The Berkshires' Outdoor Recreation Website Sees Growth

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Over 100,000 people used Berkshire County's comprehensive outdoor recreation website in 2025, taking advantage of a broader array of activity categories as well as more links to resources like clubs, guides, and gear. 
 
The website, www.berkshiresoutside.org, provides a centralized, comprehensive catalog of nearly 600 access points. This online portal to all things outdoors invites residents and visitors to discover parks owned and managed by nearly 100 different organizations, all within Berkshire County.
 
The site, which is managed by Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and was built by Gemini Creative of Stockbridge, launched on Jan. 1 of 2024. It provides information about trailheads, boat launches, and other access points, and users can narrow their search to specific activities – 15 options in all – including hiking, boating, cycling, camping, and winter sports.
 
"We're getting great feedback from the land managers and locations we help promote," said Laura Brennan, BRPC's Assistant Director and Economic Development Program Manager. "The site is far exceeding expectations and we're so pleased to provide this service to residents, visitors, and outdoor recreation organizations looking to share their assets with the public."
 
Traffic to the website increased significantly in its second year of operation, growth which BRPC staff largely attribute to early investments in making sure the website was optimized for search engines to find it, trust it, and suggest it to those looking for outdoor options in the Berkshires. 
 
"We saw a 58 percent increase in users during our second year," said Mark Maloy, BRPC's GIS, Data and IT Manager who, with Brennan, was responsible for the creation of the site. "This translated to 205,000 page views."
 
Users can also now benefit from accessibility assessments detailing the availability of accessible parking, restrooms, and equipment, and helping to inform decisions about wheelchair and other assistive device use at each location. Several other filters provide users with the ability to focus on sites which are dog friendly, family friendly, have EV charging stations, or are near public transit. A low visitation filter helps guide users to the lesser known "hidden gems" of the region.
 
The website is serving as inspiration for other regions in the Commonwealth, and the state's Office of Outdoor Recreation is working with those regions to build inventories of their own outdoor recreation assets to populate a statewide website in the near future.

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Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis. 

Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report. 

During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report. 

"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions.  As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday. 

"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements." 

He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report. 

"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote. 

Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.

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