Greater Mill River Coalition

The Greater Mill River Coalition P.O. Box 78 Whately, MA 01093 greatermrc@hotmail.com

The Greater Mill River Coalition is an inter-town volunteer organization focusing on land conservation and community preservation issues in the Berkshire foothill towns of Conway, Hatfield, Northampton, Williamsburg and Whately.

The Coalition's goal is to provide an informed and proactive vision for conservation planning in the five towns, to identify and aid in the protection of important natural and recreational resources, and to link and strengthen land conservation activities in the five towns.

Working for increased land conservation, improved forest management practices, and the preservation of rural character have been the motivating forces behind the coalition since its formation in 2000.

The Greater Mill River Coalition receives technical and policy guidance from an advisory panel composed of representatives appointed by the Mayor or Select Board in each of the five municipalities as well as representatives from the regional land trusts and the Mill River Watershed Project of UMass Extension.

The Greater Mill River Coalition formed in 2000 following a series of meetings between conservation-minded town residents and local land-trusts where it was recognized that our five towns share a little-known treasure: a largely undeveloped corridor of forest lands stretching from the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area in Northampton north to the Conway State Forest, including over 30,000 acres of woodland and significant portions of the watersheds of two "Mill" rivers. This forest corridor contains several important tracts of land protected by public and private conservation agencies and watershed lands held by the individual towns as drinking water supplies; however, much of the area is vulnerable to increasing development pressures. Here, we realized, was an opportunity to move proactively to ensure that an impressive expanse of forest habitat and critical watershed lands could be protected and managed for the present and future benefit of our local communities and environment.

The Greater Mill River Coalition's first undertaking has been to compile a computerized map of the five town area in Geographic Information Systems format ("GIS"). This map includes vital information on the location of wetlands, forest and agricultural land, rare species habitat, and town political and property boundaries. Using this map, we'll be assessing where important wildlife habitat occurs and where recreational resources, such as trails and public lands, are located. A crucial part of this analysis will be to determine where these resources are already well protected and where important tracts are still vulnerable to fragmentation. We'll be reaching out to area landowners to discuss the significance of the larger forest corridor and the important role their individual parcels play in the area's ecological integrity. These discussions will include information on the conservation options and opportunities available to landowners, as well as information on forest management practices which can improve wildlife habitat quality while also increasing the value of forest products produced on their land. In addition, we'll be bringing together town officials and representatives from land protection agencies to design and implement conservation projects that span the borders of the five towns.

The focus area of the Greater Mill River Coalition covers a largely unfragmented corridor of forest (white area) including over 30,000 acres of woodland. The area provides important habitat for rare plant and animal species, drinking water for 3 of the 5 towns and ample space for outdoor recreation.

Our Regional Treasure

An unfragmented expanse of forest…
The primary goal of the Greater Mill River Coalition is to promote the conservation of the large forested corridor extending from Fitzgerald Lake in Northampton through Hatfield, Williamsburg, Whately, and into the Conway State Forest. The corridor includes over 30,000 acres of forest land and cradles the water supplies of three of the five towns. The area is interlaced with streams, wetlands and forests that support an array of rare plant and animal species. With snowmelt in spring, the forests are dotted by vernal pools, which provide critical breeding habitat for populations of wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and the endangered marbled salamander. The forest corridor is also home to a variety of rare and unusual plant species, including displays of wildflowers such as trillium, bloodroot and hepatica in spring, and elusive populations of wild ginseng and woodland orchids in summer. The corridor's extensive tracts of forestland provide a home for large mammals such as bears and moose, as well as nesting habitat for a variety of woodland songbirds. This impressive combination of natural features has prompted a number of public and private agencies to recognize the five town forest corridor as an area of critical conservation importance in the state and region. For local residents and visitors, the forest corridor provides an extensive network of trails and wood roads for hiking and biking, breathtaking views from its hilltops, and many miles of brooks and streams with ample opportunities for trout fishing and swimming.