Every year, the FRCOG participates in an audit process in accordance with Government Auditing Standards wherein independent reviewers test for internal controls and compliance regarding the FRCOG’s fiscal management. 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 in August 2016. The 25-member body’s charge was to “assess…
The report of the Commission on the Fiscal Health of Rural School Districts, “A Sustainable Future for Rural Schools” comprehensively documents how regional differences have translated into students in rural…
The FRCOG participated in the development of the Rural Policy Advisory Commission’s 2019 Rural Policy Plan. The intent of the Rural Policy Plan is to illustrate the unique attributes and…
An Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) helps a community to act strategically to protect and enhance the natural, cultural, and recreational resources they value most, makes them eligible to…
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 three common types of transportation construction projects: Downtown Revitalization, Complete Streets, and Rural…
Eight Franklin County communities are working together to proactively identify, create and support pollinator habitat in and around areas of development to respond to declining populations of native pollinator species.…
The Toolkit can be used by state agency staff, communities and landowners in the Deerfield River Watershed and across the Commonwealth who are interested in river restoration and protection, climate…
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 or a portion of fourteen Franklin County towns: Ashfield, Buckland,…
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 to be at high risk of failure from heavy precipitation…
Housing plans identify the housing needs of a community and outline the strategies a town can take toward meeting those needs. In recent years the FRCOG has assisted the Towns…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) define Hazard Mitigation as “any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and…
This plan integrates the nine elements of a 319 Watershed-Based Plan, the tenets of EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Initiative, and focuses on strategies and projects to protect and restore the watershed’s…
The Tri-Town Community Food Assessment for the Heath Agricultural Commission with the Towns of Charlemont and Colrain. Tri Town Community Food Assessment Infographics 2017
The Franklin Regional Council of Governments conducted a comprehensive assessment of the South River, North River, and the Massachusetts portion of the East Branch of the North River to provide…
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 of channel instability and identify restoration options to better manage…
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 emphasis on describing the macroinvertebrate fauna that occur in our…
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 six priority subwatersheds of the Deerfield River watershed and provide…
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 protecting of municipal farmland. Municipal Farmland Leasing and Protection Presentation…
The Town of Deerfield requested technical assistance in 2016 to conduct a public tree inventory on some of the Town’s more populous streets. Funding was provided by the District Local…
The Directors of the Town of Montague’s Planning and Conservation Department and Department of Public Works recognize the value of having a baseline public tree inventory in Turners Falls. This…
The Mass in Motion Food and Public Health Infographics address income, food access, diet, activity, and health in Franklin county. Mass in Motion Food and Health Infographics (PDF, 2.5 MB)
The goal of the Greenscape Challenge is to provide Greenfield residents and others with clear steps they can take with their lawns, gardens and other outdoor spaces to improve the…
A Plan for Forest-Based Economic Development and Conservation Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership Plan (revised 2016) (PDF, 5.9 MB) Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership Plan Appendices (revised 2016) (PDF, 27.2 MB)
A series of posters showing the results of the 2015 Whately Community Food and Farmland Assessments Whately Comm Food Assessment Farmland Preservation Posters (PDF, 2.9 MB)
The Franklin County Regional Housing Study is an implementation project recommended by Sustainable Franklin County – A Regional Plan for Sustainable Development that was completed in 2013. Sustainable Franklin County…
The Franklin County Farmer Survey was conducted in the fall of 2013 through the early winter of 2014. The survey identifies the needs and concerns of farmers in the region,…
Sustainable Franklin County: A Regional Plan for Sustainable Development is a long-range blueprint for Franklin County’s sustainable development. The Plan builds on past regional planning efforts and looks to the…
The overarching goal of the Advancing Racial Justice in Schools (ARJIS) project is to make policy, system and environmental changes that would improve school climate, racial justice, and racial equity…
The 2017–2020 plan prioritized 22 distinct evidence-based strategies with 79 associated activities to improve health outcomes for people in Franklin County and the North Quabbin. This report documents progress made…
The Communities that Care (CTC) Coalition maintains a Community Action Plan to help direct community resources toward effective and coordinated solutions for reducing youth substance use, improving youth nutrition and…
The report shares findings from meetings with all of the 9 area districts, outlining how schools across Franklin County and the North Quabbin have created policies and practices that are…
This document represents a snapshot of the evidence-based strategies identified for the 2017-2020 Community Health Improvement Plan for the Franklin County and the North Quabbin region to address the key…
The Mass in Motion Food and Public Health Infographics address income, food access, diet, activity, and health in Franklin county. Mass in Motion Food and Health Infographics (PDF, 2.5 MB)
In collaboration with the Greenfield YMCA, the FRCOG developed Walk Franklin County maps for all of the towns in Franklin County. The maps depict one or two-mile walking routes in…
“Healthy Bodies, Active Minds: Strategies to Increase Student Health & Academic Performance” catalogs evidence-based practices that schools can adopt to improve student nutrition and increase physical activity, and highlights programs…
A collection of success stories from projects around the region that promote physical activity within our communities. From Plan to Project: Franklin County, MA (2013) (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Using a state earmark from Sen. Adam Hinds, FRCOG hired the firm of Cambridge Econometrics to prepare this study of outdoor recreation on the Deerfield River. Deerfield River Corridor Outdoor…
A new program of the MA Department of Housing & Community Development’s (DHCD) is the Local Rapid Recovery Planning Program. It was created to help downtown/village center business districts…
Downtown Orange Market Assessment (PDF, 1.9 mb) – A 2013 report on findings from a survey conducted of residents, workers, and visitors to Downtown Orange. Town of Conway: Resident, Visitor, and…
This 2017 report reviewed trends train-based tourism and the current promotion of the Vermonter service to the Greenfield station. Attracting Visitors By Passenger Rail to Franklin County, MA (PDF, 1.1…
This report contains a comparison of elements from the 2015 Greater Franklin County CEDS Plan, the 2014 Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategy (SeVEDS), and the 2015 Southwest Region Planning Commission…
Downtown Orange Market Assessment: A Project to Attract and Keep Businesses in Downtown Orange (December 2013) Click here go to the Town of Orange website to view the Downtown Orange Riverfront Revitalization…
This report focuses on the six planned industrial parks in the region, to understand their present capacity and to plan for the future. The six planned industrial parks within Franklin…
Through the FRCOG Regional Brownfields Program and/or the Town of Erving, the following reports were completed for the Millers Falls International Paper Papermill located at 8 Papermill Road, Erving MA. Phase I…
A collaboration of planning and economic development organizations in the Tri-State Region worked together to address the anticipated economic impacts due to the closure of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power…
The following are reports and studies related to the Northern Tier: The Northern Tier’s Key Economic Clusters: Then and Now (2014) The Northern Tier Economy: A Strategic Analysis (1986) The Northern Tier…
Franklin County has a wealth of natural and cultural resources. This landscape has fostered the development of attractions and services that highlight the region’s rural and scenic amenities. As efforts…
The Economic and Public Policy Research (EPPR) group at the UMass Donahue Institute was engaged to conduct research in support of the efforts of seven organizations to grow the Western…
The following documents are in support of a brownfields clean-up project for the former Ramage Paper Mill – Wood Structure on Depot Street in Monroe, MA. Fact Sheet on Ramage…
Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI) include a wide variety of layered, non-medical harm reduction strategies such as isolation and quarantine, enhanced hygiene, protective equipment, and social distancing which mitigate the hazards and…
The primary purpose of this plan is to provide the framework and methodology to efficiently respond to hazardous materials emergencies within the communities of the Franklin County Regional Emergency Planning…
The Western Region Homeland Security Councils’ “Preparedness in a Pandemic” planning considerations workshop kit is adapted from operational guidance developed by both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Massachusetts Emergency Management…
Communities have tremendous responsibility for managing and coordinating emergency response. During the early stages of an emergency it is very difficult to develop timely, effective and consistent public messages. In…
This report is a snapshot assessment of how prepared Franklin County is today and what work is still ahead of us to make us more prepared. based on After-Action Report…
The Family Reunification Plan Template (PDF. 3.5 MB) is a result of WRHSAC’s Children in Disasters: Keeping Kids Safe project. The ability to reunify children with their families or care givers following…
The Disaster Debris Management Plan exists to: Provide a centralized repository of information critical to kicking-off and operating a disaster debris management program (including location of debris staging sites, zone…
The purpose of this guidance is to establish a concept of operations for the utilization and operation of a multi-agency coordination center (MACC) and to provide specific delineation on the…
The purpose of this document is to provide the municipalities of Franklin County with a plan for regional sheltering so that they can provide the essential emergency services associated with…
Purpose: This Standard Operating Guide (SOG) assists Responders in meeting the unique needs of citizens during all hazard emergency responses. Functional Needs Support Service (FNSS) is not a stand-alone capability;…
Each item in the Table of Content points to a section with a checklist of Public Information considerations including: Initial Response Actions: procedures common to all incidents and addresses incident…
Historically, first responders have been hesitant to incorporate unaffiliated volunteers into response efforts, even when a clear need for additional “manpower” has been identified. This hesitation is grounded in real…
This Plan was written by the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments to assist local public officials in responding to an emergency situation…
The FRCOG publishes the results of its Wage and Salary survey each winter, providing detailed information on municipal compensation and benefits packages for Franklin County local officials. All files are…
The FRCOG publishes a Municipal Directory which lists contact information for municipal officials, departments, and services for each of the county’s 26 municipalities FRCOG 2018-2019 Municipal Directory (PDF, 4.1 MB)
FRCOG 2015 Local Technical Assistance grant funds supported a request on the part of the select boards of Whately, Deerfield, and Sunderland to assess the pros and cons of a…
In 2014 the Cooperative Public Health Service completed its first ever Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for member towns, with the help of UMass School of Public Health interns and…
Thanks to funding from the Toxics Use Reduction Institute, FRCOG and partners were able to create, print, and distribute a guide for food service professionals on how to prevent contamination…
This case study provides a summary of the process in developing and implementing a shared Fire Chief structure for New Salem and Wendell, and includes an appendix with relevant documents.…
In 2013, the Franklin County Fire Chiefs Association (FCFCA) requested the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) conduct a study on current fire service within the County. A FCFCA sub-committee…
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a prioritized, multi-year program for the implementation of transportation improvement projects in the Franklin…
The Franklin County Rural Road Guide is a quick reference to information about roadway operations and regulations in Franklin County. It contains summaries of relevant information and links to the…
In 2018, FRCOG Staff evaluated all of the existing park and ride facilities in Franklin County in order to determine how well they are being utilized. In addition, FRCOG Staff…
In 2017, FRCOG Staff assessed the demand for electric vehicle charging stations in the region with the goal of determining the adequacy of the existing infrastructure. The study found that…
The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) describes the scope and estimated cost of work tasks to be conducted by the transportation planning staff of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments…
The objective of this study is to examine the feasibility of establishing a fixed route bus service to the East County region of Franklin County. A primary motivation for this…
The Corridor Management Plan is an update of a previous plan completed for the Byway in November 1998. It is a collaborative effort of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments…
This report updated the Environmental Justice Areas in Franklin County, as effective transportation decision-making depends upon understanding and properly addressing the unique needs of different socioeconomic groups. Environmental justice populations…
Franklin County Transportation Planning Organization Public Participation Plans (PPP) provide the opportunity for interested parties to comment on the transportation planning that the FCTPO does for the region. The following…
These reports undertake a complete streets analysis. The concept of the “complete street” is that the roadway has safe access for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders.…
The FRCOG completed an update to the region’s Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan (CHST). This plan, in coordination with other transportation service providers in the region, assesses…
The Corridor Management Plan was completed for the Route 116 Scenic Byway: Deerfield, Conway, and Ashfield in Franklin County; Plainfield in Hampshire County; and Savoy, Cheshire, and Adams in Berkshire…
This Corridor Management Plan was completed for the section of the Route 122 Scenic Byway in Franklin County that travels from the intersection of Routes 2A and 122 in downtown…
The goal of this report is to build on past transportation studies; review the current transportation resources of the county; and finally, to examine alternative forms of transportation that could…
This report is to identified and evaluated potential park and ride lots throughout the county in order to provide residents travel options for their trips both in the county and…
The Route 112 Scenic Byway Corridor Management plan was a collaborative project between the FRCOG and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. Each chapter of the plan has a Hampshire County…
This Corridor Management Plan was completed for the section of the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway from Athol to Greenfield. For the purpose of this report it is referred to as…
The Route 2 West Safety Study was undertaken to provide a detailed review of potential safety issues along the 22 mile Route 2 corridor from and including the Greenfield Rotary…
The 2009 Franklin County Bikeway Plan Update supersedes the Franklin County Bikeway Plan completed in 1993. The focus of the 1993 Bikeway Plan was the development and implementation of the…
The focus of this study is to gather additional data on West County residents’ interest in and need for expanded transit services. West County Transit Study (PDF, 296 kb) West…
The FRCOG has sponsored and given presentations on roundabouts in the region as an alternative to stop and traffic signal intersection control. This publication provides answers to the most frequently…
The FRCOG and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission sought and received funding through the Federal Scenic Byway program to complete a corridor management plan for the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway…
This study focused on completing the first step of a Pedestrian Assessment: identifying and documenting existing facilities in specific locations and identifying gaps within the existing network. It is intended…
This publications provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding gravel roads, and a reference for numerous resources that are available on the subject. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Gravel…
