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As we transition into spring, John Harvey, a staple of the ACC is transitioning into retiring from the Commission. 

With this change we want to reflect on the impact that John has had on the ACC, Amherst, and the growth of the ACC through his vision and dedication.

John was a US Air Force Major and after many years of living in various locations John was ready to settle down and Amherst quickly became home.  John was charmed by Amherst, wanting to help the town in some capacity he soon decided to join the ACC, his first foray into conservation.  Joining the ACC in 1988 he quickly grew his knowledge of conservation through his work on the ACC and guided the committee from single issue focus to proactively managing multiple conservation initiatives and served as Chairman for many years.  In total, he has been on the Commission for over 32 years.

In 1996 John was instrumental in the development of the Peabody Mill Environmental Center, Amherst’s premier facility providing self-funded conservation education through summer camps, classes, workshops and trail walks and one of Johns greatest achievements with the ACC. To initiate this project, he spearheaded the purchase of the Bacon property and then led a team of three commissioners as they oversaw the initial design, funding, construction and staffing of the Peabody Mill Environmental Center. The PMEC was run by the ACC from 1997 until 2005 and now continues to provide conservation education through the Recreation Department.

During his tenure the ACC doubled the town conservation land from approximately 1200 acres to approximately 2600 acres.  He started the trail steward program, signing up 25 plus volunteers to maintain, at that time, 25 plus miles of varied trails.  The ACC trail steward program continues to grow and now maintains over 50 miles of Amherst trails.

John not only has a love for conservation, he is tech savvy and helped introduce the ACC website. He enjoys working with computer tool

s for mapping, his mapping tools have become instrumental in fulfilling the state requirement for a Natural Resources Inventory and creating detailed maps for forest management and habitat stewardship.

In 2020 John was elected as Citizen of the Year by the Amherst Lions Club for his devotion to conserving the town’s culture and charm, John in turn would like to recognize all of the commissioners he worked with over the years for all of their individual and collective accomplishments.

When asked the question “What do you see for the future of Amherst’s conservation efforts?” John answered that he hopes the new ACC strategic plan will engage more residents to participate in conservation and make a positive impact on our town.

As John’s spirit animal, the Grey Wolf, symbolizes strength, loyalty, leadership, freedom and wisdom, John has embodied all of these traits and made a memorable impact on his community, Amherst.

                                                                                            Thank you, John, for your dedication to our community.