Tricia and Nicholas Balik, Westfield’s new conservation agent.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WESTFIELD — At the Dec. 18 City Council meeting, Conservation Commission chair Joseph Giffune introduced Nicholas Balik as the new conservation agent for Westfield.
Balik and his wife, Tricia, relocated from Arizona four months ago and are currently residing in Southwick.
“We’re not from around these parts. We’re from the desert — scorching heat, 120 degrees weather on average, and seven inches of precipitation a year,” Balik said. He grew up in Phoenix Valley and met his wife, who is in the medical field, in Prescott in northern Arizona, where he said it does snow. “I have shoveled snow,” he said.
Balik, who used to guide backcountry hikes, said his body is still adjusting. “I used to joke there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear,” he said, adding that recently they bought some warm clothing.
Before moving to Western Massachusetts, the couple had spent three years on domestic travel for a possible move. What drew them here was cleaner air and more reliable resources, including recreational resources. “There are awesome natural resources protected and preserved here,” he said.
Balik has a bachelor’s degree in environmental and urban studies from Prescott College. He has 10 years of experience in water resources and small business entrepreneurship, most recently as the water resources and conservation planner for the Flood Control District of Maricopa County. In that role, he managed consultant contracts, facilitated inter-agency coordination, conducted public training, and guided regulatory compliance related to native vegetation, stormwater BMPs and riparian restoration.
Balik said he brings municipal program experience and a working knowledge of environmental protection standards, and the communication skills needed to engage residents, developers, and partner agencies in the work of long-term environmental stewardship and public service.
Before being hired as the conservation agent, he had served for the past few months as the wetlands compliance officer in Westfield under the previous conservation director.
“I’m extremely excited to be in this role and to continue to serve in the public sector. I understand the need for environmental management and stewardship,” Balik said. “It’s a balancing act. I try my best to meet people where they’re at, and to find realistic, tangible compromises.”
Balik said the Conservation Department’s main focus is on the city’s wetlands ordinance, which was recently updated and for which the Commission is reworking the regulations.
“We recognize that the output has to be consumable to the public,” Balik said, acknowledging that the rolling out of the new ordinance has been somewhat contentious. He said the discussions and effort will continue during the off-season.
Balik said another focus for him to date has been the closing out of prior enforcement orders for properties that were not in compliance.
“We want people to do construction in the best management practice ways. The permit process with the Conservation Commission allows input from a diverse, knowledgeable board of commissioners about these forms of development,” he said.
Another area Balik mentioned is accessibility of conservation lands to the public. “Westfield has significant conservation lands that are accessible to the public, just not right now.” He said Westfield’s new Open Space and Recreation Plan, which will be completed in the spring, has had comments on river access, for example, which are being drafted into the plan.
Balik said the Conservation Commission will be included in the implementation of a tangible action plan for the findings of the OSRP.
“We have a great Conservation Commission,” Balik said. “It’s diverse, with small business owners, landscapers, educational instructors — it’s a pretty solid group. I’m confident about what we can achieve in the next couple of years for residents.”
“I’m looking forward to working with the public to do our best to protect the vitality of the wetlands for decades to come,” Balik said.
