DEM BUYS NEW FISHING ACCESS TO WOOD RIVER IN HOPE VALLEY

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has purchased a small piece of property in Hope Valley that provides fishing access to the Wood River. Historically used for fishing access even when it was private property, it will now be open to the public.

The .9 acre property is on the east side of Mechanic Street in Hopkinton, on a stretch of the Wood River that is very popular for angling. It is located about one-quarter of a mile downstream from the Mechanic Street dam, another popular fishing site, which is owned and operated by DEM. The Department stocks trout on that stretch of the river.

The parcel was purchased for $22,000 from Leslie and Bernice Tefft in November, from DEM trout stamp receipts, as part of the trout stamp program's user pay - user benefit approach to resource management.

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