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Date: 4/17/2023
NORTHAMPTON — The city of Northampton has officially acquired 229 acres of open space in the Saw Mill Hills Greenway for permanent protection.
According to Sarah LaValley, the assistant director of Planning & Sustainability, the purchase of the open space — otherwise known as the Pomeroy parcel — occurred in early April with a purchase price of $690,000.
The city executed the purchase by receiving a $400,000 Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity grant as well as $300,000 from Community Preservation Act funds, LaValley told Reminder Publishing. The latter money was officially approved by the City Council early in the winter.
“The Pomeroy parcel is incredibly valuable from both an ecological and recreational standpoint,” LaValley said. “It includes headwaters streams and wetlands, a variety of natural communities, and priority habitat for rare plants and wildlife. The area is part of a large forested block that extends to the Berkshire Hills, providing the connectivity needed to maintain biodiversity and ecosystems in the long term.”
Background
During an informational meeting back in July, LaValley said that this tract of land is the “largest contiguous open space acquisition project that the city has had the chance to protect in many years.”
She said that part of Northampton’s overarching goal when it comes to protecting open space is making sure these types of areas are available to all residents within walking distance. The Open Space Plan notes that ensuring open space within walking distance of all neighborhoods “provides access for the public, promotes nature appreciation, active/passive recreation and improved public health.”
According to LaValley, this is a critical part of the city’s equity goals.
“While the Saw Mill Hills are already walk and bikeable to many residents in the western part of the city, this new acquisition will help to enhance those connections,” LaValley said, in the summer.
According to LaValley, more than half of the center of the 230-acre property includes priority habitat for rare plant species and wildlife, as well as one “special concern” amphibian, one threatened amphibian and one “special concern” bird.
“While protection of this parcel may benefit these rare species, it will also undoubtedly benefit some of the common flora and fauna in the area,” said LaValley, adding that the tract of land is “relatively free” of invasive plant species. “Habitat fragmentation is a major threat to many wildlife bird and plant species, and the protection of these contiguous undisturbed tracts of habitat is vital to insuring their long-term viability.”
Before purchasing the tract of land from the Pomeroy family, the area was considered one of the largest remaining privately held forested areas in Northampton.
What the purchase means
The 229 acres were crucial to acquire, according to LaValley, because it connects existing protected open space to both the north and the south and also brings the Saw Mill Hills to nearly 1,000 total acres.
The deal means that the city’s Conservation Commission will own and manage the area, and a conservation restriction will be held by Kestrel Land Trust to ensure protection of the important ecological aspects of this land.
Mark Wamsley, Conservation Director at the Kestrel Land Trust stated that “the Pomeroy land is a keystone of the Saw Mill Hills, helping to knit the area together through its size, location, and trail connections.”
He credited the protection of this piece of land to strong partnerships between local and state governments, as well as land trusts like Kestrel and private funders such as the Wiederhold Foundation.
“Kestrel’s ongoing relationship with Northampton has yielded wonderful results for the land and local residents, and we look forward to helping the city conserve and care for them long into the future,” Wamsley added.