The Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts*

A Unique Local Effort to Conserve Our Forests and Support Our Region’s Rural, Land-Based Economy

*On Oct. 11, 2022, the Board of the public body created in 2018 voted unanimously to change its name from the “Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership” in its bylaws to operating as the “Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts” and requested the state legislature and USDA Forest Service to officially establish and recognize the new name.

Supporting Our Rural Communities

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 Woodlands Partnership Region

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 Board

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.

man driving a horse team hauling a log in the snowy woods

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