Kirvin Park Floodplain and Wetland Restoration

The Housatonic River Natural Resources Trustee Council, the City of Pittsfield and the General Electric Company are working together to improve approximately 17 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat adjacent to Sackett and Ashley Brooks in the south end of Kirvin Park in Pittsfield.

A primary objective of the Kirvin Park project is to eradicate the invasive species that now dominate the floodplain and replace them with a diverse, native plant community, restore and expand wetlands, and create a two-acre pollinator meadow habitat in a currently disturbed area of the park. Work is expected to begin with invasive species removal in fall 2025. The park will remain open and safe for public use during the duration of the project.

Background

The Massachusetts Subcouncil of the Housatonic Natural Resource Trustees, which includes the MassDEP and US FWS (the Trustee Subcouncil), the City of Pittsfield (the City), and the General Electric Company (GE), are planning to implement a natural resource restoration/enhancement project at Kirvin Park in Pittsfield in accordance with the Consent Decree (CD) for the GE Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site. The CD requires GE to install and monitor a total of approximately 12 acres of forested/wetland habitat, consisting of approximately 9.75 acres of floodplain forest habitat and 2.25 acres of freshwater palustrine wetlands, within a non-contaminated riparian area within the Housatonic River watershed outside of the CD Site. The CD, and its attachments, specify specific monitoring and performance standards to ensure the success of the restoration and creation of these habitats at the selected off-site restoration area.

The Kirvin Park location was selected based on a June 2019 site selection assessment prepared by the MassDEP on behalf of the Trustee Subcouncil and conversations with the City and GE. Representatives from the Trustee Subcouncil, the City, and GE have conducted several site visits and baseline data has been collected to inform restoration design. In accordance with the CD, the project is being privately funded by GE.  

Public Meetings

A public meeting to discuss the project was held on June 11, 2025 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at the Herberg Middle School (501 Pomeroy Ave) in Pittsfield. A recording of the meeting and a PDF of the presentation are below. 

Kirvin Park Public Meeting Presentation - June 11, 2025

Kirvin Park Public Meeting Recording - June 11, 2025