Donors conserve scenic mountain and farmland in Alford

Wilcox’s Twin Oaks Farm, with Tom Ball Mountain in the background

Conservation in the Alford Valley took two giant steps forward late last year with the help of three generous land­owners and the state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program.
A few days before Christmas, Jeanne Vanecko placed 43 acres on Tom Ball Mountain under a conservation restriction held by BNRC.

A week later, Ray Wilcox Jr. and his father Babe closed on the sale of an APR to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The deal ensures an agricultural future for Twin Oaks Farm.

In Vanecko’s case, the conservation gift, which includes wooded slopes and a portion of the windswept
summit of Tom Ball, protects scenic high-elevation ridgeline.

Tom Ball summit (below), At Twin Oaks Farm (right)

The Wilcoxes’ land, though lower, would be no less tempting to high-end home developers.
As a longtime farmer, a dedicated hunter, and a public servant (he
currently serves on the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board), Ray Wilcox Jr. understands the importance of undeveloped land and the impact of the evolving Berkshire demographic equally well, and was determined to take steps to keep his farm from being chopped into estate lots.
In gratitude and admiration, BNRC named Wilcox its “Man of the Year,” at its year-end meeting in December.
Resource Report is published by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council

Resource Report is published by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council
20 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201. (413)499-0596 info@bnrc.net

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