Conservation Commission

All sorts of ’emergencies’ may occur. That’s just the way of the world. And, no matter what definition of emergency is being used, there will always be a need to judge if the particular facts of a situation fit the definition, e.g., is this situation actually an immediate threat to life? Often, the authority/responsibility to make that judgment is delegated to a specific governmental agency, division, body, or office holder. And deciding ‘whether or not an emergency exists’ is a separate/different matter from the authority/process of ‘deciding what may be done to abate the emergency’. In certain specific situations, the …

Wetlands Emergency Process Read More »

In 1995, twin brothers, Millard and Frederic Pryor, gifted over 120 acres of forested land in West Stockbridge and Richmond to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC). The Richmond Land Trust (RLT) and BNRC jointly own a conservation restriction on the property. Interestingly, as a young economics student, Frederic Pryor was captured by the soviets in East Germany, charged with espionage and held prisoner for several months. Eventually his release was gained as part of a prisoner swap involving U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers. The story of this was told in book form, later made into a Steven Spielberg film, …

61 — Not just a number Read More »

Fifty-three.  That’s the answer I have been looking for these past couple of days. Because it is my intention to tell the story of Richmond’s Conservation Commission through all of the people who have served. Because I think that each one who gave of their time, and their talents, and their passion — should all be honored. Because it is my intention to post some of each person’s story and their recollections of their time on the commission. Because I wanted to know how many darn pages that would run to… There are 53 people who have served. Some for …

400+ Years of Service Read More »