The "Cultural Landscape" of Hadley has been included on the World Monuments Fund's 2010 Watch list of endangered heritage sites. I work for WMF, so I was doubly pleased to see this place where I grew up selected by the independent panel of heritage and conservation experts for inclusion on the 2010 list. I can't speak on behalf of WMF (I am not an expert and not in the programs department), but I can add my two cents as a former local and someone interested in cultural landscapes.
It is hoped that Watch-listing will draw more attention to the cause of conservation and sustainability in this town. A focus on a national and international (the BBC included a shot of Hadley in this slideshow on its homepage!) level is what is needed to show that this landscape really is important. Preserving the Great Meadow, the land along the Route 47 "Scenic Byway" and other areas have long been local issues--that is not disputed. But giving the site such broader recognition and attention is certainly a much-needed boost for the cause. Foundations for buildings might not be being dug in the Great Meadow as we speak, but as long as a huge swathe of it is zoned residential and commercial, the land is under threat. What a great opportunity this is to secure the Great Meadow once and for all and to work towards saving land along Route 47 as well. Cultural landscapes are integral aspects of heritage.
More to come, I'm sure.
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