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Proj ect: CPA Category: Amount Requested: Amount Recommended: CPC Vote: Project Description: ARTICLE 10 (e) Daisy Wilson Meadow Preservation Open Space $ 22,425 $ 22,425 This FY21 request for CPA funds is a continuation of the Conservation Commission's Conservation Meadow Preservation Program to preserve approximately five acres of meadow at the Daisy Wilson Meadow. The preservation will improve passive recreation opportunities, enhance wildlife and plant habitat, and create a renewed connection to Lexington's history through the recovery and restoration of stone walls and scenic vistas. In FY 15 and FY 16, Hennessey Field and Joyce Miller's Meadow were restored as part of this program. In FY20, Wright Farm was restored as well. The Conservation Commission owns and manages approximately 1,400 acres of conservation land, approximately 65 acres of which are upland meadows. These conservation meadows provide important wildlife habitat as well as recreational opportunities, scenic enjoyment, and a connection to Lexington's agricultural history. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage and Endangered Species program has identified open grassland and meadow improvement as a statewide priority for land management. Meadows pose a land management challenge because they require annual mowing and maintenance to remain open and free of invasive species; when left untended for even short periods of time, they quickly revert to shrub -land and forest and become difficult to maintain, particularly along the edges. Project Goals and Objectives: • Reclaim meadow land that has been overgrown by shrubs, trees, and vines; • Restoration of stone walls and their viewscapes, which serve as historic resources of Lexington's agricultural past; and • Manage invasive species encroachment on the field edges and throughout the meadow. Project Benefit: Managing invasive species and promoting natural meadow species will improve habitats for mammals, butterflies, and other invertebrates as well. A statewide habitat assessment conducted by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has identified a decline in open grassland and mature forest habitats. Daisy Wilson Meadow provides both of these habitat elements. Meadows offer important local recreational opportunities, such as bird - watching, walking, cross-country skiing, and picnicking. Funding Request: $22,425 is requested for FY21. 12