A land save straddling two states: Former tobacco farm expected to attract meadowland species

By Beth Daley, Globe Staff

Often times, land conservation is viewed through the geographic boundary of a town, city or state – even though species' habitats often straddle these designations.

Today, however, Massachusetts took a big step forward toward better land protection with Governor Deval Patrick and Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell’s announcement of a joint 450 acre preservation project. Comprising 254 acres in Southwick, Mass. and 196 acres in Suffield, Conn., the meadow and grassland property of a former tobacco farm will be managed by the two states as habitat for upland sandpipers, grasshopper sparrows, eastern meadowlarks and other migratory birds.

The conservation deal is expected to help attract more upland sandpipers to the area. (Globe photo)

“By reaching across state borders, we will be able to protect and restore this significant grasslands area and boost the Commonwealth’s land protection efforts,” said Governor Patrick. Such grassland area is under heavy pressure from residential and commercial real estate development.

The Conservation Fund, a national organization dedicated to preserving land and protecting natural resources, oversaw the $4.4 million purchase, working with two states and former property owner Swedish Match Co.

State officials say that the Connecticut River Valley – especially from the Hartford area north into Massachusetts – includes grassland areas that serve as a prime nesting and breeding grounds for more than 80 bird species. Thirteen of these species are listed under the Connecticut Endangered Species Act, eight of which breed in the Connecticut River Valley. In Massachusetts, the state’s Endangered Species Act protects eight grassland bird species - five of which breed in the Connecticut River Valley.

In addition to birds, the new Wildlife Management Area is expected to attract a variety of mammal, reptile and amphibian species.

In Massachusetts, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife spent six weeks this fall removing 27 miles of wire, 3,000 tobacco poles, and tobacco shade tenting from the Southwick land in order to restore the former tobacco fields to open meadows for wildlife. The Division is also removing damage from illegal ATV use on the property and working to curtail future illegal ATV trespass. In Connecticut, similar efforts are underway on the Suffield portion of the property to address the remaining wire, poles.