March 29, 2005

Mr. Tom Gumbart, Conservation Director

Lincoln Conservation Commission

Dear Mr. Gumbart,

It was with great dismay that I learned of the new dog rules for Mt. Misery. I’d like to share with you some of my experiences at Mt. Misery, in hopes that there can be a reevaluation of the recent decision to require leashing of dogs.

I have been enjoying the conservation land for ten years, thanks to the generosity of the town of Lincoln. Initially I walked the trails with my two year old daughter, trying to instill an appreciation for nature that’s difficult to experience merely from playing in the yard. Mt. Misery also allowed us to vicariously enjoy the company of dogs, as we were not ready at the time to be dog owners ourselves. The dogs we encountered were unfailingly well behaved, and the owners extremely friendly. I looked forward to the day when I could bring my own dog to the area.

Three years ago I adopted a dog from Buddy Dog, and have been walking at Mt. Misery as often as I can. One of the benefits of having a dog is that you’re “forced” to go for a walk even when the weather is miserable. As a result, I’ve been able to see the small daily changes that occur at Mt. Misery, and the beauty never fails to astonish me, even when the land is frozen in ice, mired in mud, or swarming with mosquitoes.

Fortunately, my dog Jake is very social, and interacts well with both people and other dogs. I realize though that not everyone is a dog lover, and also realize that the last thing a jogger or cross country skier wants is a dog interrupting their stride. For this reason, in addition to keeping Jake under voice control, I also require him to be at my side when people without dogs are approaching. I feel this is my obligation, so that everyone can enjoy their own Mt. Misery experience. In all my visits I have only witnessed two dog owners who didn’t exhibit similarly sensitive behavior.

If the objective is to ensure that people can enjoy Mt. Misery without being bothered by dogs, then I’d would propose that the rules be modified to establish times when that is possible. I believe most owners would support a time share arrangement whereby during prime hours such as 10 – 3, dogs are required to be on a leash. This would provide dog owners separate hours to enjoy the land while their dogs are able to walk freely. From my experience, during the early morning and late afternoon hours the few people walking the trails are generally dog owners.

I love the Mt. Misery woods, and losing the ability to enjoy the peaceful setting and camaraderie of my fellow dog owners while our pets play would be a real tragedy.

Sincerely,

Veronica Golden

24 Fairfield St.

Maynard MA 01754