Torey van Oot '05

If you were to travel slightly northeast from the Main School Building, past the Pocumtuck Ridge and to the Connecticut River, you would find a 17-acre parcel of land, where the school plans to construct a new boathouse for the crew program. Business Manager Michael Sheridan has overseen the boathouse project and adjusted plans to comply with the Massachusetts laws pertaining to the 200-foot "river zone" along the Connecticut River.

The initial boathouse plans were presented to the Deerfield ConservationCommission (DCC), which oversees the project and is involved with permit granting commissions.

In October, 2002, the DCC granted Deerfield the needed permit for the boathouse. Later, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) began its own review.

The DEP brought in the Massachusetts Commission of Nature and Wildlife (MCHW) for the site evaluation, because there were concerns about the effects of the proposed boathouse on local populations of bald eagles, short nosed sturgeons, and six different species of dragonflies. However, Deerfield brought in a panel of experts to prove that the presence of the boathouse would not have any negative effects on the endangered species.

During a review of the boathouse site by the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), bits and pieces of Native American artifacts were found. These artifacts were found in the "plow layer" of the soil. This layer is an area where the land has been repeatedly cultivated. However, it is possible that these artifacts had not originated in this specific area. To be on the safe side, however, the MHC requested that a "Phase Two" review begin in the spring, the focus of which will be to search for more artifacts in lower levels of the soil.

Mr. Sheridan did not believe that this would be a long-term hazard to the boathouse plans.

"My take is that if [phase two is] not clear, we will come up with methodology to avoid or save any significant artifacts," he said.

After reviewing the site plans, the DEP also requested that the boathouse's grass crossing be reconstructed to better fit the topography of the site. The boathouse plans were changed accordingly.

Following the completion of the spring review, the Board of Trustees must approve the project and financial estimations must be met through donations. Construction is predicted to start next fall, and Crew Coach Booth Kyle is confident that everything will continue to run on schedule.