DiZoglio Meets with DCR Commissioner to Advocate for Berry Pond

State Representative Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) recently hosted a meeting between the North Andover legislative delegation and Jack Murray, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), to advocate for a reinvestment in funding for Berry Pond at the Harold Parker State Forest.

Up until a few years ago, Berry Pond had made the forest, which is located over more than 3,000 acres across North Andover, Andover, North Reading and Middleton, a prime location for swimming.

A lack of financial support for the pond and its grounds, as a result of DCR budget cuts, has left it without the necessary maintenance and in danger of becoming unusable. DCR has been unable to provide funding for lifeguards and will not allow swimming in Berry Pond without them. Should DCR restore funds for Berry Pond, staffing will be critical to its reopening, as at least five to six lifeguards will be needed.

Between Fiscal Years 2008 and 2014, funding for DCR decreased by nearly 30 percent. Funding for the agency in Fiscal Year 2015, however, marked a slight increase of roughly 5 percent from the prior fiscal year, from $80.2 million to $85.5 million in funds.

Every Wednesday over roughly the past five years, members of the community have gathered to participate in the “We Walk the Woods” program, which takes residents on an informative tour of the forest. The area is perfect for hiking, camping, picnicking, biking and other recreational activities.

DiZoglio, who recently embarked on the “We Walk the Woods” tour, requested the meeting with DCR shortly after seeing firsthand the toll that a lack of state funding has taken on Berry Pond. Joining DiZoglio in the meeting were State Senator Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) and staff members from the offices of State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives (D-Newburyport) and State Representative Jim Lyons (R-Andover).

“We have invested millions of dollars over the years into the forest, money that will have gone to waste if Berry Pond becomes so unkempt that it is unmanageable,” said DiZoglio, who represents portions of North Andover, Methuen, Lawrence and Haverhill in the Legislature. “Reinvesting in Berry Pond is the fiscally responsible thing to do and I am committed to working with DCR over the coming weeks and months to restore it as a community environmental resource that brings families from across the Merrimack Valley together.”