- Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Media Contact for Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $550,000 for Woodland Conservation in Western Massachusetts
Aisha Revolus, Communications Manager
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced over $550,000 in grants to support the conservation and sustainable management of forests in Western Massachusetts. Through the Woodlands Partnership Program, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) is awarding grants to ten rural communities and six regional conservation and economic development organizations to improve access to outdoor recreation in public forests, enhance the safety of outdoor play, and implement climate resilient forestry practices.
“Western Massachusetts is rich in history, culture, and breathtaking forests. Investments here preserve our heritage and showcase the best of our state to visitors and residents,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “The Woodland Partnership Grants Program is our commitment to safeguarding this region and energizing local economies through tourism, outdoor recreation, and job creation.”
“Congratulations to New England Forestry of Littleton for their successful effort in receiving a Woodlands Partnership Implementation Grant from the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs,” said Representative James Arciero (D-2nd Middlesex). “This critically important funding will be instrumental in determining the impacts of tourism on local municipal services in our area and will be a valuable undertaking in the collection of data for both future conservation efforts and its influence on expanding tourism in our region. I am grateful to Governor Maura Healey, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, and the EEA for their dedication to conservation and expanding tourism in Massachusetts generally and in my district. I thank the administration for this grant funding for the New England Forestry Foundation.”
The Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts was officially established in 2018 following the passing of legislation to boost investment in the region. Local grassroots organizing facilitated collaboration between state, municipal, non-profit, and academic partners and resulted in a robust plan to improve rural economic development through sustainable forest conservation and tourism. As Massachusetts’s most rural and forested region, economic growth and employment are vital to improving communities in the area and along the Vermont and New York border. Projects funded through the program will also promote fundamental climate and environmental education to residents and visitors in Western Massachusetts. Projects receiving Woodlands Partnership Grants are:
| Town(s) or Regional Organization | Project | Project Description | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowe & Heath | Highlands Regional Trail – Route and Landowner Agreements | Creates a regional trail extending from Shelburne across these two towns to the Mohawk Trail State Forest. | $50,000 |
| Berkshire’s Tomorrow Inc. | Berkshires Outside Website (Phase II) | Supports improvements to www.berkshiresoutside.org, a county-wide, comprehensive website of information about outdoor recreation assets in the region. This grant will facilitate improvements, as well as outreach and promotion. | $75,000 |
| Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) | Forest, Trees, Ecology and Climate Educational Project | Educates locals and visitors about forests, trees, and ecology through the creation of educational handouts, and hosting tree walks. An estate planning workshop will be hosted to encourage landowners to consider land conservation in their plans. | $13,164 |
| Windsor | Road Maintenance for a Climate Resilient State Forest (Invasives Reduction) | Implements invasive species inventory and management recommendations for 15 miles of gravel roads through Windsor State Forest maintained by the Town. | $25,000 |
| Charlemont | Recreational Infrastructure Project and River Access parking | Installation of portable toilets at the Shun Pike rest area to provide facilities for visitors and enhanced parking facilities in town to improve weekend river access and use. | $25,000 |
| Williamstown | Town Green Plantings for Resilience and Diversity | Completes the planting of the Town Green with a diversity of species to replace ash trees lost to the Emerald Ash Borer. | $25,000 |
Shelburne | Improve and expand trail access in Shelburne | Establishes the trailhead for a hiking trail along the Deerfield River that will connect to the Mahican Mohawk Trail. | $9,000 |
| Franklin Land Trust | Lands for Hope | Installation of signage to promote public access, as well as to educate visitors about management practices at three Franklin Land Trust properties located within the Partnership Region. | $49,532 |
| Connecticut River Conservancy | Deerfield River Wild and Scenic Study and Stewardship Plan | Completes a Wild and Scenic River Feasibility Study and Stewardship Plan for the Deerfield River. | $75,000 |
| Heath | Wayfinding Kiosks | Creates new wayfinding infrastructure to direct the public to trailheads and other public recreation opportunities. | $25,000 |
| Rowe | Pelham Lake Park – Implementing Climate Smart Forest Plan | Continues to implement one of the first climate smart forestry plans in the Commonwealth with data collection to assess the success towards meeting long-term goals and educational signage. | $12,840 |
| Greenagers | Youth based jobs program | Develops a youth-based job program designed to address trail safety, accessibility, and sustainability in the City of North Adams, the town of Savoy, and the town of Williamstown with youth, ages 14-24, recruited and hired from local high schools and colleges. | $18,057 |
New England Forestry Foundation | A study of the Effects of Tourism on Municipal Services in the Woodlands Partnership Region | Evaluates municipal services in the Partnership region to identify opportunities to improve services to meet increasing tourism, use and accessibility of public forests in the region, and ensure that municipal services can keep pace. | $75,000 |
| Peru | Purchase of an UTV | Purchase of a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) for search and rescue purposes and wildlands fire prevention. | $25,000 |
| Leyden | Purchase of an UTV | Purchase of a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) for search and rescue purposes and wildlands fire prevention. | $25,000 |
Adams | Greylock Glen Forest Center (shade structure) | Funds the design and installation of a cantilevered shade structure for outdoor events and educational programs. | $25,000 |
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