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Date: 7/19/2022
NORTHAMPTON – The city of Northampton is working to acquire and permanently protect 230 acres of open space in the Saw Mill Hills, between Sylvester Road and Spring Street.
On July 11, the city conducted an informational meeting with Sarah LaValley, the conservation and preservation planner for Northampton, so residents could learn more about the parcel’s importance.
During the meeting, 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, many years.”
According to LaValley, the city’s Open Space Plan – and broader Sustainable Northampton Plan – provide crucial roadmaps on which critical areas must be protected.
“Every piece of land is different and helps to fill a different piece of a bigger jigsaw puzzle,” said LaValley. “Some parcels serve a variety of functions on their own, they’re important in a lot of different ways. And other parcels are only important because their connectivity to other areas.”
Part of Northampton’s 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.
A brief history
According to LaValley, the Saw Mill Hills have been forested only recently, and the area was divided into wood lot parcels when the Europeans arrived in the 1600s. More commercial-style logging in the area began in the 1830s.
As the 19th century went on, logging and fires in the Saw Mill continued “intensively,” but by the end of the century, the need for firewood began to diminish, as coal began to start replacing wood, and oil and electricity became more resourceful alternatives. As logging halted, the slopes in the Saw Mill Hills began to grow back.
Over the last century, some of the lower slopes were logged again but the upper slopes were not because of difficult access and slow growing trees.
The conservation area, which is currently 800 acres in total, has grown for decades thanks to the city’s pursuit of its parcels from multiple private owners over the years.
Today, the Saw Mill Hills are a mix of forest types and upland rocky acidic soils, as well as more diverse wetlands that support a variety of plant and animal species.
Land importance
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.”
The land also has wetland resources and buffer areas, as well as multiple headwater streams which the state has identified as one of the most vulnerable habitat types with climate change. Additionally, the area is “incredibly important” regarding trail opportunities.
The next steps
The city currently has a purchase and sale agreement for the 230 acres with the current landowner, the Pomeroy family, for $690,000. According to LaValley, the area is one of the largest remaining privately held forested areas in Northampton.
The total cost, however, is estimated to be about $800,000 and will include long-term stewardship, the cost for conservation restriction to be held by the Kestrel Land Trust, as well as some other non-grant reimbursable expenses.
In the meantime, the state’s Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) grant is due in July with an anticipated winter announcement. The city will also be applying for Community Preservation Act funding in the fall, followed by fundraising and a possible 2023 closing on the property.