Berkshire, Franklin Counties Exploring National Forest Designation
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, in cooperation with the Franklin Land Trust, have received an award from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to explore a way to turn one of Western Massachusetts' strongest assets — its extensive privately-owned woodlands — into a nationally recognized economic advantage.
The two governmental groups, with the assistance of the land trust, are conducting a regional planning and public outreach process to explore interest in a new partnership with state and federal agencies for 20 towns in northwestern Massachusetts.
The partnership could lead to a new model for "National Forest" designation that could provide federal funds and technical assistance to expand forestry activities on privately owned land and to support tourism based businesses. This potential designation would focus on forest-based economic development like recreational tourism, forest management, and research on new forest related manufacturing technologies.
The towns included in the study area are Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, New Ashford, North Adams, Savoy, Williamstown, and Windsor in Berkshire County, and Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Hawley, Heath, Leyden, Monroe, Rowe, and Shelburne in Franklin County.
The Berkshire County public information session is Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at McCann Technical School in North Adams.
The Franklin County public information session is Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Shelburne-Buckland Community Center, 53 Main St. in Shelburne Falls.
The sessions will outline the key features of the potential partnership and designation. It will also provide municipal officials, landowners, foresters, tourism-based businesses and residents with an opportunity to provide input on key elements of the partnership and potential designation.
The National Forest designation could bring federal funding to purchase conservation easements from willing landowners, which would help ensure a permanent forest base to serve as the backbone for the forest economy. The U.S. Forest Service would also likely establish a visitor center in the project area and could provide additional tourist amenities. Participation in the National Forest designation would be voluntary.
If enough towns support the idea, both the Massachusetts Legislature and Congress would need to pass legislation creating the new designation.
Those attending the sessions are asked to RSVP to TMatuszko@berkshireplanning.org for the Berkshire County meeting and psloan@frcog.org for Franklin County.
Tags: BRPC, forestry, information session,
