WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE
​WOODLANDS PARTNERSHIP of Northwest Massachusetts*

*Formerly know as the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership. ​On Oct. 11, 2022, the Board of the public body created in 2018 voted unanimously to change its name from the “Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership” in its bylaws to Doing Business As the “Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts” and requested the state legislature and USDA Forest Service to officially establish and recognize the new name. See this post for more information.
Since 2013, the Woodlands Partnership has sought to bring recognition and additional financial and technical resources to 21 municipalities in northwestern Massachusetts (the Partnership region) in order to:

Increase natural resource ​based
​economic development 

Support forest conservation on private lands
​and use of ​sustainable forestry practices

Improve fiscal stability and
sustainability ​of the municipalities

​To achieve these goals, a special designation is being pursued for the region, to be created through
State and Federal legislation. By creating a special designation, the Woodlands Partnership could then receive
State ​and Federal funding to ​support the goals of the partnership.

 Woodlands Partnership PROJECT CONTEXT

Massachusetts’ most rural area, the 21-Town Woodlands Partnership region contains diverse historic, scenic, and natural beauty and a rich history of working landscapes. While the region has struggled in recent decades with low wages and a loss of jobs, population, and labor force, the area’s resources and distinctive sense of place provide a strong foundation for building a sustainable rural economy. Input from over 50 community meetings for the Woodlands Partnership Project shows strong support for pursuing sustainable, natural resource-based economic development that is consistent with the region’s rural character. By bringing additional financial resources and recognition to the region, the Woodlands Partnership effort can benefit the region by: conserving forests and the essential ecosystem services they provide; growing local forest product and natural resource-based recreation businesses, which in turn provide jobs and tax revenue to communities; and sustaining the region’s workforce, population, and rural way of life.