Tyringham — Trust for Public Land, National Park Service (NPS), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced on Tuesday, August 20, the protection of 194 acres adjacent to the Appalachian Trail in Tyringham, which closed earlier this month.
Although the Appalachian Trail’s (A.T.’s) entire footpath is protected, its iconic viewshed, a core part of the hiking experience, is threatened in many places along the trail. The Fernside Shaker property represents one of the most scenic sections of the trail in western Massachusetts, as well as one with deep cultural and historic value to the Appalachian landscape.
“The A.T. and its viewshed provide more than a great hiking experience; this space is vitally important for wildlife habitat and ensuring landscape connectivity to improve climate resiliency,” said Jodi Valenta, Massachusetts state program director for Trust for Public Land. “Trust for Public Land is focused on creating and protecting trails for both community and ecological benefits. Long-distance trails like the Appalachian Trail provide local access to nature and serve as large conservation corridors that enable species to move north as they adapt to a warming climate.”
Protection of this piece of the A.T. viewshed will ensure a quality hiking experience for the thousands of hikers who visit the A.T. in the Berkshires every summer. Over 3 million people hike the Appalachian Trail each year, with most being day hikers who seek the physical- and mental-health benefits nature provides.
The NPS now holds a conservation easement on the property, while the landowners will continue to manage the 194 acres as a working landscape of farm, forest, and wildlife habitat. Made possible with both federal and state Land and Water Conservation Fund support, this outcome will ensure that the pastoral landscape stays intact and that visitors to the Tyringham valley will get to experience this historic farm setting that makes the area such a photogenic destination.
Ed Clark, NPS superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, said, “Conserved landscapes are a major component of a healthy Appalachian Trail experience. This easement, and the other A.T. conservation efforts in western Massachusetts, ensures the continued protection of this iconic trail and hiker experience. We are happy to have worked with the various partners and landowners to make this possible.”
This portion of the trail allows hikers to walk close to the main property at all times of year and features a favored viewpoint overlooking historic farmlands and stone walls. Another favorite hike in the area, Tyringham Cobble, passes around the property, and Beartown State Forest’s 12,000 acres and extensive network of trails offer more wilderness experience for A.T. hikers, as well as for wildlife in the area.
The 194-acre Fernside conservation easement is part of a larger 450-acre conservation project, in which another 258-acres were conveyed to the DCR as an expansion of Beartown State Forest in 2022.
“DCR is pleased to have kicked off this partnership project by working with the family to conserve a large area of resource-rich forestland that provides excellent wildlife habitat and helps maintain the scenic beauty and the wildness experience along this section of the A.T. We are thrilled that now an additional 194 acres is forever protected and congratulate our partners and the family on the completion of this important project,” said Jennifer Howard, director of Land Protection at DCR.
Tracy Lind, regional manager with the ATC, said:
The lands and waters of the Tyringham Valley provide working landscapes, extensive biodiversity, a broad wildlife corridor, unique cultural heritage, and a close-knit community. They also support vibrant recreational economies in the Berkshires. This is why so many people came together to support protecting this property that’s been within a family for generations. The ATC is grateful to the family who approached us in 2021 interested in conserving their piece of natural and cultural history in the Valley. We also thank the community and partners for making this wonderful outcome possible.
The woods and pastures that make up the Fernside Shaker Property, part of the Tyringham Shaker Settlement Historic District, are a vestige of Tyringham’s history. Founded in 1792 and one of the earliest Shaker Villages established in Massachusetts, Fernside was the smallest community founded by Shakers arriving from Europe.
In 2023, the nearby town of Lee received official designation as an A.T. Community, which helps rural communities along the trail with sustainable economic development through tourism and outdoor recreation. Great trails and recreation infrastructure are key to attracting new businesses, an educated workforce, and connecting youth to the outdoors.
Funding for the project was made possible thanks to the National Park Foundation.
Trust for Public Land has been protecting land in the Appalachian Trail Landscape for almost 50 years. During that time, TPL has protected over 150 properties totaling more than 340,000 acres with a fair market value of $476 million. These lands protect the hiking experience; provide close-to-home access to outdoor recreation for hundreds of small towns along the trail; and sustain jobs in tourism, farming, and forestry. This protected land also acts as a wildlife movement corridor in the Appalachian Range, one of the most significant conservation landscapes in North America for its biodiversity and climate resilience.
TPL also recently announced, in collaboration with The New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the ATC, the protection of 505 acres of climate-resilient lands along the A.T. The joint two vital conservation projects, known collectively as Grape Hollow State Forest, will guarantee public access to these lands for community members and visitors and provide a larger buffer for the adjoining Appalachian Trail corridor.
