Volunteer Help for Boardwalk Reconstruction at Lot 1 This Thursday

07 May Volunteer Help for Boardwalk Reconstruction at Lot 1 This Thursday

Got this Fax from the Parker River Wildlife Refuge today. Help out if you can:

Hello Everyone,

We are looking for volunteers to help with the reconstruction of the boardwalk that leads from Lot 1 to the Refuge beach. As some you you may have heard, the boardwalk sustained significant structural damage during the a late winter storm. It has been closed ever since due to safety concerns. Our maintenance staff has been hard at work with the reconstruction for weeks, but could certainly use some help. The work to be performed will require heavy lifting and walking over uneven terrain. Volunteers should wear leather work boots and loose-fitting clothing appropriate to the weather.

Thursday, May 9th has been set aside as the first of these work days, (with May 15th as a rain date.) If you wish to help out with this important project, pleas “sign up” by contacting our Deputy Refuge Manager, Frank Drauszewski, at (978) 465- 5753, ext. 204. He can also be reached via email: frank_drauszewski@fws.gov.

Regards,

Matt Poole
Visitor Services Manager
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Complex
6 Plum Island Turnpike
Newburyport, MA 01950
Email: matt_poole@fws.gov
Phone: (978) 465-5753, ext. 210

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Refuge Road Rehab Will Limit Some Access

Officials at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge have announced that reconstruction of the gravel portion of the refuge road – between the Hellcat Swamp parking lot and Sandy Point State Reservation – will limit access to portions of the refuge and the state reservation on certain days of the week beginning on or about April 22nd. While the road project is expected to be completed by the end of May, the exact duration of the work is likely to be influenced by a number of factors, including weather. After carefully considering a variety of options that would maximize work progress while also minimizing impacts on visitors, refuge staff have decided that the gravel road will be closed to all traffic (motor vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian), on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. One-way traffic, facilitated by the presence of flag personnel, will be allowed on and Friday mornings. Two-way traffic will be permitted on Friday afternoons and on the weekends.

Anyone having questions about the road reconstruction project should contact the refuge at (978) 465-5753. Updates about the construction project and related traffic limitations will be posted to the refuge web site: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/parkerriver/.