The loss of more and more pieces of forest land to development is increasingly fragmenting large natural areas that make the North Quabbin Region such a valuable place for recreation, wildlife habitat, and forest products like air, water and wood. Fragmentation of forests into smaller non-contiguous pieces can become too small to support viable populations of many wild plant and animal species. Fragmentation also allows invasive species, like Japanese knotweed and European buckthorn, or aggressive species, like domestic cats, cowbirds and starlings, to access forestland and compete with or prey on native forest species. The resulting smaller forest parcels are also difficult to manage for commercially viable timber harvests.
By working together to identify and protect ecologically, historically, economically, and culturally significant open space, we can have the kind of development we want while maintaining the unique landscape of the North Quabbin Region.
How the North Quabbin Regional
Landscape Partnership works
Fortunately, the North Quabbin Region is home to an unusually high number of public and private groups focused on conserving land and our rural lifestyle.
The Partnership is a voluntary association of these groups working together to save valuable ecologically, historically or culturally significant open space quickly—before it is too late.
1 Steel, J. 1999. Losing Ground, 2nd Edition. Massachusetts Audubon Society
2 Nudel, M. 2003. Better Conservation Through Partnerships.Exchange—The Journal of the Land
Trust Alliance. 22:17-21
Partnership members (click to visit)
National
National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails
and Conservation Assistance Program
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tully Lake
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
State
Massachusetts Audubon Society
Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
MassWildlife (The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife)
The Nature Conservancy, Massachusetts Chapter
Regional
Athol Bird and Nature Club
Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Millers River Environmental Center
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
New England Forestry Foundation
