The next meeting of the Bow Open Spaces Board of Directors will be held Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at the Baker Free Library, 509 South Street, Bow.

All are welcome!

Bow Open Spaces is currently finalizing a strategic plan to guide us for the next three to five years. The strategic plan will outline the goals and objectives that Bow Open Spaces intends to achieve during this period and provide a roadmap for the organization’s actions, ensuring they align with the mission of preserving and protecting open spaces in our town.

By working on a strategic plan, we want to deliver on our responsibilities for public spaces and in being good stewards of private lands that have entered into conservation easements with us. The plan will help Bow Open Spaces prioritize initiatives, allocate resources, and identify opportunities for collaboration with our members and other stakeholders.

Work on the strategic plan has been ongoing by a subcommittee of the Board of Directors and overseen by the full Board. Facilitator Lizann Peyton has been a tremendous help in guiding the subcommittee members in their work and in conducting many hours of interviews with Directors, key stakeholders and with members of our organization.

The plan, when complete, will be announced in an upcoming newsletter and posted on the website.

If you have questions, thoughts, ideas or input, just let us know at info@bowopenspaces.com

If you haven’t seen it, you need to get out more. Across Bow, new land clearing, for sale signs, and new construction show that over the last two years a new surge in land development is underway. 

The ongoing or completed sales of more than 350 acres of forest land in the last two years is a major change for our town. And remember, Bow comprises only 18,000 acres total, so that is 2 percent of the total land in Bow gone in just two years, and possibly more than 40 percent of the total remaining undeveloped land. This situation has some concerned that the rural nature of Bow is undergoing an unplanned and permanent change. 

The Bow Open Spaces Board has taken the first few steps to address this problem. First, a new Directorship has been established – Director, Land Conservation. Second, members of Bow Open Spaces are now looking at several key ideas that may help. And third the Board is asking for thoughts and help from the Bow Opens Spaces members to develop approaches. 

So, when you are out there walking, hiking, riding or, perhaps just sitting, think about how we can work together to protect what makes Bow so unique. 

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Key Maps Help Tell the Story

First, the Bow Zoning Map illustrates that the town has already given major areas of Bow over for development, underscoring the importance of protecting the areas currently designated as rural. 

Second, the Bow Conservation Commission has designated key parts of Bow for possible protection as “Conservation Focus Areas.” While designated as important, these areas currently have NO protection, and significant parts of these areas are currently for sale or under development. 

Finally, take a look at realtor.com or Zillow or your favorite realty app. See for yourself what’s already on the market, and draw your own conclusions. If you have thoughts on what we should do or want to help, then email us and let’s see if we can impact the future of Bow in a positive and important way.

Bow Open Spaces is a member and volunteer driven organization. And that includes its Board of Directors, all Bow residents.

Bow Open Spaces Directors, 2022-2023. Front Row: Bob Lux, Past President and Secretary; Harry Hadaway, President; Bob Dawkins, Membership and Land Conservation. Top: Marc Ferland, Trails; Frank Boucher, Treasurer; Martin Murray, Public Relations. Not pictured: Eric Thum, Stewardship.