Assabet River NWR Final CCP - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Assabet River NWR: Staff photo
Chapter 3: Refuge and Resource Descriptions
Chapter 3: Refuge and Resource Descriptions
Geographic/Ecosystem Setting
Assabet River NWR, formerly referred to as the U.S. Army’s Fort Devens
Sudbury Training Annex, is a 2,230-acre parcel of land located
approximately 20 miles west of Boston, and 4 miles west of the Complex
headquarters. It is located in portions of the towns of Hudson, Maynard,
Stow and Sudbury and covers approximately 3.5 square miles. The Assabet
River NWR consists of two separate pieces of land. The larger northern
section is just north of Hudson Road. The southern section is located to the
south of Hudson Road.
The land, centered in a developed area, has been protected by the Army for
the last 58 years. That protection has allowed the maturation
of extensive, structurally diverse wetland habitats, whose
ecological integrity is enhanced by its surrounding upland
forests and grasslands. The refuge provides significant
habitat for migrating and resident wildlife. Along with
providing habitat to numerous species considered threatened
or endangered by the state of Massachusetts, the refuge also
includes several rare wetland types and a number of vernal
pools, which are considered to be habitats of special concern.
More specifically, approximately 70 percent of the refuge land
is forested with white pine (Pinus strobus) and mixed
hardwoods dominating. Approximately 22 percent is
considered wetland habitat, including a remnant Atlantic white cedar
swamp, 6 dwarf-shrub bogs, 2 minerotrophic peatland bogs, a collection of
vernal pools and historical cranberry bogs, and grass and shrubland
habitats in the remaining areas.
Socio-economic Setting
The Refuge Revenue Sharing Act of June 15, 1935, as amended, provides
annual payments to taxing authorities, based on acreage and value of
refuge lands located within their jurisdiction. Money for these payments
comes from the sale of oil and gas leases, timber sales, grazing fees, the
sale of other Refuge System resources, and from Congressional
appropriations. The Congressional appropriations are intended to make up
the difference between the net receipts from the Refuge Revenue Sharing
Fund and the total amount due to local taxing authorities. The actual
Refuge Revenue Sharing Payment does vary from year to year, because
Congress may or may not appropriate sufficient funds to make full
payment.
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