists. Conservation need not exclude other activities, such as areas of forest managed for forest products, and recreational and educational trails.
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The natural resources of approximately 1860 acres of land were inadvertently conserved by the operation of the Yankee Atomic nuclear plant. This large and relatively pristine tract of land represents one of the largest single-owner, forested parcels not currently under conservation in Massachusetts. The Yankee Rowe site provides extensive wildlife habitat for the diversity of rare species that call it home. Conservation of the entire parcel would provide the most ecological benefit, because fragmenting the habitat diminishes its value.
Monroe State
Conservation Priority Conservation Priority Level 1 Highest Priority for Conservation and Protection This priority level includes the highest values outlined on Ecological Analysis (Sheet 11). These areas also include consideration of ecologically valuable systems, such as wetlands, vernal pools, stream, old growth forest, natural community edge, and connections to existing protected land.
Conservation Priority Level 2 Secondary Priority for Conservation
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Pelham Lake Park
Savoy Mountain State Forest
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Conservation priorities for Yankee Rowe Conservation Priority Level 1
This priority level reflects the intact landscape, providing connection across broader landscape areas and linking existing protected parcels. Somewhat less significant than Priority Level 1, but still important ecologically, these areas have natural communities more typical of the region and might represent opportunities for forest management for forest products.
Zach Mermel | Sean Walsh | Jan Wirth
Wise stewardship, including conservation of priority habitat areas and the sensitive management of the entire site, may be the best use for Yankee Rowe over the long term. At minimum, decisions for the reuse of this land should carefully consider its significance to both natural and human systems.
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Conservation Priority Level 2
The forests of the site provide services such as flood control, clean air and water, and carbon storage. Increased attention is being placed on methods of ecosystem accounting to economically quantify those services. There are several options to explore that make conserving land economically viable, such as carbon sequestration banking and habitat mitigation banking (see more on Sheet 22). As discussed on Suitability Summary (Sheet 19), low-impact recreational uses may complement conservation of land. It is also possible for pockets of energy development to take place within a larger envelope of protected land.
Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
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Suitability Summary Limited Options 0
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The future land use of the Yankee Rowe property will greatly impact the Town of Rowe. The rugged terrain and presence of the spent nuclear fuel limits the number of practical reuse options.
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• Conservation (managed forest or wilderness)
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Possibilities that are most feasible include: • Recreational Trails • Wind-Energy Generation
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It is possible that many different uses could coexist on Yankee Rowe simultaneously. For instance, the bulk of the landscape could be protected as permanent conservation land with some low-impact recreational trails. A small pocket of conservation development tucked off to the west of Monroe Hill Road could contribute to the conservation of much of the broader landscape.
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If, through comprehensive study, energy development could be shown to create few ecological impacts, then it is possible that clean energy may have overall net positive environmental impact when considering the offsetting of pollution and greenhouse gas emission that would otherwise be released due to conventional energy generation.
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Conservation and recreation often work in synergy—each making the other more viable and accessible to the public. Allowing people to utilize conservation land helps generate public support and awareness for such conservation projects. Recreational trails may complement other uses. Trails that come in contact with renewable energy installations may serve educational purposes—teaching visitors about energy production. The small area suitable for development at the base of Monroe Hill Road near Monroe Bridge makes a logical location for operation of an outdoor sports facility. Currently, during busy river-rafting weekends vehicles from outdoor adventure companies often park along the roadside near access to the boat put-in below Dam #5. This location also could make sense for locating a trailhead.
Energy generation and conservation may be competing uses of the land. The foreseeable impacts of energy generation would limit the effectiveness of conservation.
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Options for future reuse each have their own rewards and consequences. How will each reuse option affect the values of the people of Rowe?
Any future uses of Yankee Rowe should avoid critical habitat.
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Multiple combinations of potential future exist for the site. Conservation Priority 1
Trails
Conservation Priority 2
Trailheads
Wind Suitable Solar Suitable
Vistas
Future conditions and priorities might change, and so the values of pursuing certain options may change. For instance, in order to meet the Commonwealth’s goal for wind energy generation, sites with marginal suitability will have to be developed. As the price of oil continues to rise, generating power from locally renewable resources will become more economically viably and socially necessary. As technology continues to improve and becomes cheaper and more efficient, methods for harvesting energy may make energy development a more feasible option for the Yankee Rowe site. The legacy of nuclear power generation has left a long-term mark on the land in the form of dangerous toxic materials that will reside on the ISFSI site for the foreseeable future. The legacy of nuclear power has also left a mark in the form of a large swath of intact ecologically valuable forest. How might these legacies inform future land use decisions?
Development Suitable
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Wise Stewardship
The residents of Rowe have a unique opportunity to create a plan for the future use of the Yankee Rowe property. The majority of the Yankee Rowe site is characterized by rugged terrain and scenic beauty, contributing to Rowe’s rural character. The legacy of nuclear power generation on the site has left a largely unseen, but permanent impact on the land. Additionally, the nuclear legacy also inadvertently conserved Yankee Rowe’s natural integrity for almost sixty years. The rugged terrain and presence of the spent nuclear fuel limits the number of practical reuse options. Conservation of Yankee Rowe is the most suitable use of the land. Yankee Rowe’s variety of intact natural communities including five forest types, upland shrubland, wetlands, and vernal pools are home to many rare, threatened, and species of special concern. The presence of NHESP priority habitat limits possible activity in these areas. Old growth forest on the Monroe parcel is an extremely rare remnant ecosystem. Both of these factors contribute to
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Yankee Rowe’s high ecological value. Yankee Rowe’s landscape provides the town of Rowe many ecosystem services that help make the hilltown lifestyle possible. There are several possible ways to generate revenue for the community from conserved land including income from forest products, the sale of carbon credits, and species banking. Conservation is complementary with other activities, such as areas of forest managed for forest products, and recreational and educational trails. Other types of land uses may also be suitable to occur within the property, however all future options should carefully avoid unnecessary habitat disturbance or fragmentation of this large ecological corridor. One option for the future use of Yankee Rowe is to expand upon Rowe’s power legacy with the construction of solar arrays or wind turbines on Yankee Rowe. Approximately 150 acres of Yankee Rowe meet basic suitable criteria for establishing future solar arrays and wind farms. The location within the town’s industrial zone and proximity
to transmission lines present an opportunity for future energy development. However, these sites are heavily wooded, steeper than ideal, and would require clearing and extensive building of new roads. Such activity threatens to compromise the ecological integrity of the site’s many habitats. These challenges present additional costs that make such uses less feasible. However, as the price of oil continues to rise, generating power from locally renewable resources will become more economically viable and socially necessary. If, through comprehensive study, it can be shown that energy development can occur with minimal ecological impacts, then clean energy may have an overall net positive environmental impact, especially when the offsetting of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions is accounted for. Residential development was explored as a possible reuse option, but the site has low suitability for such use. An exception would be for low-density conservation development that responds to the sensitivities of the landscape. An option for
commercial development might be an outdoor recreation shop at the base of Monroe Hill Road, taking advantage of its proximity to the rafting put-in location and potential trailhead placement. The same features that make Yankee Rowe unsuitable for most development, and challenging for others, create opportunities for interesting trails and lowimpact recreational activities. Yankee Rowe provides an excellent location for people to connect with nature through spectacular and rewarding panoramic vistas and wilderness immersion. The flora and fauna, geologic features, and archaeological remnants provide opportunities for a variety of learning experiences. A series of new trails at Yankee Rowe could connect to local trail systems and extended networks. Wise stewardship, in the form of conservation and managed forests, may be the best long-term use for the land of Yankee Rowe. At minimum, decisions for the reuse of this land should carefully consider its significance to both natural and human systems.
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Revenue Prospects Revenue Prospect from Residential Development
Revenue Prospect from Recreation
Revenue Prospect from Renewable Energy
Residential development provides property tax revenue to the Town of Rowe. Selling a portion of the Yankee Rowe site for conservation development might provide revenue to the community but the location does not satisfy a number of criteria necessary for conservation development including slopes less than 20%, access to water and sewer, proximity to a town center, walkability, areas of past disturbance rather than previously undeveloped areas, and it involves areas of habitat and ecological value that might be disturbed.
The current potential for generating revenue from recreational activities on the site is limited. Basic services such as lodging, restaurants, outdoor equipment and grocery stores are minimal or nonexistent. The nearest access to these amenities is in the nearby communities of Charlemont, Adams, and Greenfield and towns in southern Vermont. Visitors to Rowe who come for rafting, kayaking and biking arrive with provisions and camping gear and are not dependent on local businesses for their supplies and equipment.
Potential revenue for the town of Rowe from renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind generation, depends on the ownership of the facility. If ownership is not local, revenue to the town is generated from property taxes and monies from the production of power leave the community. Other towns, such as Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Ferrisburg, Vermont, are addressing their energy needs by the development of community scale power generating facilities which provide jobs and increase community spirit by involving many different agencies, businesses and individuals, and also have the potential to produce revenue for the town.
Also, present real estate trends in western Massachusetts do not indicate a pending increase in the current market in the area of the state where Rowe is located.
Cost of Community Services American Farmland Trust’s Cost of Community Services Studies “Fact Sheet” helps address the claim often made in rural communities that residential development lowers property taxes by increasing the tax base of the community. An acre of land with a new house on it does generates more revenue than an acre of farmland or forest, but working and other open lands require less public infrastructure and services, including roads, fire and police departments, and school systems. These land uses generate more public revenues than they receive back in public services. According to the fact sheet, it costs the nearby town of Deerfield $1.16 in community services for every $1.00 of residential property tax income (American Farmland Trust, August 2007).
Ferrisburg has recently opened Vermont’s largest solar project, a 1-megawatt photvoltaic solar farm on an existing farm adjacent to Route 7. Sited on sixteen acres, the native soils remain relatively undisturbed, the site required no grading and limited excavation to bury the underground cables. The array, which will power 170 homes, has a low profile and its dark color minimizes the visual impact and the existing barn and farm-like setting have been preserved. Pile-driven support structures can be removed in the future if the solar farm ceases to operate, allowing the fields to return to open meadow (Ferrisburg Solar Farm, ferrisburgsolarfarm.com). In contrast to that location, as discussed in the site analyses, Yankee Rowe’s topography and slopes present many challenges for a solar installation of this type and other locations in Rowe might prove more appropriate and have less impact. Revenue generation from small-scale renewable solar arrays has been possible since the passing of the Massachusett’s 2008 Green Communities Act which supports the concept of community solar development
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Yankee Rowe Revisited: a land use feasibility study for Rowe, Massachusetts
by allowing groups of individuals and businesses to pool resources, creating member shares, to cover the capital expenditures of renewable energy installation and also individually benefit from the associated tax incentives and sharing of potential future revenue. A dramatic change in legislation, what is called “virtual net metering” does not require that a solar installation be directly attached to a member’s home or business to participate. Under the act, the town of Falmouth is in the process of developing a community solar garden, smaller than a solar farm which will be member-owned by the community providing both clean energy and potential revenue to the residents of the town. The town of Rowe might consider this new model of local energy independence, particularly, since the town is working toward becoming a Massachusetts Green Community under the Act and has recently installed a solar array at the school.
Image used under Creative Commons from Bernd Sieker
Community-scale solar is a new energy model in MA.
Community-scale wind projects are developing in some remote locations in New England including on islands Maine where utility costs are higher than on the mainland. The three turbine Fox Islands Wind project on Vinalhaven Island was completed in 2009 and supplies wind-generated power to both North Haven and Vinalhaven Island. These projects, like communityscale solar arrays, provide an alternative to largescale power facilities operated by out-of-town owners keeping jobs and potential revenue in local economies.
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Revenue Prospects, cont. Revenue Prospect from Harvesting Natural Resources As part of the Yankee Rowe decommissioning process multiple reports were completed including one by Woodlot Alternatives, Inc., of Maine. It included a Natural Resource Inventory and Forest Management Plan which states that the value of timber harvesting on the site, under various harvesting scenarios, including annual, 5-year, and 10-year intervals, amounts to approximately $20,000 annually (Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. 45).
Photo courtesy of thetrustees.org
Forests products can provide revenue.
Revenue Prospect from Carbon Credits, Habitat and Species Banking Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is a free-market driven system that determines a price (dollar value) for these services and offers landowners economic incentives to protect natural resources for biodiversity conservation or other ecosystem resources including carbon sequestration. Using the Stockholm Resilience Organization’s definition of ecosystem services, listed on Sheet 11, the ecological analyses implications developed for this report show that the Yankee Rowe site has a high ecosystem services value. It provides a large, intact forest for the sequestration of carbon to off-set carbon production in other locations and within that forest, habitat for multiple species of flora and fauna, including some that are rare and endangered. The purchase and sale of carbon credits is one form of PES. A market value is determined for the sequestration of carbon in forests. Producers of greenhouse gases, often large corporations, such as, General Motors, buy credits from landowners and other land stewards to offset the carbon dioxide they are producing. The purchase of carbon credits generally requires a minimum parcel size of about 2,000 acres. At 1,860 acres, the Yankee Rowe is an appropriate size. If the community chose to explore this method of generating revenue, a consideration might be to combine the Yankee Rowe site acreage with the acreage of the town forest in Rowe (also roughly 2,000 acres), which would total almost 4,000 acres in carbon credit generating local forests.
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Another potential source of revenue is habitat, or species banking, a mitigation/conservation concept similar to carbon credits, in which large, preestablished areas of natural resources are preserved (often after restoration) to compensate for impacts to habit and species in other locations. Similar to carbon credits, a market value is determined for a particular type of habitat, such as, wetlands, or a specific species, most often rare or endangered. Landowners are paid by developers, public agencies, and other groups or individuals having mitigation needs or conservation priorities to protect and conserve those natural resources for biodiversity protection or other ecosystem resources. Habit banking primarily involves “green field,” or undeveloped sites such as, Yankee Rowe, that perform these ecosystem services and types of development (including changes of use), which reduce the ecosystem services function of land, often in distant locations, and typically require permission to do so. The system saves
developers time and money by providing a predictable and effective mitigation and compensation process, private or publicly owned land is managed for its natural resource value, it provides long-term protection and management of habitat through permanent conservation agreements, and land owners are paid for this valuable service. Lands under permanent, or “in perpetuity” protection have a higher value and command a higher price for the services provided. The sale of carbon credits and habitat banking have associated legal and administrative requirements involving conservation covenants, reporting, performance guarantees and compliance monitoring. These activities are typically administered by an outside entity who receives a fee for providing these services.
Carbon Credit Revenue from Local Forests A simple example of the concept would: • Assume carbon credits being worth approximately $7.00/ton in the current market (S. Carney, Finite Carbon, Inc., June 2011) • Use a value of 2 tons/acre for the carbon that is sequestered (or held) in the forest (S. Carney, Finite Carbon, Inc., June 2011) • Combine the acreage of Yankee Rowe and the town forest in Rowe • 4000 acres x 2 tons/acre x $7/ton = $56,000 for potential annual revenue from carbon sequestration credits provided by the local Rowe forests.
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References American Farmland Trust, Farmland Information Center Fact Sheet Cost of Community Services Studies. Washington, DC, August 2007.
Portland General Electric. “Columbia River—Trojan Park.” Web. <www.portlandgeneral.com>. 24 May 2011.
Area West Environmental, Inc. SMUD Nature Preserve Mitigation Bank; Final Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration. PDF file. August 2010.
Rickard, W. H. and R. E. Fitzner. “Avifaunal Survey of the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant.” 201.52. Northwest Science (1978): 63-64. Web. <www.vetmed.wsu.edu>. 17 June 2011.
Brown, John Martin. “From Nuclear Fuel to Nature Trails.” High Country News. 20 November 2000. Web. <www.hcn.org>. 22 May 2011.
The Sacramento Bee. “20 Years After Sacramento Voted to Shut Rancho Seco, SMUD Has Diversified Energy Sources.” June 2007. Web. <www.nukefree.org>. 15 May 2011.
Burleson Consulting. Rancho Seco Power Plant Wastewater Treatment Artificial Wetland Project Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration. Feb 2008. Web. <www.smud.org>. 24 May 2011.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District. “SMUD Nature Preserve.” Web. <http://www.smud.org>. 22 May 2011.
Chewonki Foundation. Nature Preserves and Trails. Web. <www.chewonki.org>. 14 May 2011.
Schimmoller. Retirement Planning. 1 May 2010. Web. <www.powergenworldwide.com>. 2 June 2011.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. Department of Fish and Game. BioMap2. Westborough, Massachusetts. November 2010.
State of Oregon. “Decommissioning the Trojan Nuclear Plant.” Web. <egov.oregon.gov>. 16 June 2011.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. Department of Fish and Game. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. n.d. Westborough, Massachusetts.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. Stockholm University. Stockholm, Sweden. Web. June 2011.
. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Office of Commonwealth Development Sustainable Development Principles. n.d. Boston, Massachusetts. Farrow, Elizabeth Chapin. “A New Life: Adaptive Reuse and Redevelopment of Decommissioned Commercial Nuclear Power Plants.” Web. <etd.fcla.edu>. 13 May 2011.
U.S. Department of Energy. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “Rancho Seco.” 13 April 2011. Web. <www. nrc.gov>. 2 June 2011. Woodlot Alternatives, Inc., Natural Resources Inventory and Management Plan, Yankee Rowe Nuclear Power Station. Rowe and Monroe, Massachusetts, Topsham, Maine, April 2004.
Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Wildlands and Woodlands: A Vision for the New England Landscape. Petersham, Massachusetts, 2010. Howes, Eric. Maine Yankee Public and Government Affairs Director. Personal Interview. 16 June 2011. Heitert, Kristen, PAL Report No. 1547, Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey , Archaeological Resources Management Plan, Yankee Rowe Nuclear Power Station. Rowe and Monroe, Massachusetts, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, November 2003. ICON Parks Design. “Back River Trail: Master Plan and Design Guidelines.” PDF file. 2005. Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company. n.d. Web. 13 June 2011.
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Additional Resources American Farmland Trust. Web. Washington, DC. June 2011. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Environmental Management, Commonwealth Connections, A greenway vision for Massachusetts. Boston, Massachusetts, 2008.
Town of Rowe and Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Rowe Green Community Action Plan Report. Rowe, MA, 2009. The Trustees of Reservations. Web. Beverly, Massachusetts. June 2011.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, Western Regional Office, Letter, Subject: Rowe— BWSC-RTN #1-13411, Phase II—Comprehensive Site Assessment Report, Final Report— Review. Springfield, Massachusetts, April 2009.
Vermont Center for Geographic Information. Web. Waterbury, Vermont. June 2011.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Letter, Subject: Yankee Nuclear Power Station Partial Site Release. Charlestown, Massachusetts, March 2008.
Yankee Atomic Southeast Construction Fill Area (SCFA) Notice. Rowe, Massachusetts, October 2007.
Environmental Resources Management, Baseline Environmental Report, Yankee Nuclear Power Station, Site Closure Project. Rowe, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, April 2004.
Yankee Beneficial Use Determination (BUD) Deed Notice. Rowe, Massachusetts, February 2008.
E Executive Office of Environmental Affair , Deerfield River Watershed, 5-Year Watershed Action Plan. s 2004-2008, Boston, Massachusetts, 2004.
Yankee Atomic Electric Company, Letter, Subject: Yankee Nuclear Power Station (YNPS) Southeast Construction Fill Area (SFCA) Filed Deed Notice. Rowe, Massachusetts, October 2007.
Yankee Rowe Nuclear Power Station, Site Closure Project Plan, Revision 4. Rowe, Massachusetts, September 2006.
Environmental Resources Management, Site Characterization Status Report, Yankee Nuclear Power Station, Site Closure Project. Rowe, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, June 2004. Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Wildlands and Woodlands: A Vision for the Forests of Massachusetts. Petersham, Massachusetts, 2005. Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Web. Boston, Massachusetts. June 2011. Massachusetts Office of Geographic Information. Web. Boston, Massachusetts, June 2011. The Nature Conservancy. Web. Washington, DC. June 2011. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Letter, Subject: Yankee Nuclear Power Station – Release of Non-impacted Site Area From Part 50 License. Washington, DC, November 2005. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Letter, Subject: Yankee Nuclear Power Station – Release of Non-impacted Site Area From Part 50 License. Washington, DC, August 2007. Pioneer Valley Renewable Energy Collaborative, Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan. Greenfield, Massachusetts, 2008. Sacramento Valley Conservancy. Web. Sacramento, California. June 2011.
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The Conway School is the only institution of its kind in North America. Its focus is sustainable landscape planning and design. Each year, through its accredited, ten-month graduate program just eighteen to nineteen students from diverse backgrounds are immersed in a range of applied landscape studies, ranging in scale from residences to regions. Graduates go on to play significant professional roles in various aspects of landscape planning and design.