It’s been eight years since the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission first purchased the Grassi Bog.

Now, with a $50,000 grant, the group plans to move forward with restoring the land.

The former cranberry bog, located on Route 6 by the Frigate Steakhouse, was purchased in 2004 with the intent of restoring the pond, surrounding wetlands and habitat.

Since then, the commission has been trying to keep up with maintenance and repairs on the property, including two breaks in the dam.

This has caused a great deal of trouble for the commission, given that the sole purpose of purchasing the land was to make it available for the public’s use, said commission member John Rockwell.

“We always wanted to keep it open to the public,” Rockwell said.

“It’s easily accessible by the public. It has beautiful natural resources, trail networks around the bog and endangered species such as box turtles and spotted turtles,” he said.

In 2007, a heavy rainstorm led to a water overflow of the dam resulting in all of the flumes now having to be replaced, Rockwell said.

“You get a hole in the dike, water is going to leak out, so you got to repair it right away,” Rockwell said.

“Everything we had that regulated the water level has been washed out.”

To make the much-needed repairs, Rockwell said the commission has had to rely on the help of staff members from the town’s Department of Public Works, as well as local contractors.

This month, the commission got the financial boost it needed to maintain the property.

The commission received a $50,000 grant from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, a national agency that works with towns on improving wildlife habitats.

Rockwell said the group first applied for the grant in 2006, but due to the damage caused by rainfall, the commission had to redraft its restoration plans for the bog.

“We went back to the drawing board and we drafted the second plan, which we are now using,” he said.

For the past eight years, the commission has been working with the agency on a plan for the bog that would remove the damaged flumes that have been causing the breaks in the dam.

By making the repairs, Rockwell said the commission should be ready for the next heavy rainstorm.

“These designs we’re doing now will solve that issue,” Rockwell said.

“The new flumes are low maintenance and can withstand larger storms.”

The commission will replace the fumes using the funds from the grant, he said.

To move forward, the commission will have to apply for a wetlands permit from the town’s Conservation Commission.

“We expect it to go through pretty smoothly but you never know. If they have concerns we’ll certainly address them,” Rockwell said.

During the six years since the commission first applied for the grant, Rockwell said more issues have arisen on the property.

There is a lot of tall grass surrounding the trails around the bog, which he said makes it host to ticks.

With the grant, Rockwell said that the commission can afford to keep the grass cut.

“We have a nice trail so people should go for walks,” he said.

“We’ll have a nice irrigation system. It has beautiful views and it’s a nice walk.”

With the grant secured and the restorations moving forward, Rockwell said he was excited that the project was coming to fruition after eight years of planning.

“We’re looking forward to the completed project,’ he said.

“We have met with the neighbors and they’re pretty excited to move forward, too.”