Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts) 1955811 220856560 2008-06-21T23:06:05Z Electroengie 2656812 [[Image:Dcrbanner2.JPG]] The '''Department of Conservation and Recreation''' ('''DCR''') is a state agency of the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]]. It is best known for its [[park]]s and [[parkway]]s, formerly belonging to the ''Metropolitan District Commission (MDC)'' and the ''Department of Environmental Management (DEM)''. Under Governor [[Mitt Romney]], the MDC and DEM were merged to form the DCR. As of [[May 23]] [[2007]] the Commissioner of the DCR is Rick Sullivan. ==Mission== The DCR's mission statement, according to its [http://www.mass.gov/dcr/aboutDCR.htm website] is as follows: :''To protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources.'' ==Structure== The DCR is under the general management of the Commissioner of the DCR. The general administration divisions; Human Resources Division, the Financial Division, and External and Legislative Affairs, report directly to the Commissioner. Additionally, five operating units, under the general direction of a Deputy Commissioner of Operations, carry out the day to work and project execution of the agency. The five operating units are: * Bureau of State Parks and Recreation * Bureau of Urban Parks and Recreation * Bureau of Water Supply Protection * Bureau of Engineering * Bureau of Planning ===Bureau of State Parks and Recreation=== The Bureau of State Parks and Recreation is responsible for the maintenance and management of over {{convert|450000|acre|km2|-1}} of privately and state-owned forests and parks, nearly 10% of the Commonwealth's total land mass. Within the lands managed by the Bureau of State Parks and Recreation are some 29 [[campgrounds]], over 2,000 miles of trails, 87 beaches, 37 swimming, wading, and spray pools, 62 playgrounds, 55 ballfields, and {{convert|145|mi|km|0}} of paved bike and rail trails. ====List of parks==== *[[Alewife Brook Reservation]] *[[Ames Nowell State Park]] *[[Appalachian Trail]] *[[Ashland State Park]] *[[Ashuwillticook Rail Trail]] *[[Bash Bish Falls State Park]] *[[Beartown State Forest]] *[[Beaver Brook Reservation]] *[[Belle Isle Marsh Reservation]] *[[Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park]] *[[Blue Hills Reservation]] *[[Borderland State Park]] *[[Boston Harbor Islands State Park]] *[[Bradley Palmer State Park]] *[[Breakheart Reservation]] *[[Brimfield State Forest]] *[[C. M. Gardner State Park]] *[[Callahan State Park]] *[[Cape Cod Rail Trail]] *[[Castle Island (Massachusetts)|Castle Island]] *[[Charles River Reservation]] *[[Chester-Blandford State Forest]] *[[Chestnut Hill Reservation]] *[[Chicopee Memorial State Park]] *[[City Square State Park]] *[[Clarksburg State Park]] *[[C. M. Gardner State Park]] *[[Cochituate State Park]] *[[Connecticut River Greenway State Park]] *[[Cutler Park]] *[[D.A.R. State Forest]] *[[Demarest Lloyd State Park]] *[[Dighton Rock State Park]] *[[Dorchester Shores Reservation]] *[[Douglas State Forest]] *[[Dunn State Park]] *[[Ellisville Harbor State Park]] *[[Elm Bank Reservation]] *[[Erving State Forest]] *[[F. Gilbert Hills State Forest]] *[[Fall River Heritage State Park]] *[[Federated Women's Club State Forest]] *[[Fort Phoenix State Reservation]] *[[Fort Revere]] *[[Freetown-Fall River State Forest]] *[[Gardner Heritage State Park]] *[[Georgetown-Rowley State Forest]] *[[Granville State Forest]] *[[Great Brook Farm State Park]] *[[Halibut Point State Park]] *[[Hammond Pond Reservation]] *[[Hampton Ponds State Park]] *[[Harold Parker State Forest]] *[[Hemlock Gorge Reservation]] *[[Holyoke Heritage State Park]] *[[Hopkinton State Park]] *[[Horseneck Beach State Reservation]] *[[Jug End State Reservation and Wildlife Management Area]] *[[Kenneth Dubuque Memorial State Forest]] *[[Lake Dennison Recreation Area]] *[[Lake Lorraine State Park]] *[[Lake Wyola State Park]] *[[Lawrence Heritage State Park]] *[[Leominster State Forest]] *[[Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest]] *[[Lowell Heritage State Park]] *[[Lower Neponset River Trail]] *[[Lynn Heritage State Park]] *[[Lynn Shore Reservation]] *[[Manuel F. Correllus State Forest]] *[[Massasoit State Park]] *[[Maudslay State Park]] *[[Middlesex Fells Reservation]] *[[Mohawk Trail State Forest]] *[[Monroe State Forest]] *[[Moore State Park]] *[[Mount Everett State Reservation]] *[[Mount Grace State Forest]] *[[Mount Greylock State Reservation]] *[[Mount Holyoke Range State Park]] *[[Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation]] *[[Mount Tom State Reservation]] *[[Mount Washington State Forest]] *[[Myles Standish Monument State Reservation]] *[[Myles Standish State Forest]] *[[Mystic River Reservation]] *[[Nahant Beach Reservation]] *[[Nantasket Beach Reservation]] *[[Nashua River Rail Trail]] *[[Nasketucket Bay State Reservation]] *[[Natural Bridge State Park (Massachusetts)|Natural Bridge State Park]] *[[Neponset River Reservation]] *[[Nickerson State Park]] *[[Norwottuck Rail Trail]] *[[October Mountain State Forest]] *[[Otter River State Forest]] *[[Pearl Hill State Park]] *[[Pilgrim Memorial State Park]] *[[Pittsfield State Forest]] *[[Pope John Paul II Park Reservation]] *[[Purgatory Chasm State Reservation]] *[[Quabbin Reservoir]] *[[Quincy Quarries Reservation]] *[[Quincy Shore Reservation]] *[[Quinsigamond State Park]] *[[Revere Beach Reservation]] *[[Robinson State Park]] *[[Roxbury Heritage State Park]] *[[Rumney Marsh Reservation]] *[[Rutland State Park]] *[[Salisbury Beach State Reservation]] *[[Sandisfield State Forest]] *[[Sandy Point State Reservation]] *[[Savoy Mountain State Forest]] *[[Scusset Beach State Reservation]] *[[Shawme-Crowell State Forest]] *[[Skinner State Park]] *[[South Cape Beach State Park]] *[[Southwest Corridor Park]] *[[Spencer State Forest]] *[[Squantum Point Park]] *[[Stony Brook Reservation]] *[[Streeter Point Recreation Area]] *[[Sudbury Reservoir]] *[[Tolland State Forest]] *[[Upper Charles River Reservation]] *[[Upton State Forest]] *[[Wachusett Mountain State Reservation]] *[[Wachusett Reservoir]] *[[Wahconah Falls State Park]] *[[Walden Pond State Reservation]] *[[Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve]] *[[Ware River Watershed Area]] *[[Webb Memorial State Park]] *[[Wells State Park (Massachusetts)|Wells State Park]] *[[Wendell State Forest]] *[[Western Gateway Heritage State Park]] *[[Weymouth Reservation]] *[[Whitehall State Park]] *[[Willard Brook State Forest]] *[[Willowdale State Forest]] *[[Wilson Mountain Reservation]] *[[Windsor State Forest]] *[[Wompatuck State Park]] ===Bureau of Urban Parks and Recreation=== The Bureau of Urban Parks and Recreation is responsible for the maintenance and management of a variety of environments within the Greater Boston area, including urban wilds, historic sites, and other naturally aesthetic or significant environmental properties. ===Bureau of Water Supply Protection=== The Bureau of Water Supply Protection is responsible for the protection and management of drinking supply watersheds for the Greater Boston area. This bureau monitors lakes and ponds, well drillers, and rainfall throughout the Commonwealth. ===Bureau of Engineering=== The Bureau of Engineering provides professional engineering, design, and construction management services in support of DCR properties. In addition to providing engineering services for over 450,000 acres of parks, forests, watersheds, beaches, 340 dams, and numerous recreational facilities, the Bureau of Engineering also manages over 525 lane miles of parkways and nearly 300 bridges and tunnels notable for their landmark stature and importance in the Commonwealth’s transportation system. The Bureau operates under the direction of a Chief Engineer and is sub-divided into six operating units: * Bridge and Parkway Engineering * Facilities Engineering * Dams and Waterways Engineering * Stormwater and Environmental Engineering * Construction Permitting * Construction Services The Bureau is responsible for the management of the majority of the DCR's $150-200 Million annual capital budget. ====List of parkways==== The Bureau Engineering manages and/or operates a number of parkways across the Commonwealth, including: [[Image:lynnfellspkwy.JPG|275px|thumb|right|[[Lynn Fells Parkway]] in [[Melrose, Massachusetts|Melrose]]]] * [[Alewife Brook Parkway]] * [[Arborway]] * [[Birmingham Parkway]] * [[Blue Hills Parkway]] * [[Blue Hills Reservation]] Parkways * [[Boylston Street (Back Bay sections)]] * [[Breakheart Reservation]] Parkways * [[Cambridge Parkway]] * [[Carey Circle]] * [[Charles River Reservation]] Parkways * [[Charles Street (Charles Cir. to Leverett Cir.)]] * [[Chestnut Hill Drive]] * [[William J. Day Boulevard]] * [[Fellsmere Connector]] Parkways * [[Fellsmere Park]] Parkways * [[Fenway]] * [[Fresh Pond Parkway]] * [[Furnace Brook Parkway]] * [[Gallivan Boulevard]] * [[Hammond Pond Parkway]] * [[Hull Shore Drive]] * [[Jamaicaway]] * [[Land Boulevard]] * [[Lynn Fells Parkway]] * [[Lynnway]] * [[Lynn Shore Drive]] * [[McGrath Highway]] * [[Memorial Drive]] * [[Middlesex Fells Reservation]] Parkways * [[Morton Street]] * [[Mount Greylock]] Summit Road * [[Mount Wachusett]] Summit Road * [[Mystic Valley Parkway]] * [[Nahant Beach Boulevard]] * [[Nantasket Avenue]] * [[Neponset Valley Parkway]] * [[North Beacon Street (Brighton & Watertown sections)]] * [[Norumbega Road (Weston)]] * [[O'Brien Highway]] * [[Old Harbor Reservation]] Parkways * [[Old Colony Parkway]] * [[Park Drive]] * [[Parkman Drive]] * [[Quincy Shore Drive]] * [[Recreation Road (Weston)]] * [[Revere Beach Boulevard]] * [[Revere Beach Parkway]] * [[Riverway]] * [[Stony Brook Reservation]] Parkways * [[Storrow Drive]] * [[Truman Parkway]] * [[VFW Parkway]] * [[West Roxbury Parkway]] * [[Winthrop Parkway]] * [[Winthrop Shore Drive]] ====List of bridges==== The Bureau of Engineering manages and/or operates a number of bridges across the Commonwealth, including: * [[Storrow Drive Tunnel]] * [[Woods Memorial Bridge]] * [[Craigie Drawbridge]] * [[Craigie Dam Bridge]] * [[Lech Walesa Bridge]] * [[Cradock Bridge]] * [[Gilman Street Bridge]] * [[Longfellow Bridge]] * [[Neponset River Bridge]] * [[General Edwards Bridge]] * [[General Edwards Electrical Upgrade]] * [[B. U. Bridge]] * [[Mystic Valley Parkway over Alewife Brook]] * [[River Street at Mother Brook]] * [[Casey Overpass]] * [[Bridge 23 Revere Beach Parkway over B & M, Corporation Way]] * [[McCarthy Overpass]] * [[Bowker Overpass]] * [[Hammond Pond Parkway Bridge/MBTA]] * [[Alewife Brook Parkway Bridge over MBTA]] * [[Winthrop Avenue Bridge]] * [[Casassa Overpass]] * [[Gilmore Bridge]] * [[Charles Circle 57B]] * [[Eliot Bridge]] * [[Anderson Memorial Bridge]] (aka Larz Anderson Bridge) * [[West Roxbury Parkway at Conrail]] * [[River Street Bridge over Charles River Repairs]] * [[Revere Beach Pkwy/State Road]] * [[Beades Bridge]] * [[Leverett Circle Tunnel]] * [[Riverside Park Pedestrian Bridge]] * [[Pleasure Bay Pedestrian Bridges]] * [[BU. Pedestrian Bridge]] * [[Watertown Pedestrian Bridge]] * [[Leo Martin Golf Course Pedestrian Bridge]] ====List of dams==== The Bureau of Engineering owns and manages and/or operates a number of dams and flood control facilities across the Commonwealth, including: * Irish Dam (Grafton) * Moose Hill Reservoir Dam (Spencer) * Pontoosuc Lake Dam (Pittsfield) * Unionville Pond Dam (Holden) * Charles River Dam (Boston) ==See also== * [[List of numbered routes in Massachusetts]] ==External links== * [http://www.mass.gov/dcr/ Department of Conservation and Recreation website] {{Protected Areas of Massachusetts}} {{Massachusetts}} {{Lists of state parks by U.S. state}} [[Category:Government of Massachusetts]] [[Category:Massachusetts state parks]] [[Category:Massachusetts Natural Resources]] [[Category:Massachusetts state forests|*]] [[fr:Liste des parcs d'État du Massachusetts]]