Great Barrington/Housatonic: Open Space & Recreation Survey

1. Introduction

Great Barrington is updating its 2013 Open Space & Recreation Plan (OSRP) and needs your help! Your input will help guide the planning process and help determine the future of recreation and open space in the town. This plan will help guide the work of the Planning Board, Parks Commission, Community Preservation Commission, and other Town Boards and Committees. An Open Space and Recreation Plan is a municipal planning document that analyzes outdoor recreation and conservation assets in the town and provides a ten year window of Goals and Actions for the town.

The survey is anonymous unless you choose to leave your contact information in the final question.

The plan will make the Town eligible for state reimbursement grant programs for the improvement of recreation areas and the protection of open spaces.

The survey is open to all respondents from October 3 to November 15th, please complete the demographic questions at the beginning of the survey so that we can be sure we are reaching all residents.

Please answer all of the following questions. Thank you!

Question Title

1. What is your residency status in Great Barrington

Year Round Resident

Weekend Resident

Seasonal Resident

I work in Great Barrington but don't live there

Visitor

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Each area on the map is different neighborhood defined by Great Barrington's 2013 Master Plan

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2. From the map above, which area of Great Barrington do you live?

Area A: South Main and Brush Hill

Area B: East Street and East Mountain

Area C: Downtown

Area D: Castle Hill and Lake Mansfield

Area E: Egremont Plain

Area F: Alford Road and Simon's Rock

Area G: Long Pond and Christian Hill

Area H: Housatonic and Risingdale

Area I: North Plain and Kalliste Hill

Area J: Monument Valley North

Area K: Stockbridge Road and Three Mile Hill

Area L: Monument Valley South

Prefer not to say

Visitor to the Town.

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3. If your answers represent other members of your household, please indicate the number of people and their age (including yourself). For example, a household of two people, both age 50-59 would select from columns "yourself" and "2 person" both in row "50-59". A family living with a grandparent might look like, 1 person under 10, 2 people 10-19, 2 people 40-50, and 1 person 70+

	Yourself	2nd person in household (if applicable)	3rd person in household (if applicable)	4th person in household (if applicable)	5th person in household (if applicable)	6th person in household (if applicable)
Under 10 years old	Under 10 years old Yourself	Under 10 years old 2nd person in household (if applicable)	Under 10 years old 3rd person in household (if applicable)	Under 10 years old 4th person in household (if applicable)	Under 10 years old 5th person in household (if applicable)	Under 10 years old 6th person in household (if applicable)
10-19	10-19 Yourself	10-19 2nd person in household (if applicable)	10-19 3rd person in household (if applicable)	10-19 4th person in household (if applicable)	10-19 5th person in household (if applicable)	10-19 6th person in household (if applicable)
20-29	20-29 Yourself	20-29 2nd person in household (if applicable)	20-29 3rd person in household (if applicable)	20-29 4th person in household (if applicable)	20-29 5th person in household (if applicable)	20-29 6th person in household (if applicable)
30-39	30-39 Yourself	30-39 2nd person in household (if applicable)	30-39 3rd person in household (if applicable)	30-39 4th person in household (if applicable)	30-39 5th person in household (if applicable)	30-39 6th person in household (if applicable)
40-49	40-49 Yourself	40-49 2nd person in household (if applicable)	40-49 3rd person in household (if applicable)	40-49 4th person in household (if applicable)	40-49 5th person in household (if applicable)	40-49 6th person in household (if applicable)
50-59	50-59 Yourself	50-59 2nd person in household (if applicable)	50-59 3rd person in household (if applicable)	50-59 4th person in household (if applicable)	50-59 5th person in household (if applicable)	50-59 6th person in household (if applicable)
60-69	60-69 Yourself	60-69 2nd person in household (if applicable)	60-69 3rd person in household (if applicable)	60-69 4th person in household (if applicable)	60-69 5th person in household (if applicable)	60-69 6th person in household (if applicable)
70+	70+ Yourself	70+ 2nd person in household (if applicable)	70+ 3rd person in household (if applicable)	70+ 4th person in household (if applicable)	70+ 5th person in household (if applicable)	70+ 6th person in household (if applicable)

Question Title

4. Please select your annual household income range

Less than $49,999

$50,000 - $99,999

$100,000 - $149,999

$150,000 - $199,999

$200,000 or more

prefer not to say

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5. What languages are spoken in your home?

English

Spanish

French

Portuguese

Other (please specify)

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6. Do you rent or own your home?

Rent

Own

I prefer not to answer.

Recreation Questions

Question Title

7. Choose your top Five (5) favorite outdoor sites in Great Barrington.

Flag Rock

Tom Ball Mountain

Pfeiffer Arboretum

Thomas & Palmer Brook Reserve

Green River Access

Park Street Park

Fountain Pond State Park

Housatonic River Walk

McAllister Wildlife Refuge

Old Maid's Park

Appalachian Trail

Housatonic Flats

East Mountain State Forest and associated trails.

Gilmore Park/Dewey School

Housatonic Rail Trail

Mason Library Grounds

Housatonic River Access

Lake Mansfield Park

Stanley Park

Monument Mountain Reservation

Town Cemetaries

Olympian Meadows

South Street Park

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Field

Housatonic Park (Bubriski Memorial)

W.E.B DuBois Homesite

Beartown State Forest and associated trails.

Grove Street Park

Simons Rock Campus

Giggle Park

Ski Butternut

School Grounds/Athletic Facilities

Other (please specify)

Question Title

8. Choose up to five (5) outdoor activities that you enjoy doing in Great Barrington.

Ice Skating/hockey

Farm related Agritourism- such as Pick Your Own, Farmer's Market Shopping, or other Farm related activities.

Fishing / ice fishing

Picnicking

Bird watching

Snowmobiling/ATVs

Water activities (swimming, wading, exploring shorelines/creeks)

Hiking / walking

Bicycling- Road

Horseback riding

Playgrounds / swings / slides

Dog walking

Dance/Yoga

Snowshoeing

Boating / canoeing / kayaking

Bicycling-Mountain

Field sports (soccer, baseball, etc.)

Skiing/Snowboarding- Downhill

Skiing - cross country

Outdoor movies/concerts

Rock Climbing

Skateboarding / BMX / roller blading

Golfing

Hunting / trapping

Running / jogging

Gardening

Court sports (tennis, basketball, pickleball, etc.)

Photography

Other (please specify)

Question Title

9. How often do you or your family participate in the following outdoor activities in Great Barrington?

	Daily	Weekly	Monthly	Occasionally	Never
Bicycling	Bicycling Daily	Bicycling Weekly	Bicycling Monthly	Bicycling Occasionally	Bicycling Never
Bird watching	Bird watching Daily	Bird watching Weekly	Bird watching Monthly	Bird watching Occasionally	Bird watching Never
Farm related Agritourism- such as Pick Your Own, Farmer's Market Shopping, or other Farm related activities.	Farm related Agritourism- such as Pick Your Own, Farmer's Market Shopping, or other Farm related activities. Daily	Farm related Agritourism- such as Pick Your Own, Farmer's Market Shopping, or other Farm related activities. Weekly	Farm related Agritourism- such as Pick Your Own, Farmer's Market Shopping, or other Farm related activities. Monthly	Farm related Agritourism- such as Pick Your Own, Farmer's Market Shopping, or other Farm related activities. Occasionally	Farm related Agritourism- such as Pick Your Own, Farmer's Market Shopping, or other Farm related activities. Never
Boating / canoeing / kayaking	Boating / canoeing / kayaking Daily	Boating / canoeing / kayaking Weekly	Boating / canoeing / kayaking Monthly	Boating / canoeing / kayaking Occasionally	Boating / canoeing / kayaking Never
Court sports (tennis, basketball, pickleball, etc.)	Court sports (tennis, basketball, pickleball, etc.) Daily	Court sports (tennis, basketball, pickleball, etc.) Weekly	Court sports (tennis, basketball, pickleball, etc.) Monthly	Court sports (tennis, basketball, pickleball, etc.) Occasionally	Court sports (tennis, basketball, pickleball, etc.) Never
Field sports (soccer, baseball, etc.)	Field sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) Daily	Field sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) Weekly	Field sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) Monthly	Field sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) Occasionally	Field sports (soccer, baseball, etc.) Never
Water activities (swimming, wading, exploring shorelines/creeks)	Water activities (swimming, wading, exploring shorelines/creeks) Daily	Water activities (swimming, wading, exploring shorelines/creeks) Weekly	Water activities (swimming, wading, exploring shorelines/creeks) Monthly	Water activities (swimming, wading, exploring shorelines/creeks) Occasionally	Water activities (swimming, wading, exploring shorelines/creeks) Never
Fishing / ice fishing	Fishing / ice fishing Daily	Fishing / ice fishing Weekly	Fishing / ice fishing Monthly	Fishing / ice fishing Occasionally	Fishing / ice fishing Never
Gardening	Gardening Daily	Gardening Weekly	Gardening Monthly	Gardening Occasionally	Gardening Never
Hiking / walking	Hiking / walking Daily	Hiking / walking Weekly	Hiking / walking Monthly	Hiking / walking Occasionally	Hiking / walking Never
Horseback riding	Horseback riding Daily	Horseback riding Weekly	Horseback riding Monthly	Horseback riding Occasionally	Horseback riding Never
Hunting / trapping	Hunting / trapping Daily	Hunting / trapping Weekly	Hunting / trapping Monthly	Hunting / trapping Occasionally	Hunting / trapping Never
Playgrounds / swings / slides	Playgrounds / swings / slides Daily	Playgrounds / swings / slides Weekly	Playgrounds / swings / slides Monthly	Playgrounds / swings / slides Occasionally	Playgrounds / swings / slides Never
Rock Climbing	Rock Climbing Daily	Rock Climbing Weekly	Rock Climbing Monthly	Rock Climbing Occasionally	Rock Climbing Never
Running / jogging	Running / jogging Daily	Running / jogging Weekly	Running / jogging Monthly	Running / jogging Occasionally	Running / jogging Never
Skateboarding / BMX / roller blading	Skateboarding / BMX / roller blading Daily	Skateboarding / BMX / roller blading Weekly	Skateboarding / BMX / roller blading Monthly	Skateboarding / BMX / roller blading Occasionally	Skateboarding / BMX / roller blading Never
Skiing - cross country	Skiing - cross country Daily	Skiing - cross country Weekly	Skiing - cross country Monthly	Skiing - cross country Occasionally	Skiing - cross country Never
Snowshoeing	Snowshoeing Daily	Snowshoeing Weekly	Snowshoeing Monthly	Snowshoeing Occasionally	Snowshoeing Never
Snowmobiling/ATVs	Snowmobiling/ATVs Daily	Snowmobiling/ATVs Weekly	Snowmobiling/ATVs Monthly	Snowmobiling/ATVs Occasionally	Snowmobiling/ATVs Never
Dog walking	Dog walking Daily	Dog walking Weekly	Dog walking Monthly	Dog walking Occasionally	Dog walking Never
Ice skating/hockey	Ice skating/hockey Daily	Ice skating/hockey Weekly	Ice skating/hockey Monthly	Ice skating/hockey Occasionally	Ice skating/hockey Never
Picnicking	Picnicking Daily	Picnicking Weekly	Picnicking Monthly	Picnicking Occasionally	Picnicking Never
Golfing	Golfing Daily	Golfing Weekly	Golfing Monthly	Golfing Occasionally	Golfing Never
Skiing/Snowboarding- Downhill	Skiing/Snowboarding- Downhill Daily	Skiing/Snowboarding- Downhill Weekly	Skiing/Snowboarding- Downhill Monthly	Skiing/Snowboarding- Downhill Occasionally	Skiing/Snowboarding- Downhill Never
Outdoor movies/concerts	Outdoor movies/concerts Daily	Outdoor movies/concerts Weekly	Outdoor movies/concerts Monthly	Outdoor movies/concerts Occasionally	Outdoor movies/concerts Never
Dance/yoga	Dance/yoga Daily	Dance/yoga Weekly	Dance/yoga Monthly	Dance/yoga Occasionally	Dance/yoga Never
Photography	Photography Daily	Photography Weekly	Photography Monthly	Photography Occasionally	Photography Never

Other (please specify)

Question Title

10. How would you rate each of the following in your neighborhood?

	Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Very Good
Quality of town-owned parks and playgrounds.	Quality of town-owned parks and playgrounds. Very Poor	Quality of town-owned parks and playgrounds. Poor	Quality of town-owned parks and playgrounds. Average	Quality of town-owned parks and playgrounds. Good	Quality of town-owned parks and playgrounds. Very Good
Ability to walk for leisure or exercise.	Ability to walk for leisure or exercise. Very Poor	Ability to walk for leisure or exercise. Poor	Ability to walk for leisure or exercise. Average	Ability to walk for leisure or exercise. Good	Ability to walk for leisure or exercise. Very Good
Ability to walk to a park or playground.	Ability to walk to a park or playground. Very Poor	Ability to walk to a park or playground. Poor	Ability to walk to a park or playground. Average	Ability to walk to a park or playground. Good	Ability to walk to a park or playground. Very Good
Ability to bike for leisure, exercise, or transit	Ability to bike for leisure, exercise, or transit Very Poor	Ability to bike for leisure, exercise, or transit Poor	Ability to bike for leisure, exercise, or transit Average	Ability to bike for leisure, exercise, or transit Good	Ability to bike for leisure, exercise, or transit Very Good
Ability to visit a park with a quiet natural setting.	Ability to visit a park with a quiet natural setting. Very Poor	Ability to visit a park with a quiet natural setting. Poor	Ability to visit a park with a quiet natural setting. Average	Ability to visit a park with a quiet natural setting. Good	Ability to visit a park with a quiet natural setting. Very Good
Ability for you or your children to participate in a sports or exercise program.	Ability for you or your children to participate in a sports or exercise program. Very Poor	Ability for you or your children to participate in a sports or exercise program. Poor	Ability for you or your children to participate in a sports or exercise program. Average	Ability for you or your children to participate in a sports or exercise program. Good	Ability for you or your children to participate in a sports or exercise program. Very Good

Question Title

11. Choose all relevant/necessary improvements to town parks.

Improved park maintenance

Better lighting.

More security.

Trash pickup/Recycling

Better parking.

Bathrooms.

Accessibility features.

None.

Summer/Winter maintenance issues.

Additional benches and public seating

If you checked any of the above boxes, at which parks would you like to see these improvements?

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12. What suggestions do you have for improving your favorite outdoor places in Town?

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13. Which of the following do you see as the most pressing barriers or concerns when it comes to the town's outdoor recreation facilities (including parks, playing fields, and playgrounds, etc)?

	High	Medium	Low	None (N/A)
Safety	Safety High	Safety Medium	Safety Low	Safety None (N/A)
Accessibility	Accessibility High	Accessibility Medium	Accessibility Low	Accessibility None (N/A)
Limited biking or walking access	Limited biking or walking access High	Limited biking or walking access Medium	Limited biking or walking access Low	Limited biking or walking access None (N/A)
Limited access by transit	Limited access by transit High	Limited access by transit Medium	Limited access by transit Low	Limited access by transit None (N/A)
Lack of activities	Lack of activities High	Lack of activities Medium	Lack of activities Low	Lack of activities None (N/A)
Lack of parking	Lack of parking High	Lack of parking Medium	Lack of parking Low	Lack of parking None (N/A)
Lack of information about outdoor recreation opportunities	Lack of information about outdoor recreation opportunities High	Lack of information about outdoor recreation opportunities Medium	Lack of information about outdoor recreation opportunities Low	Lack of information about outdoor recreation opportunities None (N/A)
Lack of park maintenance	Lack of park maintenance High	Lack of park maintenance Medium	Lack of park maintenance Low	Lack of park maintenance None (N/A)
Lack of park amenities (such as restrooms and benches)	Lack of park amenities (such as restrooms and benches) High	Lack of park amenities (such as restrooms and benches) Medium	Lack of park amenities (such as restrooms and benches) Low	Lack of park amenities (such as restrooms and benches) None (N/A)
Lack of maps, wayfinding, and directions for pedestrians	Lack of maps, wayfinding, and directions for pedestrians High	Lack of maps, wayfinding, and directions for pedestrians Medium	Lack of maps, wayfinding, and directions for pedestrians Low	Lack of maps, wayfinding, and directions for pedestrians None (N/A)

What can be done by the town to fix of alleviate these barriers/concerns?

Question Title

14. Are existing recreational programs and facilities in Town adequate for the following groups?

	Yes	Somewhat	No	Don't Know
Children	Children Yes	Children Somewhat	Children No	Children Don't Know
Teens	Teens Yes	Teens Somewhat	Teens No	Teens Don't Know
Adults	Adults Yes	Adults Somewhat	Adults No	Adults Don't Know
Elderly	Elderly Yes	Elderly Somewhat	Elderly No	Elderly Don't Know
People with disabilities or health concerns.	People with disabilities or health concerns. Yes	People with disabilities or health concerns. Somewhat	People with disabilities or health concerns. No	People with disabilities or health concerns. Don't Know
Pets	Pets Yes	Pets Somewhat	Pets No	Pets Don't Know

If you answered no to any of the choices above, what can be done to improve the outdoor recreation programs and facilities for that age group?

Question Title

15. Which activities would you like to see more of in Town?

Organized youth sports outside of school programming.

Summer youth programs.

Parent-child programs.

Nature programs.

Adult organized sports.

Programs for seniors.

Group Hikes/Bike Rides

Other (please specify)

None of the above

Question Title

16. What is the best use of Park and Recreation funding? Rearrange the following categories so that the highest priority of funds is 1 and the lowest is 9.

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17. Use this space to tell us about something we missed or other concerns regarding recreation in Great Barrington or Housatonic?

Conservation Questions

Question Title

18. Indicate your level of support of the following strategies/policies?

	Strongly Oppose.	Oppose.	Neutral.	Support.	Strongly Support.
Maintain wildlife habitat and travel corridors	Maintain wildlife habitat and travel corridors Strongly Oppose.	Maintain wildlife habitat and travel corridors Oppose.	Maintain wildlife habitat and travel corridors Neutral.	Maintain wildlife habitat and travel corridors Support.	Maintain wildlife habitat and travel corridors Strongly Support.
Protect scenic areas.	Protect scenic areas. Strongly Oppose.	Protect scenic areas. Oppose.	Protect scenic areas. Neutral.	Protect scenic areas. Support.	Protect scenic areas. Strongly Support.
Expand existing parks and conservation areas.	Expand existing parks and conservation areas. Strongly Oppose.	Expand existing parks and conservation areas. Oppose.	Expand existing parks and conservation areas. Neutral.	Expand existing parks and conservation areas. Support.	Expand existing parks and conservation areas. Strongly Support.
Create new public recreation areas.	Create new public recreation areas. Strongly Oppose.	Create new public recreation areas. Oppose.	Create new public recreation areas. Neutral.	Create new public recreation areas. Support.	Create new public recreation areas. Strongly Support.
Protect farmland and local food resources.	Protect farmland and local food resources. Strongly Oppose.	Protect farmland and local food resources. Oppose.	Protect farmland and local food resources. Neutral.	Protect farmland and local food resources. Support.	Protect farmland and local food resources. Strongly Support.
Improved access to rivers and streams in the town.	Improved access to rivers and streams in the town. Strongly Oppose.	Improved access to rivers and streams in the town. Oppose.	Improved access to rivers and streams in the town. Neutral.	Improved access to rivers and streams in the town. Support.	Improved access to rivers and streams in the town. Strongly Support.

Question Title

19. Which of the following conservation practices would you be willing to implement on your own property?

Install rain gardens and/or vegetative buffers to reduce runoff and nutrient loading in lakes, rivers, and streams.

Install shades or light fixtures that decrease light pollution (dark skies improvements).

Reduce use of insecticide, herbicide, fertilizers.

Remove invasive species without herbicide use.

Plant native species and pollinator friendly species.

Provide a license, easement, or sale of land to support trail improvements in the town or river access points.

Other (please specify)

Question Title

20. What is the best use of Town Conservation funding? Rearrange the following categories so that the highest priority of funds is 1 and the lowest is 5.

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21. What do you think is the most important outdoor natural resource in Town to be conserved (Note-this does not have to be your favorite)?

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22. Use this space to tell us about something we missed or other concerns regarding land conservation in Town?

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23. Are you familiar with the Berkshires Outside website that highlights Berkshire County outdoor offerings? How else do you learn about recreational opportunities in your community?

Yes

Massachusetts State Parks or Fish and Game websites

Strava

All Trails

Other (please specify)

Question Title

24. How do you get information about Parks and Recreation/open space issues in Town?

E-mail notice from town hall

Social Media postings

Municipal website

Berkshire Eagle/Berkshire Edge/or other publication

Website or email posts from local land conservancies

Other (please specify)

If you would like to receive further information on the OSRP update process, please leave your contact information here. Five random respondents will receive a $20 Gift Card to a local business as a thank you for participation.

Great Barrington/Housatonic: Open Space & Recreation Survey

1. Introduction

Question Title

1. What is your residency status in Great Barrington

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Each area on the map is different neighborhood defined by Great Barrington's 2013 Master Plan

Question Title

2. From the map above, which area of Great Barrington do you live?

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4. Please select your annual household income range

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5. What languages are spoken in your home?

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6. Do you rent or own your home?

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7. Choose your top Five (5) favorite outdoor sites in Great Barrington.

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8. Choose up to five (5) outdoor activities that you enjoy doing in Great Barrington.

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9. How often do you or your family participate in the following outdoor activities in Great Barrington?

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10. How would you rate each of the following in your neighborhood?

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11. Choose all relevant/necessary improvements to town parks.

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12. What suggestions do you have for improving your favorite outdoor places in Town?

Question Title

13. Which of the following do you see as the most pressing barriers or concerns when it comes to the town's outdoor recreation facilities (including parks, playing fields, and playgrounds, etc)?

Question Title

14. Are existing recreational programs and facilities in Town adequate for the following groups?

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15. Which activities would you like to see more of in Town?

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16. What is the best use of Park and Recreation funding? Rearrange the following categories so that the highest priority of funds is 1 and the lowest is 9.

Question Title

17. Use this space to tell us about something we missed or other concerns regarding recreation in Great Barrington or Housatonic?

Question Title

18. Indicate your level of support of the following strategies/policies?

Question Title

19. Which of the following conservation practices would you be willing to implement on your own property?

Question Title

20. What is the best use of Town Conservation funding? Rearrange the following categories so that the highest priority of funds is 1 and the lowest is 5.

Question Title

21. What do you think is the most important outdoor natural resource in Town to be conserved (Note-this does not have to be your favorite)?

Question Title

22. Use this space to tell us about something we missed or other concerns regarding land conservation in Town?

Question Title

23. Are you familiar with the Berkshires Outside website that highlights Berkshire County outdoor offerings? How else do you learn about recreational opportunities in your community?

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24. How do you get information about Parks and Recreation/open space issues in Town?

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25. Name

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26. Email address

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Information about Ticks, Mosquitos, and Poison Ivy- Image