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	The Nature Conservancy Protects 285 Acres on Gobble Mountain by Bill Toomey (TNC) The Westfield River Highlands is home to a wealth of natural resources, from pristine rivers and streams to vast, intact forests. Here, wide-ranging animals such as black bear and bobcat roam freely, and songbirds have the interior forest habitat they need to survive. Such a large, relatively untouched landscape is an uncommon but welcome sight in southern New England. Nestled within this important area is Gobble Mountain in Chester. Part of 100,000 acres of forest buffering the Westfield River, Gobble Mountain is representative of the high-quality habitat found throughout this landscape. This summer, the Massachusetts Chapter purchased 285 acres on the mountain from the Twining Living Trust, owners of the property for more than 15 years. The acquisition is the first for the Chapter in this area since designating the Westfield River Highlands a priority landscape. Interestingly, data from Harvard Forest shows that much of the property was forested in the 1830s, indicating that it has likely never been fully cleared. This makes the Gobble Mountain tract somewhat unusual, as many Western Massachusetts forests were cleared in the 19th century to create sheep pastures and to fuel the region's iron forges. In addition, the property is bordered by 1,275 acres owned by the town of Chester for water supply protection, as well as the 870-acre Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area. According to Westfield River Highlands Program Director Bill Toomey, such proximity to other protected lands makes the Gobble Mountain purchase even more significant. "Adding to the existing network of preserved forest is the key to successful, landscape-scale conservation," he said. "By keeping large tracts of land intact, we enable the forest to withstand periodic disturbances, such as fire, hurricanes or pest damage." By protecting this landmark site, The Chapter is building upon the efforts of other local conservation organizations, such as the Westfield River Wild and Scenic Advisory Committee and the Westfield River Watershed Association. With the opening of a regional office in Becket, Massachusetts, the Conservancy plans to work in partnership with these groups to achieve common goals. "We have an important opportunity to preserve the forest ecosystem on a very large scale," said Massachusetts State Director Wayne Klockner. "We have been working with partners in this region more recently on a range of conservation projects and look forward to more collaboration in the future." The Nature Conservancy is working hard to protect additional lands in the Westfield River Watershed and always welcomes the support of individuals who are interested is saving the unique natural resources of the watershed. If you are interested in learning more about how you can support the efforts of the Nature Conservancy in the Westfield River Highlands or how you can leave a lasting legacy for future generations please contact Bill Toomey at 413-623-0275.