ROWE — A new website geared toward those looking to get involved with forest stewardship was recently unveiled during the annual meeting of the Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts.

Woodlands Partnership members saw a need for interested municipalities and individuals to have a resource containing information on this region’s forests, the threats they face, and options and resources for land stewardship.

“A lot of towns in our region are struggling financially because of diminished tax bases, so providing a resource that can link up easily to technical assistance and funding opportunities is incredibly important,” Woodlands Partnership Coordinator Kate Conlin said in an interview.

The Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts, which formed in 2013 under the name of Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership, is a grassroots program focused on conserving forests and supporting sustainable management with relation to economic development in rural towns. More than 20 towns in western Franklin County and northern Berkshire County are members.

The new website, TheForestCenter.org, was developed as part of the Forest Climate Resilience Program, a multi-partner initiative hosted by Mass Audubon that has been advancing climate-smart forest stewardship. The Forest Climate Resilience Program has trained foresters in planning for climate resilience and has worked with six towns to complete Forest Stewardship Climate Plans for 11 different forest properties.

TheForestCenter.org was created in partnership with Mass Audubon and several other organizations, including the Franklin Land Trust, the Ohketeau Cultural Center, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and others. Funding came from a state Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Regional Access Grant.

Speakers at the June 26 meeting stressed that the new website is meant for everyone. The information provided is broadly applicable to anyone looking to learn more about the area’s diverse forest types, conservation options, Indigenous land stewardship and a range of stewardship approaches from passive to active.

“Anyone in this region can connect and learn more,” Andrew Randazzo, a forest ecologist with Mass Audubon, told meeting attendees.

At some point in the future, the Woodlands Partnership hopes to create a physical forest center. For now, however, representatives are excited about the new web resource.

“Whether or not that’s something that happens in the future, this virtual resource is something that can assist municipalities in thinking about how to steward their lands,” Conlin said in an interview.

At the same meeting, a new website for the Woodlands Partnership itself also went live with the purpose of promoting the organization’s work and sharing its upcoming meeting agendas and minutes. The sites were created by Cider House Media in Easthampton in combination, but were funded separately.

The annual meeting also updated attendees on several other projects, including research projects, grants and a land conservation effort. Speakers announced that Colrain voted to join the Woodlands Partnership at its Town Meeting in June, while Savoy voted down joining the partnership in May.

More information about the Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts is available at woodlandspartnership.org.