AMHERST — Two of the largest contiguous forested tracts in the region in Pelham and Belchertown, being permanently protected by Kestrel Land Trust and The Trustees of Reservations through a conservation restriction, will have guaranteed public access to sections of the Robert Frost Trail and the New England Scenic Trail that pass through the communities.
The more than 2,000 acres of land, which also includes a new donation of 150 acres on the north slope of Poverty Mountain in Shutesbury by W.D. Cowls Inc., brings to 5,260 acres the amount of land being permanently protected when combined with other acquisitions announced over the summer.
The 1,094-acre contiguous forest in Pelham and Shutesbury, to be jointly stewarded and protected by Kestrel and The Trustees, is being named the Sarah Cowls Forest at Pelham Hills. Cowls, who set the stage for the conservation effort, was the sixth-generation leader of Cowls, the great-grandmother of W.D. Cowls President Cinda Jones.
At a private event at Amherst College’s Book and Plow Farm campus last week, Jones thanked Kestrel for its ongoing work, securing the conservation restriction after Lyme Quabbin LLC served as the intermediary buyer.
“Over the past 20 years, we’ve conserved over 11,000 acres of forests together. That’s a legacy we’re proud of,” Jones said. “While W.D. Cowls still owns and manages two-thirds of its original holdings, including the conserved Paul C. Jones and Walter Cowls Jones Working Forests, these recent conservation deals are private sales with land trust management futures.”
Jones said the Pelham Hills land pays tribute to her ancestor, who was born in 1887 and who ran a dairy operation where the Mill District of North Amherst is now located. Sarah Cowls also kept the woodlands owned by the company open for recreational use.
In Belchertown, the 1,050-acre conserved forest will be named the Hop Brook Forest and adds to the over 800 acres that Kestrel previously conserved with the town.
Kristin DeBoer, Kestrel’s executive director, said in a statement that forested hills of Pelham and Belchertown are significant at a statewide scale for biodiversity, but are also important to the community.
“So many families make wonderful memories exploring these woods together,” DeBoer said. “Now the community can trust that these vast forests will forever be a place to enjoy time outside with their loved ones, as well as quiet and solitude.”
Over the next year, Kestrel and The Trustees will be working with the towns of Belchertown, Pelham and Amherst to integrate conserved lands and trails with other town conservation areas into a wholly protected landscape. This will include improved trailheads at Amethyst Brook Conservation Area in Amherst and Holland Glen Conservation Area in Belchertown.
The land will be stewarded as “forever wild,” taking a passive management approach to the forest to encourage old-growth conditions to develop. This means there will be no logging on the sites, a change from the W.D. Cowls practice.
Shane Bajnoci, the company’s forester, said the land has long been managed for both biodiversity and recreation.
Jones praised Bajnoci for award-winning forest management and advanced carbon sequestration through fast-growing and uneven-aged trees “and the consequent health and resiliency of these actively managed forests that can withstand threats from insects, diseases and major storm events, with way fewer casualties than unmanaged forests.”
The latest announcement follows news over the summer when another 2,000 or more acres in a dozen towns were acquired from W.D. Cowls by Lyme. That land will also be permanently protected over the next year by Kestrel and The Trustees in a similar fashion.
“For more than 130 years, The Trustees have been at the forefront of conserving and protecting land of exceptional scenic, ecological, and recreational value across the Commonwealth,” Trustees President and CEO Katie Theoharides said, adding that large, forested landscapes sequester carbon and build climate resiliency.
“The Pelham and Belchertown properties are critical to maintaining connectivity to benefit wildlife habitat and water quality in the Connecticut River Valley and are part of a broader national effort to protect the broader Appalachian landscape,” said Peter Stein, one of Lyme’s managing directors.
Local officials also praised the efforts.
“Through their dedicated efforts to protect our forests, farms and riverways, Kestrel has ensured that these vital landscapes will remain accessible for the enjoyment and benefit of our community and neighboring towns for generations to come,” said Bob Agoglia, who chairs Pelham’s Select Board.
Doug Albertson, Belchertown’s town planner, observed that the land being protected is located between the Quabbin Reservoir and the Mount Holyoke Range.
“This project also expands upon the Holland Glen Conservation Area,” Alberston said. “We are also pleased to see that this project will guarantee public access for hiking, hunting and fishing, which our residents love about living here.”
Amherst Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek said the town’s conservation office will be collaborating with Kestrel and The Trustees to care for the landscape, which is accessible from the Amethyst Brook Conservation Area, and is also near the farmland on North East Street, much of which is also permanently protected.