Mohawk Trail Region

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Mohawk Trail Region The Mohawk Trail Region 100th AnniversAry official visitors’ guide Ë 2014-15 www.mohawktrail.com The Mohawk Trail is the First Scenic Road in New England. It officially opened Table of Contents on October 22, 1914. Over The Trail cities & towns 100 years Ago................ 3-4 on the trail - The.Highway. traveling of.History....................... 5-7 west to east Tourist.Information Williamstown.................18 -.across.the.State........ 8-10 North.Adams.................27 Adams............................30 find a place to Florida............................33 enjoy yourself Savoy..............................33 in the mohawk Rowe...............................33 trail region Annual Festivals The.Arts.&.Culture...........12 in the region....34 Places.to.Eat...............12-13 map of the Places.to.Stay...................13 mohawk trail Places.to.Shop..................14 region................36-37 Services............................15 Find it in the How.to.Get.Here..............15 region!.....................38 Distances.from.. Charlemont....................39 North.Adams.to.?............53 Colrain............................42 Camping,.State.Parks.&.. Shelburne.Falls..............43 nko Outdoor.Recreation........16 E Hollywood on Sights.to.See....................17 the Deerfield River...........46 Michal Shelburne.......................47 E n E Greenfield.......................49 Eug Deerfield.........................50 South.Deerfield..............52 Turners.Falls..................53 The World in 1914............54 Bernardston...................55 Northfield......................55 www.mohawk trail.com Gill..................................56 Phillipston......................56 This publication is funded, in part, by Westminster...................56 The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. Fitchburg........................56 © 2014 Mohawk Trail Association 2014-2015 Farmers’ Markets...........57 The 1st Auto over The Trail....................58 five driving tours in the mohawk trail region................60-70 2 www.mohawktrail.com Over the Trail 100 Years Ago e are celebrating the joy of a road trip that takes you into the western wilderness of Mas- sachusetts.W It’s a trip on a highway that runs alongside the rocky Cold River, on roads chiselled out of narrow valleys above steep precipices. The road climbs up to the top of Whitcomb Summit surrounded by hilltops as far as the eye can see and then descends into the Hoosac Valley rimmed with soft-curved mountains. scheduled train trip between Charlemont Driving today is mostly a chore—doing and North Adams passing through the world errands, picking up the kids, getting famous Hoosac Tunnel. But the automobile to your job. Driving 100 years ago was was an invention that was becoming wildly for the adventure to follow the road popular. In 1900, there were only 8000 wherever it led. Motoring parties were privately-registered cars in the entire United out for excitement on a Sunday after- States, by 1920, there were 8 million. noon pleasure trip or a weekend lost in Cars were still evolving into the kind of tree-dense forests. vehicles we know today. Until 1912, their When The Mohawk Trail was dedicated bodies were made mostly of wood. The all- on October 14, 1914, it marked the comple- steel body became the standard 20 years tion of a highway between Charlemont and later. Most motorists traveled in open cars North Adams. It ran in the same direction as until the 1920s when they were enclosed to the path beaten down by the Native people protect passengers from cold, heat, wind and for thousands of years. The new road was rain. The average speed was about 10 miles engineered to a grade suitable to an auto- per hour. The climb up the mountain from mobile’s ability to scale the mountain that Charlemont to Florida frequently overheat- separates the Deerfield River valley from ed engines and there was often a need for the Hoosac River valley. The Native Ameri- water at the top to replenish the boiled-over cans—the Pocumtucks, the Mahicans and cooling systems. yes, the Mohawks, traveled a steeper route Through World War I and the Roaring along the hilltops. Twenties, The Mohawk Trail was paved In 1914, most people could easily take a with gravel and oil that required lots of 1914www.mohawktrail.com 3 maintenance. Too much rain caused ruts, wash outs and wash-boarding. Dry spells created clouds of dust. In the winter, the road was closed—unplowed and impass- able. Even though the road had its faults and limitations, it was during this time that The Trail was the most popular. City dwellers could venture out into the wilderness and fancy that they were pioneers The sweetest method to draw tourists in “Indian Country.” They were pioneers, but off the highway occurred in Shelburne Falls pioneers in automobile travel. The business- where Alice Brown fashioned heart-shaped es along the Mohawk Trail were pioneers in candies from Maple Sugar and named them tourism, building or supporting attractions Sweethearts. She posted a sign entreating that enticed people to visit. motorists to “Stop for your Sweetheart.” Thus was born the Sweetheart Tea Room which grew from serving more than 21,000 guests in 1920 to 65,000 guests in 1931. In 1923, the Automobile Club of America dubbed The Mohawk Trail a “honeymoon route” because more than 1000 newly mar- Whitcomb Summit House Gift Shop ried sweethearts registered in hotels along The Trail! Charles Canedy built the Whit- The popularity of the road demanded im- comb Summit house in the town of Florida provements. After two years of construction, at the highest point on The Trail then added a ceremony was held on September 28, 1929, tourist cabins and an observation tower to at the peak of foliage season, to celebrate maximize the scenic view and coin-operated the improved Mohawk Trail. The road was telescopes to magnify it. He also built a gift widened and paved with asphalt which shop and another tower at the Hairpin Turn. meant that it could be plowed and kept open He donated land in 1923, to the Massachu- in winter. setts Elks Association who erected The Elk as a memorial to its members who died in World War I. The North Adams Transcript said the dedication ceremonies were attend- ed by 10,000 people and 3,000 cars. Cecil Kennedy worked the lower part of The Trail in Charlemont and created Mo- hawk Park by donating land for the erection of the statue, “Hail to the Sunrise” in 1932. The Sweetheart Tea Room 4 www.mohawktrail.com laze the highway of history and dis- Welcome cover the wonderful world of adventure t o t h e Bwaiting for you in the four season vaca- tion land along the Mohawk Trail, Route 2. Stretching from the Massachusetts-New York MOhawk line to Millers Falls on the Connecticut River is TRaIl the actual 63 mile East-West highway. Reminis- cent of early American life, the Mohawk Trail REgioN provides the traveler of today with well over 100 attractions; country inns, gift shops and public xxxxxxxx and private camping areas nestled amid the sea- sonal changing beauty of the Berkshire Hills and Connecticut Valley. Across the Deerfield River is a five arch con- crete span called the Bridge of Flowers. This deserted trolley bridge, presently displaying a profusion of flowers and shrubs, was a project sponsored by the Shelburne Falls Women’s Club in 1929. The Bridge of Flowers is the only one of its kind and a delight to the traveler’s eye. Just to the south of Greenfield is Old Deerfield with its Indian and Revolutionary monuments. Many of Old Deerfield’s pre-revolutionary houses are open to the public, along with its museum. Just downstream from the Bridge of Flowers is Salmon Falls. The river bottom has the largest collection of glacial potholes in the country. These ancient potholes, which can be viewed from an overlook, came into existence by attacking whirlpools of water and gyrating stones of the Glacial Age that eroded the granite. Swimming is not rec- ommended there. There are other phenomena and places of beauty along the Trail. New England’s only Natural Bridge, in North Adams, has unusual geological formations like a marble 60 ft. falls, attesting to the thousands of years of erosion since the ice ages. The world famous Sterling & Francine Clark Art In- stitute and the Willliams College Museum of Art offer Timo T the enjoyment of fine arts in Williamstown, while North hyZela Adams features MASS MoCA and the Western Gateway Z Heritage State Park, located in the North Adams freight o yard district. Exhibits focus on the rich railroad and The Natural Bridge - North Adams www.mohawktrail.com 5 industrial heritage of North Adams. Located in the Berkshires with portals at Rowe and North Adams is the Hoosac Railroad Tunnel, built in the 19th century at a cost of 200 lives and $15 million, which earned it the name of the “Bloody Pit.”The con- stant danger of tunneling through 5 miles of solid rock was completed with the help of a new explosive called nitroglycerin. The tunnel is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of those lost in its completion. The Mohawk Trail is an adventure and cultural experience for the lucky traveler who attends the Mohawk Trail Concerts, an informal gathering of outstanding artists from near and far, or the summer theaters in Williamstown or Turners Falls. Others can attend the many craft shows, street fairs or an Indian Pow- Wow, a weekend outing filled with traditional songs and dances within a program of exhibitions displaying the rich heritage of the Indian culture. Winter in the beautiful Berkshire Hills offers the best in The Mohawk Trail Concerts are downhill and cross country skiing, snow-mobiling and full facil- performed in this Church ity campgrounds and lodging anywhere in New England. In any season, the vacationing shopper can visit a host of country stores and unique gift shops. View the valley from Mount Greylock (May-Oct.) the highest mountain in Massachusetts, which dominates the landscape with an elevation of 3,491 feet above sea level.
Recommended publications
  • Hudson River Watershed 2002 Water Quality Assessment Report
    HUDSON RIVER WATERSHED 2002 WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT REPORT COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ROBERT W. GOLLEDGE, JR, SECRETARY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ARLEEN O’DONNELL, ACTING COMMISSIONER BUREAU OF RESOURCE PROTECTION GLENN HAAS, ACTING ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER DIVISION OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GLENN HAAS, DIRECTOR NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY LIMITED COPIES OF THIS REPORT ARE AVAILABLE AT NO COST BY WRITTEN REQUEST TO: MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT 627 MAIN STREET WORCESTER, MA 01608 This report is also available from the MassDEP’s home page on the World Wide Web at: http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/resources/wqassess.htm Furthermore, at the time of first printing, eight copies of each report published by this office are submitted to the State Library at the State House in Boston; these copies are subsequently distributed as follows: · On shelf; retained at the State Library (two copies); · Microfilmed retained at the State Library; · Delivered to the Boston Public Library at Copley Square; · Delivered to the Worcester Public Library; · Delivered to the Springfield Public Library; · Delivered to the University Library at UMass, Amherst; · Delivered to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Moreover, this wide circulation is augmented by inter-library loans from the above-listed libraries. For example a resident in Marlborough can apply at their local library for loan of any MassDEP/DWM report from the Worcester Public Library. A complete list of reports published since 1963 is updated annually and printed in July. This report, entitled, “Publications of the Massachusetts Division of Watershed Management – Watershed Planning Program, 1963-(current year)”, is also available by writing to the Division of Watershed Management (DWM) in Worcester.
    [Show full text]
  • Periodic Report to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation And
    Periodic Report to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Submitted by Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest Robert T. Leverett Gary A. Beluzo And Anthony W. D’Amato May 21, 2006 Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest 52 Fairfield Avenue Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 538-8631 [email protected] 1 Table of Contents Topic Page General Introduction 3 SECTION 1: Old Growth Inventory and Mapping 4 SECTION 2: Forest Reserve 8 SECTION 3: Update on Rucker Indexing Analysis 11 and Exemplary Forest Documentation SECTION 4: White Pine Volume Modeling, 31 Individual Profiles, and White pine Tree Dimensions Index (TDI) Lists SECTION 5: White Pine Stand Tagging, Inventorying, 47 and Growth Analysis SECTION 6: Activities and History of FMTSF 49 SECTION 7: Dendromorphometry 53 SECTION 8: Summary of Exemplary Trees and 56 Forest Features in MTSF and MSF Appendix I: Maps – Recommended Forest Reserves 60 2 General Introduction This report is presented to the Chief Forester for Massachusetts, James DiMaio; the Region 5 Supervisor, Robert Mellace; and the management forester within Region 5, Thomas Byron. Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest (FMTSF) will also present copies of this report to the Eastern Native Tree Society (ENTS), Harvard Forest for inclusion in their archives, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Board members of the FMTSF, and Dr. Lee Frelich, Director for the Center of Hardwood Ecology of the University of Minnesota. ENTS, Mass Audubon, Dr. David Orwig of Harvard Forest, and Dr. Lee Frelich have been important contributors to the research described in this report. On February 5, 2004, “Report on Forest Research at Mohawk Trail State Forest” was submitted to the then Department of Environmental Management (DEM) through William Rivers.
    [Show full text]
  • Tall Pines Trail
    Tall Pines Trail Location: Mohawk Trail State Forest. Updated 7-29-2019 County: Franklin Township: Charlemont Start and End of Trail Network: Lat 42.638425 N, Long 72.936285 W Trail length (complete loop plus spur): 3.0 miles Introduction Mohawk Trail State Forest (MTSF) was one of the first state forests to be established as part of the Massachusetts system of Forests and Parks. Today the property covers approximately 6,700 acres and is split by State Route #2, named the Mohawk Trail in recognition of the ancient Indian path that ran from the waters of the Hudson to the Connecticut River. MTSF is mountainous, possessing some of the most rugged topography in the Commonwealth. The Cold River and Deerfield River gorges reach depths of 1,000 feet in Mohawk, and elevations vary from 600 to almost 2100 feet within the property. Mohawk has many outstanding features, including: (1) its wealth of old growth forests (nearly half of the total for Massachusetts), (2) record-breaking tall, second-growth white pines, (3) a section of the original Mohawk Indian Trail, (4) section of the old Shunpike, (5) site of an old Indian encampment, and (6) the gravesite of Revolutionary War veteran John and his wife Susannah Wheeler. The State Forest is part of the 9th Forest Reserve, which is maintained in pristine condition. The Park area is located on the north side of Route #2, and includes the Headquarters, picnic area, campground (for RVs and tents), cabin area (six rental cabins), the Old Cold River Road, and the upper and lower meadows.
    [Show full text]
  • Birds of Mount Greylock Mount Greylock State Reservation INFORMATION GUIDE & SIGHTING LIST
    Birds of Mount Greylock Mount Greylock State Reservation INFORMATION GUIDE & SIGHTING LIST Birds of Mount Greylock is a two-part document. Part 1 is a basic overview of the variety of bird species found in and around Mount Greylock, where you might encounter them in the Reservation. Part 2 is a birding checklist for your records. Part 1 Managed by the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR), Mount Greylock State Reservation covers over 12,500 acres of upland habitat. The summit at 3,491 feet above sea level is the highest point in Massachusetts and supports the only sub-alpine ecosystem in the state; one of the southernmost extensions of the boreal or spruce-fir forest, normally associated with Canada. Why go birding? If you want a challenge, camaraderie, fun, passion, beauty, insight, travel, and discovery, go birding. All this aside, humans have certainly altered face of the landscape, sometimes negatively impacting bird habitats. Bird populations, over time, have responded by shifting to more suitable habitats or disappearing altogether from certain areas. Still other species have been either hunted to extinction, their distinctive habitats completely destroyed, affected by pesticides or pollution, or even displaced by competing bird species. There is a widely held belief within the bird watching community is that an interest in birds is often the first step toward building a sound conservation ethic. Birds are sensitive indicators of the health of the environment. It is likely that a popular widespread commitment to their well- being will lead to a greater concern for the quality of the environment on which humans and birds are mutually dependent.
    [Show full text]
  • 3 Trail Brochure 2
    MARY V. FLYNN TRAIL LAURA’S TOWER TRAIL ICE GLEN TRAIL (Ice Glen is owned by the Town of Stockbridge.) Description : An easy walk in the woods and along Description : A quiet, wooded assent, starting out the Housatonic River, on a wide, packed-gravel trail, through old stand pine and hemlock. Midway up, a Description : A clamber over, under and around giant built mostly on the bed of the old Berkshire Street boulder outcropping gives a hint of the wonders of Ice boulders in a glacial ravine. The sides of the glen are Railway trolley line. Starting with a 100 foot Glen. Nearing the end of the climb is a large section covered with old stand pine and hemlock. The crags boardwalk, the trail goes through birch, pine, of birch interspersed with mountain laurel. A metal and crannies of the rocks are said to harbor ice and cottonwood and invasive euonymus, traverses two tower at the summit provides a panoramic view of the snow into the summer. At the north end of the glen is wooden bridges, and meets the river near a railed middle Berkshires, including Mount Greylock to the a flat rock face with an inscription from the donor, section. At the end of the wide trolley bed portion, a north, the highest point in Massachusetts. On a clear David Dudley Field. At the south end of the glen is narrower section traverses two, smaller bridges as it day, one can see 68 miles west to the New York reputedly the tallest pine in Massachusetts. loops back along the river through fern beds to the Catskills, and 50 miles north to the Green Mountains main trail.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mohawk Trail Region the Official Visitors Mohawk Guide 2018 - 2019 Trail Region Eugene Michalenko Tourist Information
    The Mohawk Trail REGION The Official Visitors Mohawk Guide 2018 - 2019 Trail www.mohawktrail.com REGION Explore The Trail Region 4-6 Ride off the beaten path ....33 Historic and literary figures Savoy .............................33 travelled The Trail ............7 Rowe ..............................33 Traffic on The Trail Annual Events for millenniums ................7 along The Trail ..........34-35 Tourist Information ... 8-10 map of the Ice Cream along The Trail ...11 mohawk trail find a place to region ...............36-37 enjoy yourself Charlemont ...................38 in the mohawk Shelburne Falls .............43 trail region Colrain ...........................46 The Arts & Culture .........12 Shelburne ......................46 Places to Eat & Drink .12-13 Greenfield .....................48 Places to Stay ..................13 Cultural Districts ..............49 Places to Shop .................14 Deerfield .......................49 Services ...........................15 South Deerfield .............51 www.mohawk trail.com How to Get Here .............15 Turners Falls .................51 Distances from Bernardston ..................52 BIENVENIDO | BIENVENUE North Adams to ? ...........15 Northfield .....................54 Camping, State Parks & Gill .................................54 WILLKOMMEN | BENVENUTO Outdoor Recreation .......16 Athol .............................55 欢迎 Sights to See .................17 Phillipston ....................55 ようこそ | cities & towns Westminster .................55 in the trail Farmers’ Markets ...56-57
    [Show full text]
  • Continuous Forest Inventory 2014
    Manual for Continuous Forest Inventory Field Procedures Bureau of Forestry Division of State Parks and Recreation February 2014 Massachusetts Department Conservation and Recreation Manual for Continuous Forest Inventory Field Procedures Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation February, 2014 Preface The purpose of this manual is to provide individuals involved in collecting continuous forest inventory data on land administered by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation with clear instructions for carrying out their work. This manual was first published in 1959. It has undergone minor revisions in 1960, 1961, 1964 and 1979, and 2013. Major revisions were made in April, 1968, September, 1978 and March, 1998. This manual is a minor revision of the March, 1998 version and an update of the April 2010 printing. TABLE OF CONTENTS Plot Location and Establishment The Crew 3 Equipment 3 Location of Established Plots 4 The Field Book 4 New CFI Plot Location 4 Establishing a Starting Point 4 The Route 5 Traveling the Route to the Plot 5 Establishing the Plot Center 5 Establishing the Witness Trees 6 Monumentation 7 Establishing the Plot Perimeter 8 Tree Data General 11 Tree Number 11 Azimuth 12 Distance 12 Tree Species 12-13 Diameter Breast Height 13-15 Tree Status 16 Product 17 Sawlog Height 18 Sawlog Percent Soundness 18 Bole Height 19 Bole Percent Soundness 21 Management Potential 21 Sawlog Tree Grade 23 Hardwood Tree Grade 23 Eastern White Pine Tree Grade 24 Quality Determinant 25 Crown Class 26 Mechanical Loss
    [Show full text]
  • Glenn Mitchell the TRUE FAREWELL of the TRAMP
    Glenn Mitchell THE TRUE FAREWELL OF THE TRAMP Good afternoon. I’d like to begin with an ending ... which we might call `the Tramp’s First Farewell’. CLIP: FINAL SCENE OF `THE TRAMP’ That, of course, was the finale to Chaplin’s 1915 short film THE TRAMP. Among Chaplin scholars – and I think there may be one or two here today! - one of the topics that often divides opinion is that concerning the first and last appearances of Chaplin’s Tramp character. It seems fair to suggest that Chaplin’s assembly of the costume for MABEL’S STRANGE PREDICAMENT marks his first appearance, even though he has money to dispose of and is therefore technically not a tramp. KID AUTO RACES AT VENICE, shot during its production, narrowly beat the film into release. Altogether more difficult is to pinpoint where Chaplin’s Tramp character appears for the last time. For many years, the general view was that the Tramp made his farewell at the end of MODERN TIMES. As everyone here will know, it was a revision of that famous conclusion to THE TRAMP, which we saw just now ... only this time he walks into the distance not alone, but with a female companion, one who’s as resourceful, and almost as resilient, as he is. CLIP: END OF `MODERN TIMES’ When I was a young collector starting out, one of the key studies of Chaplin’s work was The Films of Charlie Chaplin, published in 1965. Its authors, Gerald D. McDonald, Michael Conway and Mark Ricci said this of the end of MODERN TIMES: - No one realized it at the time, but in that moment of hopefulness we were seeing Charlie the Little Tramp for the last time.
    [Show full text]
  • Additional Acres in Monroe, MA
    Available Property, Rowe and Monroe, Massachusetts Property Profile Property Address: Monroe Hill Road, Rowe, Massachusetts Total Acreage: Approximately 1,735 acres Parcels: The property consists of 25 separate parcels Current Zoning: Residential/Agricultural and Industrial Monroe, MA Additional Acres in Monroe, MA Acres: Approx. 93 In addition to the parcels in Rowe, additional land is available in the Town of Monroe on the western side of the Sherman Reservoir. The property Zoning: Residential features undeveloped land consisting of plateaus, hills and ridgelines. Several tributaries to the Deerfield River are located on the property. Land Use: Open Space Timber harvesting previously occurred on the property. Acquisition of the Rowe and Monroe parcels may be completed independent of each other or as one transaction. Available Property, Rowe and Monroe, Massachusetts Property Location: The two properties are located in the Towns of Monroe and Rowe in the northwest corner of Franklin County, Massachusetts. The towns of Monroe and Rowe are separated by Sherman Reservoir, the largest lake on the Deerfield River. Franklin County is a sparsely populated rural area in north central Massachusetts. The land is currently owned by Yankee Atomic Electric Company. The decommissioned Yankee Rowe nuclear power station was previously located on approximately 80 acres of the property. The remaining land served as open space buffer land during the plant’s operation. Franklin County Massachusetts Rowe Property Description: The Rowe property is located in the northwest corner of the Town of Rowe at its border with the State of Vermont and east of the Sherman Reservoir. The property is accessed via Monroe Hill Road, a well- maintained secondary Town- owned roadway.
    [Show full text]
  • Town of Erving
    Design Alternatives for the Reuse of USHER MILLS Prepared for Town of Erving 12 East Main Street Index Erving, MA 01344 INTRODUCTION AND GOALS 1 CONTEXT 2 CONTEXT-HISTORY 3 BROWNFIELD DESIGNATION 4 EXISTING CONDITIONS 5 EXISTING CONDITIONS CROSS SECTION 6 ACCESS, CIRCULATION, AND RARE SPECIES 7 LEGAL ANALYSIS 8 SUMMARY ANALYSIS 9 COMMON ELEMENTS OF DESIGN ALTERNATIVES 10 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE #1 11 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE #2 12 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE #3 13 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE #4 14 DESIGN PRECEDENTS ALTERNATIVES #1 & #2 15 DESIGN PRECEDENTS ALTERNATIVES #3 & #4 16 PROPOSED PLANT PALETTE 17 RECOMMENDATIONS 18 Design Alternatives for the Reuse of Karen H. Dunn FALL 2010 Karen H. Dunn, FALL 2010 USHER MILLS Conway School of Landscape Design1 Conway School of Landscape Design Town of Erving 332 South Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 01341 12 E Main Street, Erving, MA 01344 332 South Deerfield Road, Conway, MA 1801341 NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS DRAWING IS PART OF A STUDENT PROJECT AND IS NOT BASED ON A LEGAL SURVEY. All of the Usher Mills project goals are in harmony with the goals and objectives of the Town of Erving 2002 Master Plan and the 2010 Open Space and Recreation Plan. These guides provide a framework for decisions dealing with land uses that may impact valuable natural resources and the lands that contain unique historical, recreational, and scenic values. Goals and objectives of the two plans that relate to the Usher Mills site include • Prioritize Town-sponsored land protection projects that conserve forestland, drinking water, streams and ponds, open fields, scenic views, wildlife habitat, river access and wetlands.
    [Show full text]
  • Outdoor Recreation Recreation Outdoor Massachusetts the Wildlife
    Photos by MassWildlife by Photos Photo © Kindra Clineff massvacation.com mass.gov/massgrown Office of Fishing & Boating Access * = Access to coastal waters A = General Access: Boats and trailer parking B = Fisherman Access: Smaller boats and trailers C = Cartop Access: Small boats, canoes, kayaks D = River Access: Canoes and kayaks Other Massachusetts Outdoor Information Outdoor Massachusetts Other E = Sportfishing Pier: Barrier free fishing area F = Shorefishing Area: Onshore fishing access mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/fba/ Western Massachusetts boundaries and access points. mass.gov/dfw/pond-maps points. access and boundaries BOAT ACCESS SITE TOWN SITE ACCESS then head outdoors with your friends and family! and friends your with outdoors head then publicly accessible ponds providing approximate depths, depths, approximate providing ponds accessible publicly ID# TYPE Conservation & Recreation websites. Make a plan and and plan a Make websites. Recreation & Conservation Ashmere Lake Hinsdale 202 B Pond Maps – Suitable for printing, this is a list of maps to to maps of list a is this printing, for Suitable – Maps Pond Benedict Pond Monterey 15 B Department of Fish & Game and the Department of of Department the and Game & Fish of Department Big Pond Otis 125 B properties and recreational activities, visit the the visit activities, recreational and properties customize and print maps. mass.gov/dfw/wildlife-lands maps. print and customize Center Pond Becket 147 C For interactive maps and information on other other on information and maps interactive For Cheshire Lake Cheshire 210 B displays all MassWildlife properties and allows you to to you allows and properties MassWildlife all displays Cheshire Lake-Farnams Causeway Cheshire 273 F Wildlife Lands Maps – The MassWildlife Lands Viewer Viewer Lands MassWildlife The – Maps Lands Wildlife Cranberry Pond West Stockbridge 233 C Commonwealth’s properties and recreation activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Massachusetts Forests at the Crossroads
    MASSACHUSETTS FORESTS AT THE CROSSROADS Forests, Parks, Landscapes, Environment, Quality of Life, Communities and Economy Threatened by Industrial Scale Logging & Biomass Power Deerfield River, Mohawk Trail Windsor State Forest, 2008, “Drinking Water Supply Area, Please protect it!” March 5, 2009 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The fate of Massachusetts’ forests is at a crossroads. Taxpayer subsidized policies and proposals enacted and promoted by Governor Patrick’s office of Energy and Environmental Affairs seriously threaten the health, integrity and peaceful existence of Massachusetts forests. All the benefits provided by these forests including wilderness protection, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, clean water, clean air, tourism, carbon sequestration and scenic beauty are now under threat from proposals to aggressively log parks and forests as outlined below. • About 80% of State forests and parks are slated for logging with only 20% set aside in reserves. (p.4) • Aggressive logging and clear-cutting of State forests and parks has already started and new management plans call for logging rates more than 400% higher than average historical levels. (p. 5-18) • “Clear-cutting and its variants” is proposed for 74% of the logging. Historically, selective logging was common. (p. 5-18) • The timber program costs outweigh its revenue . Taxpayers are paying to cut their own forests.(p.19) • The State has enacted laws and is spending taxpayer money devoted to “green” energy to promote and subsidize the development of at least five wood-fueled, industrial-scale biomass power plants. These plants would require tripling the logging rate on all Massachusetts forests, public and private. At this rate, all forests could be logged in just 25 years.
    [Show full text]