Seventeen acres of forestland in Harwich, formerly known as Hawksnest East and once zoned for a six-home subdivision, have been permanently protected. Adjacent to Hawksnest State Park, the land was purchased in March 2025 by the Native Land Conservancy for $1 million, with support from the Harwich Conservation Trust, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, local officials, neighbors, the EEA State Forest Reserve Grant, and public donors. Now named Awâhsh Uwatuhshât, the land’s protection preserves critical groundwater for 10,000 households and deepens Indigenous stewardship while expanding the Hawksnest conservation area.