Hester Garskovas, Victoria Helms,
Mikaela Sanders, Alexis Yoon
May 8th, 2012
The Uncertain Future of the MacLeish Field Station
Smith College possesses 240 acres at the Ada and Archibald MacLeish Field Station in
Whately, Massachusetts, roughly nine miles from the campus in Northampton. The college
purchased the land for environmental education and research, but did not establish any form of
protection for the property. This decision stems from trust within the college to not take any
actions that would compromise the educational uses of the property. However, in this paper we
argue that the most important reason to conserve MacLeish is not simply to prevent the property
from being sold or developed, but to significantly strengthen the dynamic value and purpose of
MacLeish. MacLeish represents an important asset of the college because numerous academic
departments, from biology to art, utilize the field station to enhance learning and promote
sustainable practices. This carries special weight in today’s society amidst growing concern for
our environment. In this regard, the issue has expanded to multiple realms. It is a political issue
because it involves authority and power exchanges within social relations. It is an ecological
issue because of the impact land fragmentation has on habitat and endangered species
conservation. Above all, it is an ethical issue, because it relates to the intrinsic value we place on
our natural environment.
In this project, we examine how and why this area of land would benefit from a
conservation restriction. In addition, we investigate the history of the land, biodiversity and
current land use, potential opposition to establishing a conservation restriction, and the effects of
land conservation on the Whately and Smith College communities at large in order to establish
the optimal strategy to protect MacLeish. We discuss both land conservation and preservation,
1
the definitions of which are not always made clear by outside literature. We have worked with
these terms and put together our definitions. Preserving land keeps the area unchanged.
Conserving land includes some land preservation as well as carefully using and improving the
land by preventing negative changes but allowing restricted use that benefits the natural
ecosystems present. Ultimately, granting official protection for MacLeish will not only
exemplify Smith’s environmental image, but it is the only way to ensure that the land will remain
intact and untarnished in the uncertain future.
The History of the Field Station
The land that became part of the Smith College MacLeish Field Station in May 2008 has
a long and diverse history. The marks left by different types of land use create a unique
opportunity to study the area’s history. The historical land use of MacLeish is representative of
Western Massachusetts in general. In the 17th century, the area that is now the MacLeish Field
Station was part of the town of Hatfield, as Whately only became a town in 1771. During the
1700s, the area was largely covered by old growth forest. Native Americans may have walked
through the forests and hunted in the mountains, but they lived in the valleys where the soil is
more fertile. They did not have an intensive impact on this particular piece of land.
In the 1770s and 1780s, the area became populated by English settlers. The road that is
still visible on the property today was a main county road back in the 1770s. It was called a
“highway” because it was one of the important north/south roads in the state.1 Revolutionary
War soldiers returning from the war settled around this road. There are three known farm sites
on and near the property from that time. One of the farms is a house that is still standing and
occupied. It is the second house on the road leading to the field station. There is another farm
1
Bellemere, J. (March 12, 2012) Personal Interview
2
site located near a vernal pool. The structure is gone, but there is a visible indent in the land
from where the cellar was dug out. The last farmhouse is not on Smith property but is at the top
of the hill, and is now also abandoned. Whately families grew larger during these two decades,
in accordance with the population boom the entire country was experiencing. A family of eleven
occupied one of the now-abandoned farms: a mother, father, and their nine children. The other
abandoned farm was home to a reverend, his wife, and their seven children.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, English settlers transformed the land by clearcutting the old growth forest and building stone walls. These previous owners focused on
extracting resources from the land. It was a working landscape, and people shifted from simply
living off the land to using the land to make a profit. Initially, the land was heavily farmed,
plowed, and pastured. However, over the next century, farming on the land became less intense.
The pasture was marginally used and the land was no longer plowed. There remained a woodlot
where trees were kept for firewood and other uses, and a sugarbush on the land where a group of
sugar maple trees were kept for making maple syrup. In the 1880s, the Whately farms were
completely abandoned and the land gradually returned back to its former forest habitat. By the
1920s, the forest had grown back significantly. This secondary forest covers the property today
and is composed of trees that are one hundred years or younger.2 The land now part of the
MacLeish field station is a part of the typical Western Massachusetts landscape. The area has
become heavily forested but because the land was broken into family farms, 75% of the forest is
privately owned. Small parcels of forest add up to provide public benefits like scenery, clean
water and wildlife. The future of the forest relies on many owners of a few acres each.
Smith purchased the land from the town of Whately in 1962 to control people from
building near the college observatory, fearing it would cause light pollution. In 1975, Smith
2
Bellemere, J. (March 12, 2012) Personal Interview
3
acquired another portion of the property that was donated to the college by Jill Ker Conway.3
These bold actions from the college were not well-accepted by the Whately public. By
purchasing the land, 240 acres were taken off of Whately’s tax record, increasing tax rates.
Smith claimed exemption from having to pay real estate taxes on the land because the college is
technically a charitable nonprofit and the land was occupied for educational purposes. Whately
assessors argued that Smith was not using the land for academic reasons, and that they were not
entitled to a charitable organization tax break because the college engaged in sex discrimination
by virtue of being a women’s institution. The city of Whately sued Smith College in 1981 in a
lawsuit entitled “Trustees of Smith College vs. Board Assessors of Whately,” but lost.4
However, the current relationship between Smith and the town of Whately is generally not
negative. Smith faculty and staff have volunteered at many Whately organizations such as; The
Whately Cable Access Committee, The Whately Cultural Council, The Whately Elementary
School, The Whately Land Trust,
and the town newsletter, The Scoop.5
Smith maintained its tax-free
ownership of the land, and in 2008,
the area was officially named the
Ada and Archibald MacLeish Field
Station after the three-time Pulitzer prize-winning poet and his wife.
Today, the town of Whately has a total area of 20.7 square miles. The area of MacLeish
is .02% of the total area of Whately. The town is located in Franklin County in Western
3
MacLeish Field Station. Smith Center for the Environment Ecological Design and Sustainability
http://www.smith.edu/green/about_macleish.php
4
Trustees of Smith College vs. Board of Assessors of Whately 385 Mass. 767 (1982)
http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/385/385mass767.html
5
Volunteer Activity. Smith’s Impact in Northampton http://www.smith.edu/northampton_vol.php
4
Massachusetts, and is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area. Whately is bordered by
Conway, Deerfield, Sunderland, Hatfield, and Williamsburg. Whately has a very small
population of about 1,500 individuals, and the town is mainly white (97%). The median income
of Whately households is $58,929, and 3% of the population is under the poverty line.6 The land
area of the entire town is generally rural and scenic, as the town is located on the western bank of
the Connecticut River. It includes secondary
forest, swampland, marshland, farmland, and a
980-foot mountain (Mount Esther). The
secondary forest habitat in Whately (that
composes most of the MacLeish property) is very
characteristic of New England and demonstrates
the layers of human activities that have occurred
there over the past two hundred years. By
studying the current physical state of the field
station, we can observe how quickly a forest can
recover from disturbance. A great deal of
research can be done at MacLeish because of its
complex land use history.
Current Land Use
The 240-acre parcel known as MacLeish Field Station (shown in Figure 2), boasts a
patchwork of woods, wetlands, and meadows. As one of the state’s largest remaining stretches
6
Whately, Massachusetts Onboard Informatics, Advameg Inc. (2012) http://www.city-data.com/city/WhatelyMassachusetts.html
5
of land that does not contain any buildings for residential or commercial use, rendering it
‘undeveloped’ by conventional market standards, it retains invaluable natural resources and
diverse ecosystems. The greatest portion of vegetation is a mixed hardwood forest composed
primarily of hemlock, oak, pine, and birch. It provides a home to a wide variety of native species
including bobcat, deer, turkey, squirrel and coyotes. Multiple streams run intermittently through
the property. Out of the five types of wetland habitats, the vernal pool is regarded to be very
unique because of the specialized invertebrate animals and amphibians that depend on it for
survival. These seasonal pools are especially vulnerable to human activities such as building and
are eligible for state protection under special certification guidelines.7
A crucial component of preserving the rich biodiversity of Massachusetts, the third most
densely populated state, is habitat protection.
Massachusetts’ Natural Heritage &
Endangered Species Program (NHESP), part
of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife, classifies a large portion of
MacLeish as ‘Priority Habitats of Rare
Species.’ Priority Habitat (illustrated by the
yellow shaded region in Figure 3) is the
geographical extent of habitat for all state-
Figure 3. NHESP ‘Biomap’
Source: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp
listed rare species, both plants and animals, and codified under the Massachusetts Endangered
Species Act. These rare species include salamanders, dragonflies, fish, mussels, plants, and a
turtle. The Shortnose Sturgeon (fish) and the Dwarf Wedgemussel (bivalve) have a federal
7
"Vernal Pool Certification." Natural Heritage. Department of Fish and Game.
<http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/vernal_pools/vernal_pool_cert.htm>
6
status of ‘Endangered.’8 This landscape is critical to ensuring the long-term survival of species
of conservation concern, natural communities, and intact ecosystems across the state.
Figure 3 also demonstrates that the land encompassing MacLeish has significant natural
value, thus providing another crucial incentive to conserve. Those we interviewed that are
connected to MacLeish expressed the
Figure 4. Protected vs. Unprotected Land
Source: Smith College
possibility that if Smith were to take the first
steps in conserving the land, the adjacent
landowners would be more likely to follow
suit. Figure 4 reflects how fragmented the
land currently remains in terms of
protection. The green areas represent
protected land and the white areas represent
unprotected land, including the red area of
MacLeish. To the right of MacLeish is
about 600 acres owned by the Department
of Fish and Game that cannot be developed
because it is owned as a conservation area
(the mechanisms of land trust programs are
elaborated on towards the end of the paper). To the left is the West Whately Reservoir
maintained by the Northampton Water Division, which is 7.7 acres in size and can store 17.6
million gallons of Northampton’s water supply. Northampton has an active land trust
acquisition program to secure the land surrounding the West Whately Reservoir and Ryan
8
“The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (part of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife).” <http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhesp.htm>
7
Reservoir in order to keep the town’s drinking water safe from pollution. At its northwestern
boundary, the city-owned watershed land abuts the 1,946-acre Conway Forest. Thus, the
exemplary natural communities in the area are more likely to remain unharmed and thrive if
protected as a whole.
There are approximately twenty acres of buildable land in the center of the parcel, which
is the location of the new Bechtel
Environmental Classroom (BEC). The
green area in Figure 5 highlights that which
is considered buildable, while the red and
orange regions demonstrate steep slopes that
will be challenging to develop. The 2300
square-foot classroom and research facility
will be built with the stringent codes
enforced by the Living Building Challenge.
The BEC will have net-zero energy use due
to a photovoltaic array that will generate all
power used by the building. Artificial
lights, equipped with sensors, will be used
only when there is insufficient daylight. All
Figure 5. Building Constraints
Source: Smith College
of the materials used in the construction have to be approved by the Living Building Challenge,
which excludes the use of mercury, halogenated flame retardants, HCFCs, PVC, and many other
common substances in construction projects.9 The Living Building Challenge requires net-zero
water and therefore the well on site pulls water from renewable aquifers recharged by
9
The Living Building Challenge Standards https://ilbi.org/lbc/LBC%20Documents/LBC2-0.pdf
8
precipitation and the building’s greywater system. The composting toilets utilized in the plan are
also low in water use. Part of the Living Building Challenge is to put into protection the same
amount of land that was disturbed by the construction.
The field station is in no way limited to the use of natural sciences and many departments
utilize the resources that the station has to offer. Originally purchased for use by the astronomy
department in the 1970s, the existing observatory is rarely used anymore due to the encroaching
light pollution, an irony given one of the initial reasons for obtaining the land. Upcoming plans
for improvement include clearing areas around the observatory to further improve the
capabilities of this resource. In recent years, Plant Ecology (BIO 364) and Statistics (MTH 245)
have collaborated to design and implement numerous experiments and observational studies on
plant species. The field station also acts as a “creative” stimulus for dance classes (DAN 521:
Choreography and the Creative Process) and an “inspiring”10 canvas for architecture and
landscape studies (LSS 250: Landscape and Narrative). Students in the Environmental Science
and Policy Class (ENV 201) have the opportunity to directly apply the techniques and
information gained in class to surveys and experiments conducted at the field station. Other
departments include Geology and Engineering. Lastly, Introduction to Archaeology (ARC 135)
was able to apply research and analytical skills from the classroom to investigate and reconstruct
the past culture of New England through material remains such as stone walls, building
foundations, and lead and zinc mines. MacLeish even served as the site of a National
Archaeology Day celebration for the AIA Western Massachusetts Society, Whately Historical
Society, and students from Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges11.
10
"Notes From the Field Station: MacLeish as a Classroom." CEEDS. Smith College.
<http://smithceeds.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/notes-from-the-field-station-macleish-as-a-classroom-resource/>
11
"MacLeish Field Station." Smith College: Green Smith. Smith College.
<http://www.smith.edu/green/macleish_research.php>.
9
Scientific research is an another essential part of what goes on at the field station. Most
projects have the objective of protecting the environment through studying the threats of climate
change, invasive species, and much more. Professors Drew Guswa, Amy Rhodes, Paul Wetzel,
and Jesse Bellemare have worked with students over the summer doing research at MacLeish.
One of the large-scale science projects is the planting of 3,000 American/Chinese chestnut tree
hybrids. Many of the trees will not live to maturity because of an exotic blight that attacks
American chestnut trees, but the hope is that some of the hybrids will possess a blight-resistant
gene from the Chinese chestnut.12
The system of trails offers recreational opportunities for all Smith students and
community members. Currently, there is no hunting allowed on the property, but snowmobiling
is acceptable. As the owner of the land, Smith retains the power to create and enforce rules at the
field station. After the building of the Bechtel Environmental Classroom, the field station is
expected to receive more use than previous years and attract an even greater variety of
departments. No courses will be scheduled there regularly, but any course or student that wishes
to engage with nature is welcome to use the classroom.13 There is even a yoga and dance studio.
Students are encouraged to use the new amenities, do homework outside, or take a breather from
work and simply enjoy the scenery.
Potential Opposition to Protecting MacLeish
While many proponents of the environmental sciences on campus strongly approve of the
idea to conserve a large part of the MacLeish Field Station, there are also others on campus who
might question the real need to conserve the land. This doubt stems from the belief that Smith
12
Bertone-Johnson, Reid (2012), Personal Interview
Ibid.
13
10
simply trusts itself to not extensively develop or sell the land. The sole reason that Smith
purchased the parcel of land was in order to effectively use it for classroom purposes. Smith
trusts that any action that would impede these academic purposes would not be allowed. To help
make sure that the classroom use of MacLeish is preserved, the first set of guidelines for the use
of MacLeish Field Station was recently established. A total of about ten different rules and
guidelines for the proper usage of the field station, the simple set of guidelines marks Smith’s
desire to control and somewhat restrict activities that occur in the field station. Any action that
concerns MacLeish must enhance or protect the educational purpose of the land use.14 The
opposition may argue that conserving the land for the sole reason that it would ensure the
preservation of the land in its current state is not a pertinent enough reason for many Smith board
members or officials.
In a case in which it is clear that there is a valid reason to conserve the land (other than to
merely protect it from being sold or overly developed), the other great oppositional force lies
within the possible constraints on educational uses of the area. For an area that has defined and
very predictable uses and purposes, the conservation restrictions can easily circumvent current
usage to avoid any constraints. A concrete acreage of land needed for possible development for
the sake of educational purposes can also be clearly defined. However, Smith College has hopes
that the role of MacLeish at the institution will evolve over the years. In the past decade alone,
the station changed from being virtually unused as well as unheard of by Smith students to
becoming an active outdoor learning environment for various courses throughout the academic
year. While there is worry about possible restrictions to the current usage of the the field station,
there is also further worry about constraints on any future plans and land uses that have yet to
occur. Creating conservation restrictions now can prevent flexibility in future field station usage.
14
Constantine, Ruth (April 5, 2012), Personal Interview
11
Even if Smith decides that the merits of conserving the area outweigh the negatives, there are
further difficulties in determining exactly how much land can be conserved without harming the
flexibility of academic usage.
The oppositional side of this proposal may also wonder, how important is conserving
MacLeish in establishing further environmental leadership at Smith? It is clear that Smith has
already taken initiative in providing ample opportunities for environmentally-interested women
on campus. The news of conserving MacLeish, some may argue, will only temporarily grab
attention from the local community and the five-college system. The conservation state of
MacLeish is not exactly a concern that many people would wonder about without first being
interested in or aware of the topic.
In the perspective of many Smith officials, the best case scenario for the MacLeish Field
Station would be the absence of potential restriction for classroom use in both the present and the
future. Those who oppose the conservation of MacLeish may feel that if an action might possibly
be regretted in the future, near or far, that it is perhaps best not to commit to that action.
However, these arguments opposing conservation err on the side of absolute safety and no risk,
which is almost impossible when dealing with a collegiate institution that strives to be
groundbreaking and innovative.
Benefits of Protecting MacLeish Field Station
After analyzing the pros and cons of protecting MacLeish, we concluded that it would be
worthwhile to protect 90% of the land under a conservation restriction. If 90% (216 acres) of
MacLeish was conserved, 10% (24 acres) would be left unprotected to provide Smith the option
of constructing more classrooms or a student cabin in the future. There are multiple rewards to
12
protecting the land. Officially protecting 90% of MacLeish would improve Smith’s
environmental leadership role in the five-college community, prevent land fragmentation,
conserve endangered species and habitats, and inspire local landowners to protect their own land.
College Hall is trying to market Smith as a place for environmentally-interested women
to come study, and protecting the land would help position Smith in a place of environmental
consciousness. Since Smith has already moved forward to build a station there for the purposes
of environmental education, protecting 90% would be a number that would resonate with the
Smith community and cement the college’s status as a conservation-minded place to study. If
only 24 acres remains protected after the Living Building Challenge is completed, the public
may wonder: What does Smith plan to do with the rest of the land? Establishing a conservation
restriction for MacLeish would not only do a great deal for Smith’s environmental image, but
would also put Smith students at an unique position to lead conservation efforts of the Pioneer
Valley region.
By taking the initiative to protect their land, Smith might inspire nearby landowners to
protect their own land. The more land that is conserved, the less that the habitat is in danger of
fragmentation. As Environmental Science and Policy majors, we know that large blocks of
continuous protected land is best for species conservation, and the current fragmented protection
situation is not ideal. MacLeish is home to many species in need of protection, including bear,
moose, bobcat, coyote, wild turkey, spotted salamander, and various endangered snakes.15
Vernal pools are tiny intricate ecosystems that require specific environmental conditions to
remain habitable, and MacLeish’s hemlock forests are starting to feel the effects of the Hemlock
Woolly Adelgid pest. Conserving the land would insure that the vernal pools remain and are not
15
“The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (part of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife)” http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhesp.htm
13
impeded by development, and it could also provide more environmental study and management
of the adelgid pest for the hemlocks. Land conservation restrictions often include mandatory soil
and water tests, and this data could further improve the sustainability of MacLeish.
The immediate neighbors within a half mile of MacLeish seem to feel very positively
about conservation. The Wildlife Management area near MacLeish includes 200 acres that the
owners had wanted to sell to developers, but MacLeish neighbors arranged for it to be purchased
by the state of Massachusetts (a conservation restriction facilitated through the Franklin Land
Trust). This being said, relations between Smith College and the town of Whately have not
always been positive. Smith took 240 acres of their land off their tax record and did not give
them any financial compensation for use of the land in their town. 16 Thus, if Smith ever began
making money off the MacLeish property, there could be legal problems. The town of Whately
sued Smith over the land in the 1980s, and it could happen again. Smith could go a long way to
defending its educational use of the field station by putting 90% of the land under protection.
The Process of Conserving MacLeish
If Smith College decided to officially conserve MacLeish Field Station, it would need to
work with a land trust. Land trusts are models of conservation that originated in Massachusetts
one hundred years ago. Conserving land through a land trust is different than conserving it
federally. Land trusts take a free market approach to conservation. Rather than using the legal
system to conserve land, they use the market. This appeals to a larger spectrum of landowners,
because while many people may feel emotionally attached to their land, most want some
compensation for conserving it. Land trusts can provide them with either tax deductions or an
16
Trustees of Smith College vs. Board of Assessors of Whately 385 Mass. 767 (1982)
http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/385/385mass767.html
14
actual payment for the whole property or a portion of it. Land trusts work by purchasing the
development rights from the landowner. The overall cost is calculated by subtracting its
undeveloped worth from how much it could be worth if developed to its maximum potential.
Any parcel of land comes with its own set of rights, including the right to farm, forest, build, or
hunt. A land trust would buy these development rights, and then work with the landowner to
create a conservation restriction.
The main land trust in the Pioneer Valley is Kestrel Land Trust. There are at least five
other land trusts in the area as well as public conservation agencies like the Department of Fish
and Game and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.17 Kestrel is
based in Amherst, making facilitation easier between the two organizations. The choice to use
Kestrel was both political and convenient. This particular land trust has worked with the
Northampton Department of Public Works, which gives it more leverage in the area. A neighbor
had proposed using Franklin Land Trust to conserve the MacLeish property in the past, but
Smith College officials decided it was unnecessary at the time since Smith was planning to use
the land for solely educational purposes. Using Kestrel shows that Smith is approaching land
conservation on its own. Kestrel is the best choice for Smith because the land trust is particularly
understanding about recreational use. It is flexible about the amount of trails that can be built,
while Franklin would have required a map of all the trails to be built in the future. The hiking
trails at MacLeish will certainly evolve with use over the years. Because recreational use is one
of the ways the field station can be used to inspire students, Kestrel is the land trust that best fits
with Smith’s mission for the field station. Smith is already working with Kestrel to conserve the
17
Contact Information for Resources in Whately. MassWoods Forest Conservation Program (2009)
http://masswoods.net/contacts/339-whately
15
24 acres required by the Living Building Challenge. Therefore, it makes sense for Smith to
continue working with Kestrel to create a conservation restriction for MacLeish Field Station.
Conservation restrictions are legal documents that specify how a parcel of land can and
cannot be used. It includes restrictions on how much land can be developed and if land can be
used for forestry or agriculture. Every state has a different conservation restriction format.
Massachusetts includes state oversight of the land. In some states, land trusts are the sole holders
of the conservation restriction, but in Massachusetts, these documents must be signed off on by
the executive secretary of environmental affairs in Boston, the landowner, and the municipality.
Kestrel Land Trust would work with Smith to decide exactly what the MacLeish conservation
restriction should involve.18 They will examine what the 240 acres are currently providing in
terms of natural resources for water quality, endangered species, viewsheds, and recreational
purposes. Each one of these attributes is assessed and spelled out in the conservation restriction.
Conservation restrictions are very flexible and can be tailored towards particular uses. Some are
more stringent, like the “Forever Wild” restriction that allows nothing at all to disturb the land.
Others can be specifically tailored towards agriculture, forestry, or watersheds. At the same time
that the conservation restriction is created, a baseline report is drafted. The baseline report is a
summary of the property, including its acreage, GPS values, who its landowners are,
conservation values identified in the conservation restriction, disturbed areas of the land,
dumping on the land, and current agricultural usage. The baseline report also includes photos
and maps that display areas of important natural resources.
According to Kristin DeBoer, the head of Kestrel Land Trust, a conservation restriction
for MacLeish would prevent no new buildings or barns from being created, but agriculture and
18
Interview with Kristin DeBoer, executive director of the Kestrel Land Trust (2012)
16
forestry would be allowed (with parameters).19 While land trusts provide the option of financial
compensation for conservation, Smith could not receive financial benefits because the college is
considered a charitable non-profit, so the land could not be taken off its tax record.
The step-by-step process of conserving MacLeish Field Station would be as follows:
1) Negotiation phase: Starts with initial site visit, meeting with landowner (which would
be Smith), includes a conversation about what MacLeish means to the college and reasons for
conserving the land.
2) Appraisal phase: Investigating potential tax benefits of conserving the land (there
would not be any for the college, as it is considered a charitable non-profit).
3) Conservation restriction/Baseline report
4) Closing phase: Real estate closing, facilitated by an attorney on both sides. Grantor:
Smith College, grantee: Kestrel Land Trust.
5) Long-term stewardship begins: Annual obligation, forever.
While a lifetime commitment to conservation may seem daunting and restrictive, we
believe that it is the only way to establish permanent protection for the fragile habitats of
MacLeish. An official conservation restriction with Kestrel Land Trust will ensure that Smith
remains forever dedicated to environmental protection, and environmental courses in the
college’s curriculum will maintain a long tradition of benefiting from the presence of a
conserved field station.
Reflecting on our Potential Biases
19
DeBoer, Kristen (March 9, 2012), Personal Interview
17
As we contemplated this project, we recognized just how biased we are as Environmental
Science & Policy majors. We initially met with Reid Bertone-Johnson, a Landscape Studies
lecturer at Smith and the manager of the MacLeish Field Station, to discuss the details of our
research project. Berton-Johnson immediately stated his support for the 90% conservation plan
for the field station, citing the benefits it would provide the college, species retention, and towngown relations. We initially took his strong opinion as uncontested truth, and did not consider
the fact that as manager of the station, Bertone-Johnson is likely to have more specific goals for
the land than most people. Our education as Environmental Science & Policy majors has
included many classes about the importance of species conservation, the detrimental effects of
land fragmentation, and the vast harms caused by globalization and urbanization. Thus, it is not
surprising that we instantly agreed with Bertone-Johnson - what reason could there be to not
conserve land? A few weeks later, we forced ourselves to step back and consider our biases
(and Bertone-Johnson’s). While our motivations as environmentally-minded students are not
necessarily wrong, they are not universal truths. By talking to Ruth Constantine, the Vice
President of Finance and Administration at Smith College, we were able to analyze more
objectively what the meaning and the importance of conserving MacLeish would be to Smith.
We were also able to figure into the equation the administrative perspective of making decisions
at Smith. Right from the start of our interview, Constantine made it very clear that all decisions
made at Smith should be based on protecting or enhancing the educational mission of Smith
College. Certain reasons like establishing Smith’s leadership role in environmental issues as
well as conserving for the (sake of conserving), did not seem like they were strong enough to
immediately persuade college officials, like Constantine, to decide to conserve the land.
However, it seemed that she, as well as other interested parties at Smith such as the Building and
18
Grounds Committee, would be easily convinced if the argument was made that enhancing and
protecting the land would be the same as enhancing and protecting the educational uses of
MacLeish. While we were still convinced, after talking to Constantine, that 90% of MacLeish
should be conserved, we were able to see how some of the reasons for conservation that were
very much valid to us may not be seen as favorably by others at Smith.
Conclusion
Although the idea of conserving MacLeish was originally born from environmentallyminded professors and staff at Smith, the conservation of the field station goes far beyond simply
making a statement of sustainability to the public. By conserving the land and ensuring the
prevention of fragmentation, Smith is effectively helping to preserve the natural ecosystems of
the field station as well as potentially enhancing the area. Currently Smith is acting as a
responsible steward of the land by focusing on its educational purposes, but the next step is to
decide what the future of the land will be. As Aldo Leopold writes in A Sand County Almanac,
“It is inconceivable to me that an ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and
admiration for land and a high regard for its value. By value, I of course mean something far
broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense.” The value of the
land is tied to the benefits it has for the college as an opportunity for research and recreation. A
love of nature can begin at any age, and thus all students should have the opportunity to
experience a different landscape than the manicured botanic gardens on campus. Experiencing
nature leads to greater understanding and compassion for non-human life on earth. A liberal arts
education is not complete without some experience of the natural world.
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The impact of climate change is also an important part of the reason that MacLeish
should be conserved. Over the next few decades, the ecosystems of Western Massachusetts are
very likely to suffer effects of climate change. Having a protected field station available to take
consistent environmental data from will undoubtedly be a boon for the college’s science
departments. While conserving endangered species and habitats is very worthwhile and one of
the main goals of this project, the potential for Smith to increase its capacity to be an
environmental leader should not be overlooked, especially because it could persuade neighbors
to take similar actions. Conserving 90% of MacLeish Field Station does not reflect an arbitrary
decision, but a calculated endeavor to inspire Whately neighbors and other colleges to follow in
Smith’s footsteps and conserve their own land.
Work Cited
Interviews:
- Interview with Jesse Bellemare, biology professor at Smith
- Interview with Kristin DeBoer, executive director of the Kestrel Land Trust (3/9)
- Interview with Reid Bertone-Johnson, manager of MacLeish (2/17)
- Interview with Ruth Constantine, Smith’s vice president of finance and administration (4/6)
Online Sources:
- “Biological Field Stations” http://www.obfs.org
- “Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition” http://www.massland.org/
- “Kestrel Land Trust” http://kestreltrust.org/
- “Massachusetts General Laws: Chapter 61A”
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http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleIX/Chapter61A
- “Massachusetts General Laws: Chapter 61B”
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleIX/Chapter61B
- “MacLeish Field Station on AIRMAP: Mapping New England’s Climate and Air Quality”
http://airmap.unh.edu/data/data.html?site=AIRMAPWH
- “The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (part of the Massachusetts Division of
Fisheries and Wildlife)” http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhesp.htm
- “Smith Plans Environmental Ed Center at Whately Site”
http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/09/30/smith-plans-environmental-ed-center-whatelysite?SESS7acfb5a2f8434f00632dd37ebd79aecb=gnews
- “Whately, Conway: Franklin County Chamber of Commerce”
http://www.franklincc.org/whately.html, http://www.franklincc.org/conway.html
- The Living Building Challenge Standards https://ilbi.org/lbc/LBC%20Documents/LBC2-0.pdf
- “Trustees of Smith College vs. Board Assessors of Whately.”
http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/385/385mass767.html
- “Whately, Massachusetts” http://www.city-data.com/city/Whately-Massachusetts.html
- “MacLeish Field Station. Smith Center for the Environment Ecological Design and
Sustainability” http://www.smith.edu/green/about_macleish.php
- “Volunteer Activity. Smith’s Impact in Northampton”
http://www.smith.edu/northampton_vol.php
- “Contact Information for Resources in Whately. MassWoods Forest Conservation Program”
(2009) http://masswoods.net/contacts/339-whately
Literature:
- The Massachusetts Conservation Restriction Handbook
- Taxpayer’s Guide to Classification and Taxation in Massaschusetts
- ABA Journal: Feb 1982, “Smith College Tax Case Questions Exempt Status”
- Golodetz, A. D. and Foster, D. R. (1997), History and Importance of Land Use and Protection
in the North Quabbin Region of Massachusetts (USA). Conservation Biology, 11: 227–235.
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