Twenty acres of forested land along the West Branch of the Mill River in Williamsburg are now conserved, thanks to a joint effort by Hilltown Land Trust and Kestrel Land Trust.
The newly-protected land includes 1,400 feet of river frontage in a scenic section of the Mill River upstream from Devil’s Den. It includes important habitat for native species, including the Northern Spring Salamander and a dragonfly species called the Ocellated Darner.
“Protecting land around waterways is crucial to the health of the river, since the land acts as a buffer against erosion, pollution, and floods,” said Sally Loomis, Executive Director of Hilltown Land Trust. “Conserving land means that we are helping maintain adequate tree and plant cover for the species that live and breed in the stream habitat.”
Thanks to this joint land conservation project, these 20 acres will be designated “forever wild,” creating a place where forests can mature naturally, with minimal management, and remain largely undisturbed by human activities.
The project came about after the settlement in 2021 of a lawsuit resulting from a violation of federal stormwater requirements by Dynamic Energy Solutions. The company built a large solar array directly uphill from the river and abutting the newly conserved land, but failed to follow state and federal regulations meant to protect wetlands. A storm in 2019 caused massive runoff that damaged forests below the project site and polluted the Mill River.
According to the 2022 Climate Change Assessment produced by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the risk of damage caused by flooding and erosion in the Hilltowns will increase significantly over the course of this century.
“It’s important that we address climate change in a thoughtful way and don’t accidentally harm the very natural resources that are under threat,” says Mark Wamsley, Conservation Director of Kestrel Land Trust, who adds that, “Conserving forests is one way the Hilltowns can make a critical contribution to combating climate change, which the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs recognized as part of the Commonwealth’s recently released Resilient Lands Initiative.”
Hilltown Land Trust now owns the land, while Kestrel Land Trust holds a Conservation Restriction on the property. Combined, the measures help ensure that the land will be protected for conservation purposes in perpetuity.
The two local land trusts’ service areas overlap in Williamsburg and Westhampton and they have previously partnered on large-scale conservation projects like the 1,000-acre Brewer Brook conservation project in Westhampton, Williamsburg, Chesterfield, and Northampton, as well as joint public events and the annual Give Back to the Land day in April.
“We are always happy to work in partnership with Kestrel Land Trust,” said Loomis. “By joining forces, we can have a bigger impact on the beautiful landscape in this region.”
