State Partnership Conserves 800 Acres in South Berkshire

11:59PM / Thursday, October 30, 2008Print Story | Email Story

Environmental Secretary Ian Bowles, left, and Gov. Deval Patrick.

MONTEREY, Mass. — State officials, citizens and members of the Berkshires land conservation community marked the completion of the Hudson Conservation Project last week.

The two-phase public-private partnership protects 800 acres of forest and meadow in Tyringham and Monterey.

Adjacent to and now part of MassWildlife's original 101-acre Tyringham Wildlife Conservation Easement parcel in Tyringham, the new property will be open to wildlife recreation such as fishing, hunting, hiking, birdwatching and other wildlife-related recreation. Combined with nearby 12,350 protected acres, the newly completed conservation project creates a virtually contiguous block of protected open space spanning 13,344 acres of the Southern Berkshires.

The celebration at Steadman Pond last Thursday was attended by project partners, the property's former owner, outdoor enthusiasts, sportsmen, local legislators and municipal officials.

Gov. Deval Patrick and former land owner Sarah Hudson

The Berkshire Natural Resources Council and the Monterey Preservation Land Trust own the fee interest in the parcels. MassWildlife holds the conservation easement that prevents development of the property, allows public access and provides habitat management input by the agency.

"Preservation of this 800-acre-plus landscape would not have been possible without the foresight and generosity of our partners," Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles said. "The commonwealth owes a debt of gratitude to the Hudson family for choosing to preserve this property rather than sell it to developers, to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council for helping to protect this significant parcel of pristine land, and to the Monterey Preservation Land Trust for its extraordinary donation of conservation restrictions worth $2 million."

Gov. Deval Patrick noted that the Hudson Conservation Project is among 222 land conservation efforts completed by the Department of Fish and Game, MassWildlife and other state environmental agencies in fiscal 2008.

"This most recently completed acquisition safeguards three distinct habitats that the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program classifies as rare and in need of protection," said Mary Griffin, commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game.

The three habitats include acidic rock cliff habitat, rich mesic, or moist, forest and Living Waters Core Habitat.

"The property supports an incredible diversity of native wildlife species, including whitetail deer, black bear, wild turkey, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse, red and gray fox, black ducks, and several rare and endangered species," said Griffin.

One of the unexpected highlights of the celebration was the appearance of an adult bald eagle soaring over the crowd of 50 to 60 people for several minutes.

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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