Land Projects
The Franklin Land Trust Receives Gift Of 151 Acres in Ashfield
The Franklin Land Trust is delighted to announce that it has received a generous gift on the part of the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc., of 151 acres on Spruce Corner Road in Ashfield. In 2001, the Franklin Land Trust led a grassroots effort to prevent this quiet piece of land, owned for generations…
Read MoreSomething Fishy Is Going On Here
In 2021, Bill and Jane Obear put a Conservation Restriction (CR) on 41 acres of Bear Path Farm, their land in Whately, MA. This autumn, it’s easy to appreciate the green fields of their farm, the tall trees turning gold, and the delicious peaches and apples from their orchard. But hiding in the winding streams…
Read MorePotential Ashfield housing development threatens local charm
Ashfield Massachusetts is home to a vibrant, warmhearted community that has made the village a cradle of creativity. Visitors admire Ashfield for its authenticity, classic New England architecture, and natural beauty. Anyone who lives there or visits often is familiar with Edge Hill Golf Course, once a working dairy farm and now a picturesque golfing…
Read More59 acres of Ashfield farmland conserved
CAL AND JOAN CLARK, ASHFIELD, 59.95 ACRES CONSERVATION RESTRICTION These newly conserved properties are south of the 367 +/- acres the Clarks conserved in 2007 and 2008 with FLT and abut both the Poland Brook WMA and TTOR’s Chapel Brook Reservation. The parcels abut other conserved land and are in a region of significantly large…
Read MoreConservation Projects Completed in Colrain, Leyden, Sunderland, and Ashfield
Colrain The scenic Arthur Smith covered bridge crossing the East branch of the North River in Colrain is now the site of a permanent trail along land owned by farmer and woodworker Jeremy Topitzer. This “Lyonsville Trail” runs from the eastern side of the bridge to the shade of an old sugar maple, with public…
Read MoreThe Warner Hill Landscape Partnership
Franklin Land Trust is proud to announce the permanent protection of just under 700 acres of contiguous forests in the uplands of Charlemont and Rowe, Massachusetts. This project, the culmination of more than six years of work, was one of the largest conservation projects completed in the state in the past year. Made possible by…
Read MoreLocal Farms, Local Food
We are nestled within one of the country’s great agricultural hubs. Once called The Breadbasket of New England, the Connecticut River Valley is home to some of the most productive farmland in the nation. In western Massachusetts, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties account for 28 percent of farms in the entire state. Built on a…
Read MoreKey Land Conserved in Westfield
Westfield landowners Bob and Karen Baker worked with Franklin Land Trust and the Town of Westfield to conserve 42 acres of land on Montgomery Road. In 2004 the Bakers sold a 27-acre Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) to Winding River Land Conservancy — now retired, they wanted to conserve the adjacent wetlands and hayfields not included…
Read MoreWorking with Partners to Conserve More Land
Thanks to your support, Franklin Land Trust assisted the MA Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to acquire two key parcels for public access and conservation in Plainfield and Rowe. State conservation organizations like the MA Department of Fish and Game often depend on non-profit land trusts to help bring local projects across the finish…
Read More24 Acres in Ashfield/Conway Donated to Franklin Land Trust
Franklin Land Trust received a gift of 24 acres of forested land in Ashfield and Conway, donated by landowners Ed Etheredge of Northampton, and Larry Hott of Florence. This land sits at the intersection of Ashfield and Conway, with views of Mt. Monadnock, Mt. Wachusett, and Mt. Greylock in the fall and winter months. This…
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