Since 2013, the Woodlands Partnership has sought to bring recognition and additional financial and technical resources to 21 municipalities in northern Berkshire and western Franklin Counties to increase natural resource based economic development, support forest conservation and stewardship, and improve the fiscal stability of our communities.
The 21-town Woodlands Partnership region of western Franklin and northern Berkshire Counties is largely intact and relatively un-fragmented. From an ecological perspective, the region is a convergence of several different types of forests, with remarkably high biodiversity for an area its size. This natural diversity, coupled with the educational resources that are available in the region, provides an opportunity for research and innovation. The region’s resources, human history, and sense of place provide a backbone for a sustainable, natural resource based rural economy.
The Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts is led by representatives from municipalities and includes representatives from state, regional, and local government, nonprofits, land trusts, watershed associations, university researchers, and planning agencies, among others.
The Commission on PILOT for State-Owned Land in Massachusetts is hosting a series of public listening sessions to gather input from community members. The goal of the Commission is to
Payment in Lieu of taxes, or PILOT, provides reimbursement to towns and cities for lost revenues from tax-exempt land and property within their boundaries. In
Check out a new state-funded study assessing current public safety services and how tourism and recreation in the Woodlands Partnership region may be affecting emergency response. The Collins Center of