Land use and land management strategies to enhance the resiliency of forests, open spaces, and wetlands.
Clinton and Bolton are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, from more intense storm events to rising summer heat. Over two years, RDG worked with both towns to develop land-based policies and practices that support long-term climate resilience and ecological regeneration.
Though neighboring communities, Bolton’s largely forested, rural landscape contrasts sharply with Clinton’s compact, historic mill town character. The project unfolded in two phases: Year One focused on forests and wetlands; Year Two addressed turf and ornamental landscapes. Two community task groups helped shape goals, assess on-the-ground conditions, and ground recommendations in local experience.
Project outcomes included land management guides, model wetland bylaws, and a framework for ongoing community participation in land stewardship decisions. The work was completed in collaboration with Linnean Solutions, BSC Group, and local stakeholders, and funded through the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant program. It implements recommendations from the Apple Country Natural Climate Solutions Project.
Explore the full project story, stewardship guides, and bylaw recommendations on the Clinton–Bolton resilience project website.
Client
Towns of Clinton and Bolton, MA
MA Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant program
Partners
Guiding Principles of Forest Stewardship
- Learn by Observing and Interacting: Forests as Teachers
- See the Forests and the Trees: Forests as Nested Living Systems
- Participate in Reciprocal Relationships: Forests as Partners
- Encourage Diversity and Connectivity: Forests as Connections and Intersections
- Focus on Function for Resilience: Forests as Dynamic Forces
- Encourage Taking the Long View to Evaluate Success: Forests as Legacies
Guiding Principles of Lawn and Landscape Stewardship
- Health and well-being
- Interdependence
- Reciprocal relationships
- Accessibility
- Curiosity
- Valuing the small
