New Preserve in Middlefield and Washington Open to the Hunters and Hikers

CHESTER, MA — June 26, 2008 — More than 150 acres in Middlefield and Washington has been conserved for wildlife habitat by The Nature Conservancy.

The land includes over half a mile of Coles Brook, an important cold-water fish habitat. It also abuts the 3400-acre Middlefield State Forest – which was designated as a Forest Reserve by the state in 2006.

“Connecting large tracts of protected land is essential to a forest’s overall health,” said Jason Miner, director of the Conservancy’s Western Massachusetts program. “By preserving a large, intact forest ‘core’, we’re helping the rest of the forest withstand natural disturbances like ice storms and fires. At the same time, we’re making sure that local wildlife, like black bear and bobcat, have the room they need to survive.”

Accessible by Becket Road in Middlefield, the preserve is open to the public for passive recreation such as hiking and birdwatching, as well as to deer hunters in season and with permission. Hunters are asked to contact The Nature Conservancy’s office in Chester at 413-354-7780 to inform the staff which days they will be hunting.

Visitors to preserve should keep in mind that Preston Pond and the Preston Pond dam are not owned by The Nature Conservancy and are private property. Please contact the property owner for access to the pond.

The Nature Conservancy acknowledges the generous support of three families in making this forest and river conservation possible.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.