Berkshire Natural Resources Council buys 100+ acres to protect in Tyringham, says acquisition will strengthen conservation corridor in the Southern Berkshires

By Josh Landes

DATE: April 30, 2025

Berkshire Natural Resources Council announced this week that it has added 109 acres of protected land in Tyringham, Massachusetts to its conservation portfolio. The nonprofit has shielded Berkshire County land from development since 1967, caring for more than 26,000 acres. The 19 lots on the north and south side of Webster Road were approved for a subdivision project in the 1980s, but went undeveloped and have remained untouched since. The BNRC says the acquisition will bolster a conservation corridor in the Southern Berkshires as the land sits near both Beartown State Forest and the Appalachian Trail. A consortium of public and private funding sources pooled $650,000 to help the council buy the land last month. BNRC Director of Conservation Nick Pitel spoke with WAMC about the purchase.

PITEL: This particular property is pretty close to the Appalachian Trail corridor. It’s less than half a mile down the road. It really boasts some unique habitats where the south side of the property was previously farmed and consists of northern hardwood forests, a really great mix of quality tree species that wildlife prefer, like hophornbeam and witch-hazel and things of that nature. And then the north side of the road is pretty much a solid hemlock forest that transitions down to a large wetland complex. That’s the headwaters to Merry Brook, which is the cold water fisheries for native brook trout.

Read or listen to the full interview on WAMC Northeast Public Radio