The Canton Conservation Commission owns a number of parcels scattered throughout the Fowl Meadow, a large wetland complex surrounding the Neponset River that is part of the Fowl Meadow and Ponkapoag Bog Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). ACECs are places in Massachusetts that receive special recognition because of the quality, uniqueness and significance of their natural and cultural resources. . The ACEC Program was established in 1975 when the Massachusetts Legislature authorized and directed the Mass Secretary of Environmental Affairs to identify and designate areas of critical environmental concern to the Commonwealth and to develop policies for their acquisition, protection, and use. Since that time, 30 ACECs have been designated. The Commission-owned parcels are set aside as wildlife habitat and to protect the quality and quantify of local drinking water supplies. Canton has several water wells located nearby in the Fowl Meadow. Other parcels in the Fowl Meadow complex are owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
