Annual Fiscal Reviews
Every fall, the FRCOG prepares a Fiscal Review document designed to provide FRCOG Council members and municipal Finance Committee members…
FRCOG Annual Reports
Every spring, the FRCOG prepares an Annual Report that highlights the efforts, accomplishments, and impact of the FRCOG from the…
Blueprint for Public Health Excellence: Recommendations for Improved Effectiveness and Efficiency of Local Public Health Protections
The Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health was created by a legislative resolve signed by Governor Charles Baker…
A Sustainable Future for Rural Schools
The report of the Commission on the Fiscal Health of Rural School Districts, “A Sustainable Future for Rural Schools” comprehensively…
MA Rural Policy Plan
The FRCOG participated in the development of the Rural Policy Advisory Commission's 2019 Rural Policy Plan. The intent of the…
Open Space and Recreation Plans
An Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) helps a community to act strategically to protect and enhance the natural, cultural,…
Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan for Franklin County
The Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan for Franklin County utilizes a screening level approach for assessing potential stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) for…
Regional and Local Pollinator Plans
Eight Franklin County communities are working together to proactively identify, create and support pollinator habitat in and around areas of…
River Corridor Management Toolkit
The Toolkit can be used by state agency staff, communities and landowners in the Deerfield River Watershed and across the…
A Framework for Resilience: Responding to Climate Change in the Deerfield River Watershed
A Framework for Resilience is the first watershed-based climate change resiliency plan in the Commonwealth. The Deerfield River Watershed includes all…
High Risk Stream Crossings in the Deerfield River Watershed
These reports provide a summary of the road-stream crossings (culverts and bridges) in the towns linked below that are considered…
Housing Plans & Studies
Housing plans identify the housing needs of a community and outline the strategies a town can take toward meeting those…
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) define Hazard Mitigation as "any sustained action…
Deerfield River Watershed-Based Resiliency Plan
This plan integrates the nine elements of a 319 Watershed-Based Plan, the tenets of EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Initiative, and focuses…
Tri-Town Community Food Assessment Infographics
The Tri-Town Community Food Assessment for the Heath Agricultural Commission with the Towns of Charlemont and Colrain. Tri Town Community…
North and South River Fish Habitat Reports (2013)
The Franklin Regional Council of Governments conducted a comprehensive assessment of the South River, North River, and the Massachusetts portion…
Fluvial Geomorphic Assessment of the North and South River Watersheds (2015)
A fluvial geomorphology assessment was conducted on the North and South Rivers in Franklin County, Massachusetts to determine the causes…
Assessment of Biodiversity in Deerfield River Watershed Forested Headwater Streams (2012)
this project assessed and characterized physical and biological conditions in forested headwater streams in the Deerfield River watershed, with an…
Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment for the Deerfield River Watershed 2008
The goal of this project was to provide an inventory and assessment of potential sources of nonpoint pollution in the…
Food Access in Franklin County and the North Quabbin
A report on focus groups with residents, seniors and youth. Food Access Report (PDF, 2.8 MB)
Municipal Officials Training: Leasing Town-Owned Land for Farming
As part of our Municipal Official Continuing Education Series for 2016-2017, the FRCOG developed a presentation regarding the leasing and…
Deerfield Tree Inventory 2016
The Town of Deerfield requested technical assistance in 2016 to conduct a public tree inventory on some of the Town’s…
Turners Falls Tree Inventory 2015
The Directors of the Town of Montague’s Planning and Conservation Department and Department of Public Works recognize the value of…
Food & Public Health Infographics
The Mass in Motion Food and Public Health Infographics address income, food access, diet, activity, and health in Franklin county.…
Greenscape Challenge Toolkit
The goal of the Greenscape Challenge is to provide Greenfield residents and others with clear steps they can take with…
Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership Plan
A Plan for Forest-Based Economic Development and Conservation Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership Plan (revised 2016) (PDF, 5.9 MB) Mohawk Trail…
2015 Whately Food Assessment Infographics
A series of posters showing the results of the 2015 Whately Community Food and Farmland Assessments Whately Comm Food Assessment…
Farm and Food System Project Report
A strong food system is one in which farmers are able to make a viable living and have access to…
Franklin County Regional Housing Study (2014)
The Franklin County Regional Housing Study is an implementation project recommended by Sustainable Franklin County – A Regional Plan for…
Franklin County Farmer Survey Results
The Franklin County Farmer Survey was conducted in the fall of 2013 through the early winter of 2014. The survey…
Sustainable Franklin County
Sustainable Franklin County: A Regional Plan for Sustainable Development is a long-range blueprint for Franklin County’s sustainable development. The Plan…
How Schools in Franklin County and the North Quabbin are Advancing Racial Justice: A Regional Snapshot
The overarching goal of the Advancing Racial Justice in Schools (ARJIS) project is to make policy, system and environmental changes…
Community Health Improvement Plan 2017-2020 Progress Report
The 2017–2020 plan prioritized 22 distinct evidence-based strategies with 79 associated activities to improve health outcomes for people in Franklin…
Communities That Care Coalition 2020 Community Action Plan
The Communities that Care (CTC) Coalition maintains a Community Action Plan to help direct community resources toward effective and coordinated…
What Schools Can Do: Creative Ways Franklin County and North Quabbin Schools are Implementing DESE Guidance on Substance Use Prevention
The report shares findings from meetings with all of the 9 area districts, outlining how schools across Franklin County and…
Food Access in Franklin County and the North Quabbin
A report on focus groups with residents, seniors and youth. Food Access Report (PDF, 2.8 MB)
Food & Public Health Infographics
The Mass in Motion Food and Public Health Infographics address income, food access, diet, activity, and health in Franklin county.…
Walk Franklin County Maps
In collaboration with the Greenfield YMCA, the FRCOG developed Walk Franklin County maps for all of the towns in Franklin…
Healthy Bodies, Active Minds: Strategies to Increase Student Health & Academic Performance
"Healthy Bodies, Active Minds: Strategies to Increase Student Health & Academic Performance" catalogs evidence-based practices that schools can adopt to…
Franklin County Mass in Motion Case Studies
A collection of success stories from projects around the region that promote physical activity within our communities. From Plan to…
CEDS Plan and Annual Reports
Annual Report: 2022 CEDS Annual Performance Report (PDF, 1.6 MB) 2021 CEDS Annual Performance Report (PDF, 4.3 MB) Current Plan:…
Local Rapid Recovery Planning Program
A new program of the MA Department of Housing & Community Development's (DHCD) is the Local Rapid Recovery Planning…
Downtown and Village Center Studies
Downtown Orange Market Assessment  (PDF, 1.9 mb) - A 2013 report on findings from a survey conducted of residents, workers, and…
Attracting Visitors by Passenger Rail to Franklin County
This 2017 report reviewed trends train-based tourism and the current promotion of the Vermonter service to the Greenfield station. Attracting…
Tri-State CEDS Comparison
This report contains a comparison of elements from the 2015 Greater Franklin County CEDS Plan, the 2014 Southeastern Vermont Economic…
Downtown Orange Studies
Downtown Orange Market Assessment: A Project to Attract and Keep Businesses in Downtown Orange (December 2013) Click here go to the Town…
Industrial Park Planning
This report focuses on the six planned industrial parks in the region, to understand their present capacity and to plan…
Millers Falls IP Paper Mill Reports
Through the FRCOG Regional Brownfields Program and/or the Town of Erving, the following reports were completed for the Millers Falls International Paper…
Economic Impacts of Vermont Yankee Closure (2014)
A collaboration of planning and economic development organizations in the Tri-State Region worked together to address the anticipated economic impacts…
Northern Tier Studies
The following are reports and studies related to the Northern Tier: The Northern Tier's Key Economic Clusters:Â Then and Now (2014)…
Recreation/Nature-Based Tourism in Rural Areas: Literature Review and Case Study
Franklin County has a wealth of natural and cultural resources. This landscape has fostered the development of attractions and services…
Pioneer Valley Growth Business Study (2013)
The Economic and Public Policy Research (EPPR) group at the UMass Donahue Institute was engaged to conduct research in support…
Monroe Brownfields Project – Ramage Wood Structure
The following documents are in support of a brownfields clean-up project for the former Ramage Paper Mill - Wood Structure…
Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention (NPI) Quick Implementation Guide
Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI) include a wide variety of layered, non-medical harm reduction strategies such as isolation and quarantine, enhanced hygiene,…
Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Plan
The primary purpose of this plan is to provide the framework and methodology to efficiently respond to hazardous materials emergencies…
Emergency Preparedness Planning in a Pandemic Workshop Toolkit
The Western Region Homeland Security Councils’ “Preparedness in a Pandemic” planning considerations workshop kit is adapted from operational guidance developed by…
Public Messaging Template
Communities have tremendous responsibility for managing and coordinating emergency response. During the early stages of an emergency it is very…
State of Emergency Preparedness in Franklin County Report (2019)
This report is a snapshot assessment of how prepared Franklin County is today and what work is still ahead of…
Family Reunification Plan Template
The Family Reunification Plan Template (PDF. 3.5 MB) is a result of WRHSAC’s Children in Disasters: Keeping Kids Safe project. The ability…
Franklin County Disaster Debris Management Plan
The Disaster Debris Management Plan exists to: Provide a centralized repository of information critical to kicking-off and operating a disaster…
Multi-Agency Coordinating Center (MACC) Concept of Operations
The purpose of this guidance is to establish a concept of operations for the utilization and operation of a multi-agency…
Regional Sheltering Plan
The purpose of this document is to provide the municipalities of Franklin County with a plan for regional sheltering so…
Standard Operating Guidelines for Working with Individuals Requiring Additional Assistance
Purpose: This Standard Operating Guide (SOG) assists Responders in meeting the unique needs of citizens during all hazard emergency responses.…
Standard Operating Guidelines for Public Information Officers
Each item in the Table of Content points to a section with a checklist of Public Information considerations including: Initial…
Spontaneous Volunteer Plan
Historically, first responders have been hesitant to incorporate unaffiliated volunteers into response efforts, even when a clear need for additional…
Animal Carcass Management in a Disaster
This Plan was written by the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments to…
Annual Municipal Wage & Salary Surveys
The FRCOG publishes the results of its Wage and Salary survey each winter, providing detailed information on municipal compensation and…
Municipal Directory
The FRCOG publishes a Municipal Directory which lists contact information for municipal officials, departments, and services for each of the…
South County Regional Police Study
FRCOG 2015 Local Technical Assistance grant funds supported a request on the part of the select boards of Whately, Deerfield,…
CPHS Community Health Needs Assessment and Town Health Reports
In 2014 the Cooperative Public Health Service completed its first ever Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for member towns, with…
Green Cleaning Guide for Food Service
Thanks to funding from the Toxics Use Reduction Institute, FRCOG and partners were able to create, print, and distribute a…
Town of Wendell Transition to Shared Fire Chief: Case Study
This case study provides a summary of the process in developing and implementing a shared Fire Chief structure for New…
Franklin County Fire Study
In 2013, the Franklin County Fire Chiefs Association (FCFCA) requested the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) conduct a study…
Transportation Improvement Program Documents
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a prioritized, multi-year program for the implementation of transportation improvement projects in the Franklin…
Regional Pedestrian Plan for Franklin County (2021)
The vision of the Franklin County Regional Pedestrian Plan is to provide a comprehensive resource that identifies tools and strategies…
Franklin County Rural Road Guide
The Franklin County Rural Road Guide is a quick reference to information about roadway operations and regulations in Franklin County.…
Franklin County Regional Transportation Plan (2020)
The Franklin County Regional Transportation Plan, which is updated every four years, helps to provide a clear vision of the…
Evaluation of Franklin County Park and Ride Facilities (2018)
In 2018, FRCOG Staff evaluated all of the existing park and ride facilities in Franklin County in order to determine…
Evaluation of Demand for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (2017)
In 2017, FRCOG Staff assessed the demand for electric vehicle charging stations in the region with the goal of determining…
Unified Planning Work Program
The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) describes the scope and estimated cost of work tasks to be conducted by the…
Feasibility Study for Fixed Route Transit Service in East County
The objective of this study is to examine the feasibility of establishing a fixed route bus service to the East…
Connecticut River Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Update (2016)
The Corridor Management Plan is an update of a previous plan completed for the Byway in November 1998. It is…
Regional Transportation Equity Analysis for Franklin County (2015)
This report updated the Environmental Justice Areas in Franklin County, as effective transportation decision-making depends upon understanding and properly addressing…
FC Transportation Planning Organization Public Participation Plans
Franklin county Transportation Planning Organization Public Participation Plans (PPP) provide the opportunity for interested parties to comment on the transportation…
Franklin County Complete Streets Reports
These reports undertake a complete streets analysis. The concept of the “complete street” is that the roadway has safe access…
Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan
The FRCOG completed an update to the region’s Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan (CHST). This plan, in…
Route 116 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan (2013)
The Corridor Management Plan was completed for the Route 116 Scenic Byway: Deerfield, Conway, and Ashfield in Franklin County; Plainfield…
RT 122 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan (2011)
This Corridor Management Plan was completed for the section of the Route 122 Scenic Byway in Franklin County that travels…
Franklin County Alternative Transportation Plan (2009)
The goal of this report is to build on past transportation studies; review the current transportation resources of the county;…
Park and Ride Study (2009)
This report is to identified and evaluated potential park and ride lots throughout the county in order to provide residents…
Route 112 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan (2009)
The Route 112 Scenic Byway Corridor Management plan was a collaborative project between the FRCOG and the Pioneer Valley Planning…
Mohawk Trail East Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan (2009)
This Corridor Management Plan was completed for the section of the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway from Athol to Greenfield. For…
Route 2 West Safety Study (2009)
The Route 2 West Safety Study was undertaken to provide a detailed review of potential safety issues along the 22…
Franklin County Bikeway Plan Update (2009)
The 2009 Franklin County Bikeway Plan Update supersedes the Franklin County Bikeway Plan completed in 1993. The focus of the…
West County Transit Study (2008)
The focus of this study is to gather additional data on West County residents’ interest in and need for expanded…
Frequently Asked Questions About Roundabouts
The FRCOG has sponsored and given presentations on roundabouts in the region as an alternative to stop and traffic signal…
Mohawk Trail West Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan (2002)
The FRCOG and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission sought and received funding through the Federal Scenic Byway program to complete…
Pedestrian Facility Inventory of Franklin County
This study focused on completing the first step of a Pedestrian Assessment: identifying and documenting existing facilities in specific locations…
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Gravel Roads
This publications provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding gravel roads, and a reference for numerous resources that are available…
