In the city of Greenfield, Massachusetts, 36 acres of land have been recently donated to form the Conti-Gauley Conservation Area.
Randall Gauley and Shirley Young donated a parcel of 10.12 acres, while Richard and Gloria Easton donated two other parcels, totaling 26.44 acres.
"We saw tracks and other signs of wildlife, including moose, during our visit," said mayor Virginia Desorgher in a release. "I am thankful to the former owners for their willingness to conserve this beautiful and valuable land for the benefit of people and wildlife for generations to come."
The recreational possibilities of the land in Greenfield are significant but not the only factor to take into consideration.
Land development is a major contributor to deforestation. As people build wider urban sprawl and expand agricultural operations, both local and migrating wildlife lose key habitat. This contributes to a downward trend in biodiversity and ecosystem services people depend on.
On top of that, healthy forests play a vital role in mitigating surface flooding conditions by helping water infiltrate soil. Their deep root systems can also help retain moisture in soil throughout drought conditions and fight erosion. Shade and transpiration improve local cooling in the face of growing heat waves. Best of all, mature trees improve local air quality and sequester atmospheric carbon.
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These benefits can only be enjoyed when municipal bodies take action to provide robust legal protections to conservation areas. Other communities in Massachusetts have also enjoyed growing conservation area coverage, including Hampshire, Barre, and Winchendon.
The Conti-Gauley Conservation Area will need some work to build out parking and trails, but once it's complete, municipal managers are optimistic about the future use of the space.
"As with the other conservation areas within Greenfield, this will be a place for the public to enjoy the outdoors through passive recreational means, such as hiking, snowshoeing, and birding," said conservation agent Jessica Siegel, per the release.
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