Connecticut River Greenway State Park
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Connecticut River Greenway State Parkconsists of a number of separate state land holdings in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The Park includes critical wildlife and plant habitat as well as areas providing public access to the River. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts) (formerly the Department of Environmental Management) acquired most of the parcels over the past twenty years, adding on to earlier state holdings including Mount Tom State Reservation, Mount Holyoke Range State Park, and Skinner State Park.
Much of the DCR's land acquisition for this Park was spearheaded by staff person Terry Blunt, of whom the Director of State Parks and Recreation, Priscilla Geigis, said, "It's really been his leadership and his vision and his drive that has helped to coordinate so many different entities, landowners, towns, organizations, to come together and protect this very special place."Rossi, Dan (2006/12/21), “[www.gazettenet.com/ Blunt receives recognition for work]”, Daily Hampshire Gazette, <www.gazettenet.com/>
The Connecticut River Greenway State Park is intertwined with other protected land including farmland under state-held Agricultural Preservation Restrictions (a type of conservation easement), municipal and conservation land trust holdings, and state and national wildlife refuges.