The newly protected Rockdale Highlands Wildlife Management Area includes thousands of feet of Mohawk Brook – a vital component of the region’s coldwater fisheries that support eastern brook trout in Western Massachusetts. State officials say it serves as home to at least 10 species on the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.
“We're interested in protecting lands for wildlife habitats and nature-based recreation. This property has all kinds of different things on it. It's got cliff sides, vernal pools, forested wetlands, cold water streams, so a real variety of different habitat types, and that's critical for protecting our biodiversity and making sure that the species we want to conserve have a place to be conserved," said Andrew Madden, the Western District Manager of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, or MassWildlife. “It's also a really interesting place for outdoor recreation. Our lands are open for passive recreation, including hunting, fishing, walking, birding, all kinds of different ways to enjoy and experience nature.”
The commonwealth partnered with the Stockbridge Land Trust – which protects over 2,000 acres in the Southern Berkshire town of around 2,000 residents – to secure the property.
“It's 300 acres, 250 of which are in Stockbridge, 50 are in West Stockbridge. It's an area that is very unique. It has half of a lake, it owns the southern side of Mohawk lake. It has a whole bunch of bridle paths and wood trails on it. There's lots of rocks and ledges, as the name applies, and it's just great open space to walk around and get out and be in nature," said Stockbridge Land Trust board member and former president Doug Goudey. “The Stockbridge Land Trust is formed to protect the scenic beauty of an open spaces in the town of Stockbridge. We also try to preserve and make affordable housing, but we primarily spend most of our time with preservation of open spaces in Stockbridge.”
The Rockdale Highlands fit neatly into the Stockbridge landscape, including the historic home of the sculptor behind the 170-ton marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln that sits in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
“It's right next to Chesterwood," said Goudey. "Chesterwood is the home of Daniel Chester French. So, it is a nice place where you can go to Chesterwood, you can walk out the back of Chesterwood and walk onto this property. So, it is just a very unique area where you can take in Chesterwood and take in nature on some of Chesterwood’s trails and on some of MassWildlife trails. So, it's a great little location.”
The land was previously owned by descendants of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of “Uncle Tom's Cabin.” Now, as part of the 237,000 acres across the commonwealth cared for by MassWildlife, the wooded area will also serve as an engine of carbon sequestration in the face of climate change – capturing and storing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to help lower the temperature of a continuously heating environment.
“In the face of climate change, having these lands protected, and especially some of these higher elevation lands that we have here in Berkshire County are going to be really important so wildlife has a place to move to, and having those lands connect to each other is really important," said Madden of MassWildlife. "And so we've seen shifts in populations across the country due to climate change – wildlife populations, that is – and so making sure that we have the habitat necessary for those animals and even plants to move into is really important for the future.”
Like every other Wildlife Management Area in Massachusetts, the Rockdale Highlands are open to the public for hunting, fishing, trapping, and other outdoor recreation.
