Goodwin Procter attorneys recently helped steer long-standing pro bono client The Trust for Public Land (TPL) through the complex series of transactions required to acquire 337 acres of forestland and endangered species habitat, formerly known as Ingate Farm, in Western Massachusetts. The acquisition is a crucial first step in eventual sale of the property to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) for addition to protected habitat in the Mount Holyoke Range State Park.
Through a sophisticated partnership with local conservation groups, TPL purchased Ingate Farm, also known as “Deep Woods,” for $1.4 million in June 2011. The Massachusetts Audubon Society is holding the property pending its final sale to the DCR later this year for $1 million.
The addition of Ingate Farm to the Mount Holyoke Range State Park will offer additional hiking options to the public and will increase the wildlife preserve for rare species of salamanders and turtles.
The state park contains more than 3,000 acres of forest, wetlands, vernal pools and streams, and is home to the New England National Scenic Trail.