Town officials want to update their Open Space and Recreation Plan through the survey available online or at Town Hall.
LUDLOW — Ludlow’s Open Space Committee is updating the 2006 Open Space and Recreation Plan and is conducting a survey to gather public input.
The plan will provide guidance based on community input for active stewardship of open spaces, water resources, plant and animal habitat, neighborhood parks and quality outdoor recreation facilities, town officials said in a statement. Completing the survey will help inform the town’s goals, priorities and actions for future years.
The survey, which will remain open until Oct. 1, is available online at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Ludlow_OSRP.
A link to the survey is also available on the Town of Ludlow’s website at: www.ludlow.ma.us.
Paper copies of the survey are available in the Planning Department at the Ludlow Town Hall, 488 Chapin St.
The Open Space and Recreation Plan is being developed by the Ludlow Open Space Committee with assistance from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. Funding is provided by a District Local Technical Assistance Grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Residents surveyed during a master planning process identified open space as a critical issue. Many residents were concerned about the loss of farmland as the town continues to develop at a rapid pace.
Residents have expressed enthusiasm about increased access to existing open space resources. The existing public open space lands lack marked trail systems and are not accessible. There also is a lack of parking.
The town has not adopted the Community Preservation Act, which provides a regular funding source that can be used for open space acquisition and improvement.
The new survey asks residents about their frequency of use of recreational areas in town; how often trails are used; and water resources and types of recreational activities that residents engage in town, such as swimming, hiking, boating, fishing and birdwatching.
Residents who answer the survey also are asked to answer questions about any facilities which they would like to see developed for recreational use.