Belle Isle Marsh Reservation Resource Management Plan

The draft Resource Management Plan for Belle Isle Marsh Reservation was released for public comment on January 23, 2026

The 225-acre Belle Isle Marsh Reservation is located in East Boston, Revere, and Winthrop. This DCR property protects Boston’s last large saltmarsh and provides unique recreational and environmental education opportunities, as well as valuable ecosystem services, to surrounding communities.

Protection of Belle Isle Marsh began in 1973, when the Metropolitan District Commission (one of DCR’s predecessor agencies) began acquiring land. The Belle Isle Marsh Reservation formally opened to the public in 1985. DCR is now the largest owner of land in the marsh and stewards this remarkable reservation, a true Urban Wild, for the benefit of all. More information concerning the Reservation is available on DCR’s Belle Isle Marsh Reservation website.

Belle Isle Marsh is part of the larger Rumney Marshes Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), an over 2,600-acre complex of salt marshes with outstanding biological and recreational values. More information concerning the ACEC may be found at the Rumney Marshes ACEC web page.

Public Input

Public input is an integral component of the RMP planning process. Meetings and comment pages provide a forum within the process to enhance communication and cooperation with park visitors, partners, and surrounding communities.

A initial public meeting was held November 13, 2024, to solicit public input regarding recreation, stewardship of resources, and park facilities.

Written public comments were accepted between November 8 and December 13, 2024. 

The Draft Belle Isle Resource Management Plan is available for review. A second public meeting to solicit input on this Draft RMP will occur on February 4, 2026. Comments on the draft RMP may be submitted at the DCR Public Comments web page and additional opportunities for comment will be made available during the meeting. Please check the DCR Public Meetings Information page for updates, as available. The public comment period will extend for 30 days (February 4–March 4, 2026).