EEA Secretary Bowles Accepts Nomination of Upper Housatonic River as new Area of Critical Environmental Concern

Public meetings scheduled on proposed designation to enhance protection of 12,280 acres in the Berkshires

BOSTON – Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Ian Bowles today announced he has accepted for full public review the nomination of the Upper Housatonic River as the Commonwealth’s newest Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).

Covering approximately 12,280 acres in Lee, Lenox, Pittsfield, and Washington, the nominated area includes the 13-mile corridor of the Upper Housatonic River, adjacent floodplains, tributary streams, and the steep slopes of October Mountain. More than 2,000 acres in Lee and Washington encompass parts of two other ACECs: Hinsdale Flats Watershed and Kampoosa Bog Drainage Basin.

“I encourage town boards and commissions, environmental organizations, and interested citizens to participate in the public review process,” Secretary Bowles said. “This is an opportunity for residents of these communities to learn about the natural and cultural resources of the nominated area, as well as the benefits and protections that come with ACEC designation.”

Established in 1975 and administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the ACEC program currently oversees 29 state-designated, highly significant ecological areas covering about 255,275 acres in 74 cities and towns from the Berkshires to the North Shore and Cape Cod. The special designation is meant to preserve, restore, and enhance an area’s natural and cultural resources. Proposed projects within an ACEC are subject to a high level of environmental review to avoid or minimize any adverse impacts to resources.

Forty-three citizens submitted the Upper Housatonic nomination to EEA, including US Representative John Olver; state Senator Ben Downing; state Representatives Dennis Guyer, Smitty Pignatelli, and Christopher N. Speranzo; and members of the Pittsfield City Council, Lenox Board of Selectmen, and Washington Select Board. The Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Green Berkshires, and Massachusetts Audubon Society comprise the nominating steering committee.

The 156-page nomination submitted to EEA on September 2 is now subject to public review. DCR has scheduled four public meetings to discuss the nomination and review process. Each meeting begins at 7 p.m. The schedule of meetings is:

Tuesday, October 21, Lenox Town Hall;
Wednesday, October 22, Pittsfield City Hall;
Tuesday, October 28, Lee Town Hall;
Wednesday, October 29, Washington Town Hall.

ACEC program staff members will spend the next several months gathering additional information about the environmental resources of the nominated area. As part of this process, EEA will schedule a public hearing this winter, and Secretary Bowles will make a decision on the ACEC designation within 60 days of the hearing.

Copies of the nomination and maps showing the proposed boundary have been distributed to local officials in the four communities, and are available to view at city and town halls, public libraries, and offices of Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in Pittsfield, MassAudubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, Berkshire Natural Resources Council in Pittsfield, and Green Berkshires in Great Barrington. A review copy is also available at the offices of the DCR Bureau of Planning and Resource Protection, 251 Causeway Street, 7^th Floor, Boston. The nomination and a map of the proposed ACEC boundary are posted at http://savethehousatonic.org.

For more information on the ACEC Program, visit www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/acec.