Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit
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Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Bureau of Planning and Resource Protection Resource Management Planning Program RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit Including Mount Holyoke Range State Park, Joseph Allen Skinner State Park, Mount Tom State Reservation and Holyoke Heritage State Park July 2013 Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit Including Mount Holyoke Range State Park, Joseph Allen Skinner State Park, Mount Tom State Reservation and Holyoke Heritage State Park RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2013 Deval L. Patrick, Governor Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., Secretary John P. Murray, Commissioner Resource Management Plans provide guidance for managing properties under the stewardship of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). They are intended to be working documents for setting priorities, enabling the Department to adapt to changing fiscal, social and environmental conditions. The planning process provides a forum for communication and cooperation with park visitors and the surrounding communities to ensure transparency in the DCR’s stewardship efforts. As I travel the Commonwealth, I am reminded of the variety of high-quality experiences offered by DCR parks. Those within the Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit are among the best that this state has to offer. They provide a variety of recreational opportunities, from challenging hikes along mountain ridgelines, to family picnics on a promontory overlooking the Connecticut River Valley, to taking in a summer concert in downtown Holyoke. Although they may all be visited in a single day, the true character of these parks is best revealed through repeat visits. In addition to providing outstanding recreational opportunities, these parks protect important natural and cultural resources. They are among the most important sites for biodiversity conservation in the Commonwealth, providing habitat for fifty-two plants and animals on the Massachusetts Endangered Species List. They also contain a variety of Native American sites, 19th century buildings associated with that era’s commercialization of mountain ridges, and buildings and structures that document more than a century of park development. This Resource Management Plan provides recommendations that protect these resources while providing for compatible recreation, so that they may be enjoyed for generations to come. John P. Murray Commissioner The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), an agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, oversees 450,000 acres of parks and forests, beaches, bike trails, watersheds, dams, and parkways. Led by Commissioner John P. Murray, the agency’s mission is to protect, promote, and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the well-being of all. To learn more about the DCR, our facilities, and our programs please visit us at http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr. Contact us at [email protected]. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Contents Page Executive Summary Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... i The Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit .................................................................................................... i Management Principle and Goals .................................................................................................................. i Priority Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. ii Public Participation in Developing This Resource Management Plan .......................................................... ii Action Plan: 2013–2017 ................................................................................................................................ iii Section 1. Introduction 1.1. Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Resource Management Plans .................................................................................................................. 2 1.3. The Planning Process .............................................................................................................................. 2 1.4. Management Principle and Goals ........................................................................................................... 2 Section 2. Existing Conditions 2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 5 2.2. Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit ..................................................................................................... 5 2.2.1. Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2. Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.3. Recreation Resources .................................................................................................................... 13 2.3. Mount Holyoke Range State Park ........................................................................................................... 16 2.3.1. Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 16 2.3.2. Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................................... 23 2.3.3. Recreation Resources .................................................................................................................... 23 2.3.4. Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................. 25 2.4. Joseph Allen Skinner State Park ............................................................................................................. 32 2.4.1. Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 33 2.4.2. Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................................... 35 2.4.3. Recreation Resources .................................................................................................................... 41 2.4.4. Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................. 42 2.5. Mount Tom State Reservation ................................................................................................................ 45 2.5.1. Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 46 2.5.2. Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................................... 51 2.5.3. Recreation Resources .................................................................................................................... 58 2.5.4. Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................. 59 2.6. Holyoke Heritage State Park ................................................................................................................... 67 2.6.1. Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 67 2.6.2. Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................................... 68 2.6.3. Recreation Resources .................................................................................................................... 70 2.6.4. Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................. 71 Contents Page Section 3. Management Resources and Practices 3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 75 3.2. Mount Holyoke Range Planning Unit ..................................................................................................... 75 3.2.1. Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 75 3.2.2. Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................................... 77 3.2.3. Recreation Resources .................................................................................................................... 77 3.2.4. Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................. 78 3.2.5. Interpretive Services ...................................................................................................................... 80 3.2.6. Operational Resources ..................................................................................................................