PHASE 2 STRATEGY & OVERSIGHT
On September 16, the Richmond Selectboard voted 2 to 1 to waive the Town’s Chapter 61A Right of First Refusal. While the private transaction moves forward, a deed covenant was recorded setting aside 30 acres for permanent conservation—provided a qualified acquisition offer is funded within 12 months.
Pillar 1: Community Fundraising & Land Trust Acquisition
We are coordinating regional conservation partnerships and grassroots funding efforts to secure the purchase of the 30-acre conservation set-aside before the one-year covenant expires in September 2027.
Pillar 2: Rigorous Environmental & Regulatory Oversight
We are actively monitoring all proposed development activity across the remaining acreage. Grounded in the Preliminary Ecological Review prepared for 0 Furnace Road, we are holding developers strictly accountable to the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, state BioMap Core Habitat safeguards, local scenic road bylaws, and historical preservation rules.
The fight for Furnace Road is not over—it has entered a vital new stage. Protecting our watershed, historic ground, and scenic character requires continued vigilance.
Our Mission
Our mission is to permanently conserve as much of the 0 Furnace Road parcel as possible—beginning with the 30-acre conservation set-aside—while safeguarding the property’s unique ecological, hydrological, and historic integrity. We accomplish this through community-driven fundraising, land trust partnerships, and vigilant advocacy to ensure local bylaws, environmental regulations, and historic protections are rigorously enforced.
To Richmond Residents and Friends
Standing together for the future of Richmond’s natural and historical landscape.
The property known as 0 Furnace Road contains active headwater wetlands, animal migration corridors, and historic remnants within the federally listed Richmond Furnace Historical and Archaeological District[cite: 2, 4].
Following the Selectboard’s decision to waive the statutory Right of First Refusal, our community effort has pivoted directly to Phase 2. Our priorities are clear:
- Fund & Secure the 30-Acre Conservation Parcel: Work with conservation partners to raise the funds necessary to purchase and permanently protect the designated 30 acres before the covenant clock runs out.
- Civic Monitoring & Environmental Compliance: Ensure all site work, access road construction, and prospective lot developments adhere strictly to scenic road bylaws, the 50-foot roadway buffer, and strict wetland conservation buffers along Furnace Brook.
- Demanding Multi-Season Ecological Reviews: Hold regulatory boards accountable to the ecological findings demonstrating that upland development threatens MassWildlife BioMap Core Habitats and adjacent Priority Habitat (PH 1300)[cite: 4].
- Continued Transparency: Keep Richmond taxpayers and neighbors informed regarding all regulatory filings before town boards and commissions.
What is Furnace Road?
0 Furnace Road is far more than an undeveloped woodland parcel—it is an irreplaceable combination of Berkshire industrial history, vital watershed hydrology, and unbroken forest ecology[cite: 2, 4].
- National Historic Significance: Bisecting the federally listed Richmond Furnace Historical and Archaeological District, the parcel contains the physical remains of Richmond’s 19th-century industrial heritage[cite: 2]. In May 1994, the Northern and Southern New England Chapters of the Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA) conducted a joint recording survey weekend at the Klondike Mine site[cite: 2]. This field investigation directly produced the foundational documentation that led to the district's formal listing on the National Register of Historic Places on August 31, 1999 (NRIS #99001044)[cite: 2]. The parcel contains the 1905 Klondike Mine 150-foot vertical shaft, over two miles of underground rail tunnels, timber-frame rail inclines, washing and crushing plant foundations, charcoal kiln remains, and historic slag deposits along Furnace Brook[cite: 2].
- BioMap Core Habitat & Critical Natural Landscape: According to MassWildlife and The Nature Conservancy's BioMap data, the parcel encompasses Core Habitat (Core ID: 1926), Rare Species Core (ID: 1290), Aquatic Core Buffer, and Critical Natural Landscape blocks[cite: 4]. It serves as a vital upland buffer to the state-designated Priority Habitat (PH 1300) encapsulating Mud Ponds and Shaker Mill Pond directly to the south[cite: 4].
- Critical Hydrological Protection: The property encompasses active headwater wetlands and natural aquifer recharge zones feeding Furnace Brook[cite: 2, 4]. Protecting this forest cover safeguards coldwater aquatic ecosystems, native trout habitat, and downstream drinking water sources from subdivision runoff and septic degradation[cite: 2, 4].
- Contiguous Forest Ecology & Rare Species: Decades of scientific records confirm that Richmond and West Stockbridge harbor dozens of state-listed rare, threatened, and endangered species protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) that rely directly on these interconnected forest and wetland buffers[cite: 4].
📰 In the News & Independent Research
Regional news publications and independent environmental professionals have extensively documented the ecological, historical, and community stakes along Furnace Road (click images to expand)[cite: 2, 4]:
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Richmond Furnace: Preliminary Ecological Review & Rationale for an Ecological Survey
By Jake Mitchell, Master of Environmental Management | Aug 25, 2026[cite: 4]
An in-depth desk evaluation prepared by a local resident demonstrating that 0 Furnace Road contains MassWildlife BioMap Core Habitats, buffers to NHESP Priority Habitat PH 1300, and critical upland hydrology supporting dozens of MESA-listed rare species[cite: 4].
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With no agreement reached between Mass Audubon and developer, public hearing on 0 Furnace Road to continue
By Amelia Ellis, The Berkshire Edge
Reporting on negotiations and deliberations regarding the 0 Furnace Road purchase options and the community's push for land conservation.
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Richmond woodland transaction still up in the air after lengthy meeting
By Clarence Fanto, The Berkshire Eagle
Coverage of neighborhood testimony and the ongoing deliberations regarding the future of the 0 Furnace Road parcel.
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Community members rally to preserve historic Richmond Furnace woodlands
The Berkshire Edge
Overview of local neighborhood advocacy, watershed ecology, and the community campaign to protect the historic site.
Documented Facts & Official Sources
All statements, ecological assessments, and historical findings on this site are supported by official public records, state filings, and published field surveys[cite: 2, 4]:
- Independent Environmental Review: Richmond Furnace: Preliminary Ecological Review and Rationale for an Ecological Survey (Prepared by Jake Mitchell, Master of Environmental Management, Aug 25, 2026)[cite: 4]. Documenting MassWildlife BioMap Core Habitat (ID: 1926), Rare Species Core (ID: 1290), Aquatic Buffers, and the rationale for a multi-season MESA survey[cite: 4]. (Download Ecological Review PDF)[cite: 4]
- Town of Richmond Public Records: Official filings for Parcel ID 105-21 (91.0 acres), recorded restrictive covenants, and Chapter 61A municipal notices[cite: 2].
- National Park Service / MA Historical Commission: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (NPS Form 10-900) listing the Richmond Furnace Historical and Archaeological District on August 31, 1999 (NRIS #99001044)[cite: 2]. (Download 1999 National Register Nomination PDF)[cite: 2]
- Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA): New England Chapters Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 2 (1994), recording field survey details for the Klondike Mine 150-foot shaft, two miles of underground rail, and surface processing foundations[cite: 2]. (Download 1994 SIA Report PDF)[cite: 2]
- MassWildlife / Division of Fisheries & Wildlife: Official designation of Furnace Brook as a Coldwater Fish Resource (CFR) supporting native trout habitat[cite: 2].
Get Involved or Ask a Question
Connect with the Save Furnace Road coalition to join the Phase 2 network, contribute to conservation efforts, or submit questions.