Friends of the Notch Reservoir and Bellows Pipe Trail was created for fans and supporters of one of the most beautiful places in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. The Friends of the Notch Reservoir and Bellows Pipe Trailhead page was created in the summer of 2024 when plans by the town and several organizations to log the area came to light in the iBerkshires newsletter. Quick research revealed that the rhetoric about valuing the land, the forest, and the recreational area was misleading greenwashing, covering for interests that are about logging old trees rather than saving habitat or preparing for future climate change. I live nearby this beautiful place and many times have ridden by the Notch Reservoir on my bike or coming down from a hike on the Bellows Pipe trail and have just been in awe of the view and the peace of the place. It’s not just a luxury to have places like this to enjoy! In an increasing distressed world, it is imperative to have peaceful places for people to recreate and relax. I don’t think it’s too much to say that these places are spiritual places offering a sense of renewal. Logging interests considering the demolition of this site, especially during such a stressful year for everyone, comes as a shock and a betrayal. After all, we as taxpayers OWN this land as much as a town or a city or a state. Nobody has the right to sell it out from under us without prior communication, sharing of ideals, or opportunity to stand up for the abundant wildlife in this area that can’t speak for itself. And, of course, with the road to famous Mount Greylock just beyond the trail, a significant number of tourists travel this way, and stop at the Bellows Pipe parking lot every year. Presenting a clear-cut area at the entrance to the Mount Greylock reservation, instead of shady natural forest will have a devastating impact to North Adams tourism. This site is an effort to save this special place, filled with magnificent old hardwoods and coniferous trees, from the clear-cutting, harvesting, and herbicides that are being proposed in the name of “conservation.”. Also, it’s to encourage people to appreciate and maintain the parking lot, trailhead and surrounding forest by picking up litter. If the very worst happens and the trees you see in our profile picture are clear-cut and lost to future generations, this page will serve as a memorial to a lost slice of heaven on earth.
