Williamstown, Great Barrington Awarded Wildlife Habitat Grants

08:06AM / Friday, February 06, 2026Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON—The Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $343,985 in grants to restore over 191 acres of wildlife habitat across Massachusetts.

The Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) awarded grants to seven organizations through the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program (MHMGP).

In Berkshire County:

Great Barrington – Berkshire Natural Resources Council has been awarded $31,045 to manage invasive species in floodplain forests and wetlands at the Housatonic Flats Conservation Area and the Rising Pond Conservation Area.
Williamstown – The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation has been awarded $30,661 to treat invasive species at the Lehovec River Walk floodplain forest along the Green River. In addition to habitat for rare species, this site also provides access to nature for Williamstown’s Environmental Justice community.

"This funding recognizes the value of Williamstown's conserved lands and the organizations that care for them. The work at the Lehovec River Walk will help maintain a resilient landscape that residents and visitors can continue to enjoy," said State Representative John Barrett III

This program provides financial assistance to private and municipal owners of conserved lands to improve habitat for wildlife, steward biodiversity, enhance climate resiliency, and promote outdoor recreation. Since 2015, the program has funded 125 projects that have restored over 4,900 acres of wildlife habitat.

"Partnership and collaboration will be essential for meeting our ambitious biodiversity goals. We rely on conservation organizations, cities and towns, private landowners, and other partners to greatly expand our impact," said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O'Shea. "Together, we can improve habitat for wildlife while also boosting outdoor recreation opportunities."

Many habitats that species rely on require ongoing stewardship and care. While Massachusetts has made strides to conserve land, with over 28 percent of the state permanently protected today, many habitats are degraded, and vulnerable wildlife face increasing threats from extreme weather and destructive pests and pathogens fueled by climate change. To address these challenges, habitat restoration and management will create healthy, resilient landscapes that support a variety of species, particularly those of greatest conservation need.

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Williamstown Studying Major Overhaul for Main Street

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:14AM / Wednesday, July 29, 2026

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The town is working with a Worcester civil engineering firm to redesign Main Street with an eye toward a major project sometime in the next decade.

Community Development Director Andrew Groff was before the Select Board on Monday night to talk about Town Hall's use of a $500,000 state grant to do preliminary design on major improvements to that portion of Route 2 that runs from Water Street west to the Field Park rotary, through the middle of Williams College's campus.

Groff introduced the elected officials to Amanda Bazinet of Worcester's Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, who is helping the town to develop a plan for Main Street that would align with the commonwealth's Complete Streets Program.

"Our project goals, in addition to the increased pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, is just, in general, improving the sightlines and improving the intersection geometry," Bazinet said.

"Complete Streets … has a lot of different facets to it. As Andrew had mentioned, the goal is to improve the safety for all of the roadway users — not just the motorists. We're looking at improving it for pedestrians, bicyclists, anyone using a mobility device. We want to create streets that are safe for all ages and abilities to use. So, while bicyclists will still be allowed, legally, to use the roadway, we want to look at providing a separate bicycle accommodation along the corridor, whether it's a shared use path along both sides of the streets that is a little more accessible to young children or older people with disabilities to look at all transportation options."

One goal is to encourage "active transportation." The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, who the town hopes one day might fund the construction, has a "healthy transportation policy," Bazinet said.

That MassDOT funding would come through the Transportation Improvement Program, which is managed locally by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. The design work underway now is being done with an eye toward going after TIP funding years down the road.

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