What Are the Natural Resources in Massachusetts?
Despite its small size, Massachusetts has many natural resources, including fertile soil, diverse wildlife, temperate deciduous forest, freshwater reserves and salt marshes. Pioneer Valley, which is the colloquial name of the Massachusetts portion of the Connecticut River Valley, is home to productive farmlands. Located north of the Connecticut River Valley, Franklin County grows sweet corn, potatoes, asparagus, shade-grown tobaccos and cow corn on the rich, fertile land.
About 60 percent of Massachusetts is covered by forest. A number of animal species thrive in the state, including Peregrine falcons, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, moose, coyotes and black bears. The salt marshes in the state provide ample of food sources and habitat to the wildlife. As of 2014, however, the increased urbanization in the state is driving some animals out of their natural habitat.
Massachusetts has intricate channels of rivers and lakes that serve as natural water resources and grounds of freshwater and deep-sea fishing. More than 80 kinds of fish thrive in the inland waters of the state, including brown trout, Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and small mouth bass. Massachusetts’ long coastline is also one of the state’s natural resources. Martha’s Vineyard and Islands of Nantucket are popular tourist destinations, especially in the summer, and form the basis of the local tourism.
