HATFIELD/WILLIAMSBURG — Horse Mountain’s two peaks have long been recognized as a historic landmark between Williamsburg and Hatfield. Now, 150 acres at the summit of Horse Mountain have been purchased by Kestrel Land Trust, ensuring that the land will remain protected and forested.

Kestrel Land Trust worked with town conservation commissions to permanently conserve 128 acres of the mountain’s forests in 2017. With the addition of these 150 newly acquired acres, even more of the mountain will serve as a space to benefit wildlife, offer outdoor recreation and build climate resilience.

The land was purchased from the Carol K. Longley Family Trust. 

“Protection of this forest will help slow fragmentation of this critical corridor, helping to preserve extensive habitat connectivity in the region,” Kestrel Land Trust Conservation Director Mark Wamsley said in a statement. “We’re glad to help ensure this unique mountain will be protected for wildlife and for the health of our region forever.”

Kestrel Land Trust is an Amherst nonprofit organization responsible for conserving forests, farms and riverways in Massachusetts’ Connecticut River Valley. Kestrel has helped conserve over 27,000 acres throughout the Valley and the hilltowns since 1970.

The recent purchase includes an additional 30 acres of fields in Williamsburg along Mountain Street, which are in the process of being conserved throughout the second phase of the conservation project. Wamsley told the Gazette that the land will likely be conserved as farm land. 

Wamsley said that the total 180 acres were purchased for $775,000 by Kestrel. Kestrel was able to conserve this land with the help of anonymous philanthropists and foundations.

Conserving the 150 acres at Horse Mountain, paired with the 135-acre Horse Mountain Conservation Area, bolsters the protection of a critical “wildlife habitat corridor” that spans from Northampton to Conway and Greenfield. The original conservation area also offers recreation in the form of hiking trails managed by Williamsburg Woodland Trails.

“The broader goal was really to keep that broader area of habitat intact,” Wamsley said. “The more we can kind of keep that from being broken up with different development, the more we can keep that wildlife corridor intact.”

“This land is an important connector between multiple large blocks of conservation land and offers a fantastic opportunity to protect an iconic feature of Williamsburg’s rural landscape while expanding public land around a treasured local destination,” Williamsburg Open Space Committee Chair and Executive Director of Hilltown Land Trust, Sally Loomis said in a statement.

The land conserved on Horse Mountain, from its steep peaks to the lowland wetlands, is home to a diversity of wildlife. According to a statement from Kestrel, this dramatic change in topography is “key to the land’s capacity to allow species to adapt to a changing climate,” and has been recognized by the Nature Conservancy as an important factor in climate resilience.

In addition, the land is recognized as a BioMap2 Critical Natural Landscape which will protect a core habitat area for s  pecies requiring large ranges, such as black bear, bobcat and coyote. BioMap2 is a state system for assessing the habitat value and quality of areas of land in terms of wildlife habitats and climate resilience. 

The land also supports wildlife movement to neighboring conservation lands and provides habitats for smaller wildlife as well. According to the MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, the land is labeled “Priority Habitat” for marbled salamanders and Jefferson salamanders.

“It’s a beautiful spot, we’re just really, really thrilled,” Wamsley said. 

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.