The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has purchased more than 800 acres of undeveloped land in Tolland for $3 million.

The 843-acre Twining Lake property, located at the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, is 28 miles from Tanglewood, in Tolland. Equal the size of 17 Boston Commons, the purchase will allow the state to expand existing undeveloped and protected land in the area, comprising 5,000 acres of mountains, forest, streams and wetlands including the nearby Tolland State Forest, making the park the 15th-largest park in the state, according to a statement.

"The accelerated marketing process yielded offers for a variety of parcel sizes from a number of buyers," said Jeremy Freid, principal of Great Rock Real Estate in Boston. "In the end, the sellers were compelled to sell it to the state who purchased a special piece of real estate at a great price for taxpayers, while conserving land and resources for future generations."

"Protecting the integrity of large forest blocks is critical to protecting the present and future biodiversity of the state, providing recreational opportunities and conserving open space," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., whose office includes DCR. "Under the leadership of the Patrick-Murray administration, the state has taken action to permanently protect more than 75,000 acres of land – the equivalent of 54 acres per day – since 2007."