HADLEY, Mass. — The federal Fish and Wildlife Service has decided it will move forward with plans to demolish an old horse stable in Hadley that is home to the largest known colony of barn swallows in Massachusetts.
Last spring, about 40 pairs of the birds migrated to the Bri-Mar Stable, which is located on the Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. The government, however, says the building is so structurally unstable, it would collapse.
As Boston 25 News reported last month, the group "Save Our Swallows" opposes tearing down the barn because it will disrupt a thriving bird colony at a time when barn swallow populations are decreasing in New England.
>> Mass. community trying to save thriving bird colony as habitat threatened
U.S. Fish and Wildlife says at least ten other local structures are supporting barn swallow colonies and so it plans to proceed with demolition before the birds return next spring.
Save Our Swallows tells Boston 25 News it is demanding a 30-day period of public comment before the stable is razed.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
