I'm the chair of the NEOC A-meet planning group and the NEOC Mapping committee. I don't know that I'm the most qualified; it's apparently relatively easy to assume authority in non-profits.
The A-meet planning group, which in my mental model of the organization drives the major mapping initiatives, meets about twice per year and discusses plans. We're currently planning on an A-meet at High Rock in April 2016, at Mt. Tom in Spring 2017, and in north central MA for 2018. One of my current tasks is to figure out where else Marcello should map once he finishes the new High Rock map.
Apart from discussions of possible maps, my primary method for finding new map possibilities has consisted of browsing google maps and searching various public land listings. It turns out Trustees of Reservation's
website has a number of candidates at a glance; it's unclear if we can always get land use permission, but they do let us use Powissett and Rocky Woods.
I found two neat places:
Noon Hill is a mix of Trustees land and town of Medfield, but the patch of terrain was fantastic. It's very reminiscent of Rocky Woods and maybe Blue Hills West. There were vast swaths of open forest, some light green areas, and a few dense marshes. The terrain was more runnable than Needham Town Forest, and the topography was interesting and varied. Apart from a number of trails, stone walls would allow for beginner courses. While there isn't an arena site, there are two possible start locations. Both have limited parking, but I think we could park along the side of Noonhill Rd, which is a slow gravel road. The patch of terrain is only about 1 - 1.5 sq km, but this is fine for a standard local meet map. Also, Noon Hill is in Medfield - a 40 minute drive from Boston.
I also drove by
Moose Hill Farm - which would be a great name for a map. "Moose Hill." I get chills. It was getting dark when I arrived, so i didn't get out into the terrain. It's conveniently located next to I-95, and it has a little farm with some extant parking. It has a large field that would be perfect for an arena, and it also measures about 1 - 1.5 sq km. At a glance, Moose Hill looked a little thicker than Noon Hill, but still inviting.