Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership
The Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership encompasses 361,941 acres of state and private land across 21 towns in Franklin and Berkshire Counties in Northwestern Massachusetts. A unique geology, calcareous wetlands, combined with rich northern forests make up a biologically diverse ecosystem. The forests are interrupted by farms and homes along mostly rural roads. Visitors are drawn to the area to hike, ski, hunt, camp, fish, and snowmobile. Locals make their living off the woodlands running recreation-based businesses, cutting and selling firewood, harvesting timber for local furniture or flooring, working as foresters, or tapping maple syrup. All the while, the forests provide critical ecological including clean water supply recharge and flood protection for portions of three major watersheds (Hudson River, Connecticut River, and Housatonic River), wildlife habitat and diversity, air purification, and carbon storage.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service signed a Shared Stewardship Framework in November of 2019. The purpose of the Framework is to assist the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and participating communities in furthering the goals of the Mohawk Trail Woodland Partnership. State legislation supporting this effort was passed on August 9, 2018, establishing a formal framework for the Mohawk Trail Woodland Partnership.
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