SUNDERLAND — Conservation of Mount Toby and its forest was the public’s focus at a hearing this week regarding the town’s draft Open Space and Recreation Plan, which must be updated every seven years for the town to maintain grant eligibility.
Forests make up 63 percent of Sunderland’s total acreage, but only 29 percent of forest land is protected from development, according to the presentation given by the Open Space Committee Monday night.
Open Space Committee Chair and Conservation Commission member Nancy Pick said climate change resiliency has become the highest priority for residents since the last Open Space and Recreation Plan, which was approved in 2014.
“The plan from 2014 didn’t really have a lot of detailed information about climate change, although it was a little bit on the radar,” Pick said. “I think that’s a big change.”
Pick said residents’ conservation and protection priorities have shifted toward forests in general. This trend is not limited to Sunderland, however, as forest protection also topped Conway’s Open Space and Recreation survey results, which were released last month.
“Now, I do think the focus has shifted to Mount Toby and that forest, partly because of climate change,” Pick noted. “Keeping that forest alive and thriving does improve our resilience.”
She added that farms used to be one of the town’s top protection priorities, but much of that farmland is now protected. Farmland makes up 1,727 acres of Sunderland’s total land and more than 1,300 of those acres are protected, according to the presentation.
The presentation highlighted that Sunderland’s natural resources are able to “mitigate climate change,” but they are also threatened by it. High winds, increased and more damaging precipitation, extreme temperatures and human-made hazards were all identified as the key threats to the town’s natural areas.
Pick said protecting Mount Toby will be a challenge because the town, state, private residents and the Kestrel Land Trust — an Amherst-based conservation organization — all own land around the forest, which complicates the process for protecting natural resources.
“The whole situation with Mount Toby is incredibly fragile,” Pick said. “There are many, many stakeholders.”
Conservation Commission Chair Jennifer Unkles noted Kestrel Land Trust will be attending one of the commission’s meetings in September to discuss a “revamp and repair” of some trails along Mount Toby.
Fellow member Mark Zinan added Sunderland provides an essential passageway for animals throughout the Pioneer Valley.
“Sunderland is the corridor for biodiversity,” Zinan said. “(We need to) let people know how important this area is.”
The repair project includes the Robert Frost Trail that reaches the peak of the mountain. The Robert Frost Trail is a 47-mile trail running from South Hadley to Wendell, crossing through 10 towns along the way, according to the draft Open Space and Recreation Plan. The trail is open to hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and other passive activities. Fishing and swimming are also possible at some locations.
The Conservation Committee is still taking public comment for its Open Space and Recreation Plan until Aug. 20. The plan’s draft can be found at bit.ly/2WVboEC. Monday’s presentation slides can be found at bit.ly/3yDiTOB.
Residents may provide feedback through a survey at bit.ly/3ftu6K0 or they may email the Conservation Commission at conservation@townofsunderland.us.
The Open Space Committee is hoping to finalize its plan and submit it to the state by the end of September. Any revisions will be made in November and the final plan could be approved by January 2022, according to the presentation.
Unkles said Monday’s public hearing was helpful in gathering information on how residents feel about the draft plan.
“I thought it was valuable,” Unkles said. “We had other forums where we didn’t have very many people.”
Pick said many of Sunderland’s open spaces and recreational areas received new appreciation during the pandemic and they need to be protected now, more than ever.
“Sunderland’s natural beauty saved so many people’s sanity,” Pick said. “People really appreciated this town in a whole new way.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.