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More about Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network
Massachusetts forests in need of friends - Northeast District
Massachusetts forests in need of friends - Central and Western Districts
Critical issues regarding forests and parklands in Massachusetts
Historic Resources in Friends Groups Forests and Parks
Campaign to stop illegal off-road vehicles from destroying our forests
Workshop Reports from the Partners in Parks Conference, June 2007
Forest Management Quote of the Month:
It’s always fascinating when ecological restoration becomes such a
dire emergency that there is no longer time for a deliberative and
thoughtful long-term scientifically peer-reviewed planning process.
And instead in just a matter of a month or two big plans with little
ecological merit are approved. This particular plan is not about
allowing the forest to be restored to a natural ecologic balance of
all ages and classes of trees both living and dead. Rather this
fake-eco-think is akin to an urban landscaper removing all the
unsightly dead wood because it just doesn’t look pretty enough. In
truth the more standing deadwood you remove, the more unhealthy the
forest will become! –Editor, Forest Policy Research
Friends Network Issues of Concern
Joe Zorzin deconstructs TNC article on MA forests
Illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in Massachusetts' forests
Forestry Concerns
DCR Forest Vision Process - Outline of Proposed Public Participation Process for DCR Forests, Feb. 5, 2009
Biomass Harvests in Mass State Forests and Parks?
Lack of Resource Management Plans
Information on DCR/Stewardship Council
Click here for forests on the chopping block—new for 2009! See if your favorite forest is listed!
Boxford State Forest on the chopping block (link to www.salicicola.com)
State halts tree harvest: Forest management bigger picture eyed. Bradford L. Miner. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF. August 29, 2008
Forests and parks in Western and Central Massachusetts in need of friends
Illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in Massachusetts' forests
Friends Network OHV Initiative
Please visit the new OHV page
Forestry Concerns
Biomass Harvests in State Forests and Parks
SILVICULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF FOREST BIOMASS HARVESTING IN MASSACHUSETTS
Prepared for the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources & Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation With funding provided by the United States Department of Energy, Matthew J. Kelty, Anthony W. D'Amato, Paul K. Barten, Department of Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, January 2008."These biomass harvests can be applied in a manner that sustains ecological processes, if partial harvests rather than clearcut harvests are used, as has been detailed in the report. Good silvicultural planning is needed in order to retain healthy vigorous residual stands that will continue to sequester carbon at high rates after the harvest. The social responses to biomass harvesting are uncertain. If harvests are designed to fit into current forest management practices that protect the flow of ecosystem services from forests (promoting social sustainability), public support may be strong. But this support could quickly wane if the program appears to focus too closely on industrial-scale harvesting."
Department of Conservation and Recreation Stewardship Council Timber Harvest Moratorium Update
The DCR Stewardship Council ended the 90-day timber-harvesting moratorium on November 7, 2008 with a promise to "limit the selling of timber sales" in forests that do not have Forest Resource Management Plans. See Stewardship Council: November 7, 2008 DCR Timber Harvesting Directive. But what is a Forest Resource Management Plan and is this acceptable?
Citizens remain unclear as to what it means to limit sales, and so far DCR has not begun Resource Management Plans for the forests and parks within the districts where forestry management plans were approved. Unfortunately, the District Management Plans were developed with minimal public imput, which has caused many concerned citizens to question DCR's process.
DCR is making an effort to do a better job in including the public in forestry decisions. An independent mediating team has been brought in to resolve conflict between citizens and DCR and to design a format for citizens and DCR to work together to form a new vision of forest management. The mediators are in the process of contacting "stakeholders". See news release: DCR REACHES MILESTONES IN FOREST MANAGEMENT.
Here is a pdf with the bios of the Mediators.
Here is the draft, Renewing a Commonwealth Vision for DCR Forests Public Involvement Process
Most friends agree that DCR needs to make completing Resource Management Plans its top priority; not Forest Resource Management Plans! We want natural, cultural and historic resource protection given priority over commercial timber harvesting; that means focusing interagency efforts to enforce current laws and regulations. Approved resource inventories and a plan to protect valuable resources needs to be inplace before allowing any new timber-sales, off-highway vehicle trails, or any other type of development.
The law governing forestry states, "The commissioner of conservation and recreation shall submit management plans to the stewardship council for the council’s adoption with respect to all reservations, parks, and forests under the management of the department, regardless of whether such reservations, parks, or forests lie within the urban parks district or outside the urban parks district. "The plans are to "provide for the protection and stewardship of natural and cultural resources." Please join us in insisting that DCR make protecting the lands we love its top priority. Insist on Resource Management Plans for each forest and park, especially state forests and parks subject to commercial timber harvesting! District Management Plans are not what the law requires.
Please contact the Stewardship Council through Jeff Daley and let them know that Resource Management Plans are important to you!
Resource Management Plans vs Forest Resource Management Plans
To date, DCR has completed only six Resource Management Plans, with one currently underway (click to view RMPs): Chestnut Hill Reservation, Adopted November 30, 2006; Mount Everettt State Reservation Summit RMP. Adopted March 2, 2006; Mount Watatic Reservation, Adopted January 4, 2008; National Monument to the Forefathers, Adopted September 29, 2006; Stony Brook Reservation, Adopted August 7, 2008; Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan, Adopted July 27, 2006; Beaver Brook Reservation, underway.
The Stewardship Council approved Distirct Forest Resource Management Plans for the Western Connecticut Valley District, the Northern Berkshire District, and the Southern Berkshire District. The Council had previously approved a fourth plan for the Central Berkshire District. Another four Forest Resource Management Plans are still being developed.
The problem is, we want site-specific Resource Management Plans first, as provided by the law!
Look at this from the Northern Berkshire District FMP page 25:
2. Purpose
This Forest Resource Management Plan (FRMP) partially meets the intent of MGL Chapter 21
Section 2F regarding the preparation of management plans by providing strategic sustainable
forest management direction for 15 DSPR system properties on 40,953 acres in the Northern Berkshire (NBK) District.Page 26 states:
Forest management planning and FRMPs are an important component of the overall
framework of DCR’s Resource Management Planning (RMP) Program. DCR’s RMP
Program is based upon M.G.L. Chapter 21: Section 2F, which requires DCR to develop
resource management plans for all agency reservations, parks and forests. The RMP
Program is located within the Office of Natural Resources and works across agency
divisions, bureaus and programs, and coordinates with the DCR Stewardship Council
regarding program development and adoption. FRMPs prepared by the Bureau of Forest
Fire Control and Forestry will be integrated into RMPs as RMPs are prepared and
completed for each DCR reservation, park or forest. For more information about the
RMP Program, please consult the following web page: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/rmp/.And look at this:
The General Laws of Massachusetts
PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
TITLE II. EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS OF THE
COMMONWEALTHCHAPTER 21. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Chapter 21: Section 2F. Management guidelines for sustainable forestry practices on public and private forest lands
Section 2F. The directors of the divisions of state parks and recreation and urban parks and recreation shall work in cooperation with the director of the division of fisheries and wildlife within the department of fish and game to establish coordinated management guidelines for sustainable forestry practices on public forest lands within the departments of conservation and recreation and on private forest lands. Said guidelines for public forest lands shall include agreements on equipment, personnel transfers, operational costs, and assignment of specific management responsibilities.
The commissioner of conservation and recreation shall submit management plans to the stewardship council for the council’s adoption with respect to all reservations, parks, and forests under the management of the department, regardless of whether such reservations, parks, or forests lie within the urban parks district or outside the urban parks district. Said management plans shall include guidelines for the operation and land stewardship of the aforementioned reservations, parks and forests, shall provide for the protection and stewardship of natural and cultural resources and shall ensure consistency between recreation, resource protection, and sustainable forest management. The commissioner shall seek and consider public input in the development of management plans, and shall make draft plans available for a public review and comment period through notice in the Environmental Monitor. Within thirty days of the adoption of such management plans, as amended from time to time, the commissioner shall file a copy of such plans as adopted by the council with the state secretary and the joint committee on natural resources and agriculture of the general court.
The commissioner of conservation and recreation shall be responsible for implementing said management plans, with due regard for the above requirement.
Don't you agree that Resourse Management Plans come before Forest Resource Management Plans? Please contact the Stewardship Council through Jeff Daley and let them know that Resource Management Plans are important to you!
DCR Stewardship Council - The Oversight Board of the Department of Conservation and Recreation
Minutes of the September 5, 2008 Stewardship Council Meeting
Minutes of the October 3, 2008 Stewardship Council Meeting
Statement Regarding Stewardship Council’s August 7th Timber Harvesting Resolution
Information about DCR’s proposed timber harvesting projects click here.
To view the laws governing the Stewardship Council click here.
To read an article by John Broderick describing the value of the Stewardship Council to Massachusetts forests and parks click here.
Joe Zorzin deconstructs TNC article on MA forests: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/massachusetts/government/art14994.html
Joe's comments in red - -TNC article in black
What is the condition of Massachusetts forests?
Our forests once covered more than 90% of the state. After European settlement, the forests were cleared to create farmland, and by the mid 1800s most of the state was in agricultural use. Since then, the forests have recovered, now covering more than 60% of the state’s five million acres. Today, the various forest ecosystems across the Commonwealth each support a wide variety of wildlife, including dozens of rare species.
That's very simplistic- actually, the forests are in poor condition. Most private forest land has been high graded- millions of acres! Why doesn't this TNC web site say that?
How do we benefit from forests?Our forests are a key economic engine for a variety of important sectors:
According to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, approximately half of the state’s $21 billion tourism industry involves forests, including fall foliage trips and outdoor recreation.
A state report shows that Massachusetts’ wood products industry includes more than 40 mills and hundreds of harvesters, foresters and manufacturing jobs which generate over $700 million per year.Forests are our best and least-costly water filtration system; they help maintain our supply of clean drinking water by capturing rainfall and slowly filtering it through the soil to rivers and streams.
Forests positively impact real estate; studies have shown that property values are enhanced by forest protection.
In addition, forests add significantly to our quality of life:
Forests help clean our air of pollution, and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to slow the extent of global warming.
Our forests offer a wide range of recreational activities, from hiking and cross-country skiing to hunting and fishing.
Forests provide much-needed habitat for wildlife. Bear, bobcat, wood thrush and Jefferson’s salamander are all dependent on forests for at least part of their life cycle.
What are current threats to our forests?In the past two decades, the amount of forest has begun to decline for the first time since the 1800s due to expanding development. A recent study found that more than 75% of Massachusetts forests are within ¼ mile of development.
As a result, poorly planned large-lot developments have caused significant declines in forests. In the forested areas of Western Massachusetts, development has interspersed new homes amid previously unbroken forest tracts, resulting in smaller parcel sizes. The number of parcels of 10 acres or less has doubled in the last 15 years.
With forests becoming more fragmented, some of the traditional characteristics of our forests are slowly being lost. Animals that need large areas to forage and reproduce are losing suitable habitat. The forest industry, which requires woodlots of at least 20 acres to make commercial forest management feasible, is finding whole regions where this important rural economy is disappearing.
Finally, non-native invasive plant species, which thrive in areas disturbed by development, are crowding out native forest communities by aggressively competing for space, sunlight and nutrients in the soil.
What is the state doing to help protect and restore our forests?
Given these threats, a balanced approach to conserving forests is essential. This approach includes encouraging sustainable management of working woodlands and setting aside from commercial forestry diverse examples of the various forest types inMassachusetts.
Setting aside all state land would serve that goal just fine.
Strengthening working woodlands involves educating thousands of owners of forestland about the benefits of sustainable commercial forest management.
It's not just about educating forest owners- that's the ancient and failed party line- it doesn't work- it's been done for half a century. What's needed is changes in the laws. Those who don't want real change always say it's about education and "balance".
Such benefits include improvement of wildlife habitat, steady income from the sale of sustainable forest products, support for local businesses that create and sell items from locally grown timber and a reduction in our dependence on imported forest products. Currently, Massachusetts imports more than 95% of its wood products.
Setting aside representative forest areas involves scientifically selecting unique, unfragmented forest blocks that best represent the major forest ecosystems found in Massachusetts.
What a bad joke- that's not what happened- the state decided it would be 20% and forced that figure on the scientists- so why pretend the scientists participated in this decision? What scientists are willing to go on record to say that it should only be 20%?
The location of these core forests, called forest reserves, will be made with input from various forest experts, forestry organizations, local communities, conservation organizations and the general public. These forests will be set aside from commercial forestry and will be principally located within large state ownerships, but may also include cooperative management with adjacent municipal, non-profit conservation and private owners.What is a forest reserve?
Forests are more than trees. They include a complex web of interacting species in both the trees overhead and the soil below. Some of these functions we are only now beginning to understand, and each element may perform a role central to the viability of the entire forest system. A forest reserve is an area that is managed to support the range of animals, plants, and natural communities found there. Reserves are also places where the forest is set aside from commercial harvesting, and thus can begin to retain the species, soils and natural processes of Massachusetts’ original forests.
A network of effective reserves will include both small reserves – ranging in size from tens to hundreds of acres – and large reserves, which may be up to 15,000 acres in size.]
Fine, then put all state land in reserves- that solves the problem of trying to pick and choose acres. All the private forest land can then become the "working forest".
What are the benefits of reserves?While sustainable commercial forest management can improve woodlands and provide landowners and communities with many benefits, setting aside carefully selected areas from these activities offers many benefits as well.
Through careful stewardship, reserves can develop unique features such as old trees, uncommon species of understory plants, large decaying “nurse logs” on the forest floor and “pit and mount” soils that follow the natural uprooting of older trees.
Reserves can also serve as areas to study natural processes as forests continue to age and respond to natural disturbances. This information will help enhance our best practices for sustainable forestry.
Some species, such as the scarlet tanager, require conditions found only in undisturbed forest interiors in order to breed successfully. Reserves provide high-quality, unfragmented habitat for these species, thus helping ensure their survival.
Good, then the more the better.
Finally, because they will be located where sensitive and rare species exist, reserves will help conserve these species and strengthen their occurrence in surrounding working forests.
How were the forest reserve sites determined?State agencies have been working with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and other organizations with expertise in forest analysis to help gather initial data needed to evaluate potential forest reserve sites. TNC recently completed a study of the most intact forest blocks within the Lower New England/Northern Piedmont Ecoregion that runs from Southern Maine to Northern Virginia (an ecoregionis a relatively large geographic area delineated by climate, vegetation, geology and other ecological patterns). Intact blocks are the cornerstone of an ecological reserve system, as they are less vulnerable to the impacts of fragmentation. TNC has also conducted research to help determine how large a forest reserve should be to withstand natural disturbances as well as provide adequate habitat for forest interior species.
In order to scientifically compare potential sites, state agencies convened a group of forest ecology experts to assemble a list of measures, including the areas of forest far-removed from development, areas of true “old growth” and other forests that were never cleared for agriculture, and areas with large numbers of viable natural communities.
The panel of experts used these measures to propose a list of potential areas that best represent the original and diverse forests ofMassachusetts. State agencies are now reviewing this list with forestry organizations, local communities, conservation organizations and the general public.
not so---- get this out in the open and actually include the general public! besides, why bother when the simple solution is to make all state land into reserves
What activities would be allowed on reserves?On state lands, commercial activities, such as timber harvesting and gravel removal, will not be allowed within forest reserves. However, traditional public access activities like hiking, hunting and fishing will be allowed.
How would forest reserves be managed?Management of reserves would focus on reducing the impact of past human influences. For example, management may include the removal of non-native species (such as buckthorn, bittersweet and barberry), restoration of wetland communities, the application of prescribed fire, and research. To help fund these activities, state agencies will partner with non-profit organizations and private foundations.
I own land near a proposed forest reserve. How will that affect me?Forest reserves have no legal or regulatory effect on privately owned land. Where private lands occur in proximity to state forest reserve areas, state agency staff will communicate the special nature of these forests to private, municipal or non-profit owners. However, the decision to manage the land as a reserve is left to the owner.
When private land adjacent to a state forest reserve becomes available for purchase, the state will give these areas a high priority within its land conservation programs.Are there resources available to help me manage my land?
Yes. Both the state and federal governments manage grant programs that provide financial and technical assistance to landowners:
MassWildlife Landowner Incentive Program: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/grants/lip/lip_home.htm
US Fish & Wildlife Private Stewardship Grant: http://endangered.fws.gov/grants/private_stewardship/
Massachusetts is fortunate to have an effective network of land trusts. Many will be partners in implementing the state’s vision of sustainable forestry and ecological reserves. Interested landowners can contact the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition atwww.massland.org to find information on land trusts across the state.
How will reserves impact foresters, mills and others in private sector forestry?
It is estimated that the large and small reserves will total up to 20% of the state’s 500,000 acres of forest. However, the loss of revenues and economic benefits from commercial forest management in these areas will be more than recouped by the expanded comprehensive, sustainable forest management that is planned for the remaining working forests through the state’s recent “Green Certification” designation.
full scale industrial style forestry? recouped by overcutting the rest?
In recognition of the importance of sustainable forestry income to landowners and towns, the state and partners will work together to bolster Massachusetts “working woodlands” by proposing state tax incentives for sustainable forestry and supporting increases to the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
I've been hearing identical suggestions for decades- it hasn't worked.
What is Green Certification?In May of 2004, 500,000 acres of state forest, wildlife and watershed land received the Green Certification designation by the independent, international Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Which made a large profit offering their sanctification.
The FSC promotes responsible forest management by certifying environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable forest management.
in theory, has TNC never seen the following web site? http://www.fsc-watch.org/
TNC prides itself in its scientific view of land mgt.- but not being skeptical of government and businesses is poor science comparable in some ways to the way timid scientists behaved in totalitarian regimes of the 20th century
Consumers purchasing products bearing the FSC label – or that of FSC-sponsored Scientific Certification Systems – can be assured that their wood products come from forests that have been responsibly managed to FSC standards.
So purchasers of Norway spruce lumber can be assured that the state harvested that spruce timber in Savoy properly?
The highest environmental forestry designation, Green Certification is awarded after a detailed, independent audit
People who get paid to do something are never independent.
of forest practices in more than 100 categories, including the protection of rare species and water resources, the sustainable harvest of forest products, and the establishment of non-harvested forest reserves.
Massachusetts is one of less than a dozen states to pass this rigorous evaluation. The state’s certification is by far the most expansive and comprehensive designation to date.
TNC should be embarrassed for that statement. Rigorous? Comprehensive? SCS has shown little interest in complaints by the public. Apparently they have a pass-fail system and for them, a "D" is a passing grade.
What is considered “sustainable forestry”?The state’s plan to strengthen Massachusetts’ working woodlands involves supporting our local forestry sector (foresters, timber harvesters and mills) to make them a more viable and sustainable industry.
Yet the state continues to allow destructive high grading on private land- they've tolerated it for over half a century which and which has done more damage to that industry than the most radical tree hugger could ever do---
Sustainable forestry is the practice of harvesting trees in a manner that ensures long-term, continuous production and forest health. To accomplish this, foresters make certain that:
- Forest stands are maintained or restored to fully stocked, vigorous growing condition.
That's too funny to even comment on.
- Steady, significant progress is made over time in regulating the age and/or size class distribution of stands.
Stands don't need regulating for age class distribution- that's absurdly simple minded- that's the industrial approach to forestry. With uneven aged silviculture, stands can have all ages with greater diversity, aesthetics, and economic value- compared to the neo fascist regulated checkerboard distribution of age classes only goose stepping "foresters" could love.
- Harvest patterns generally exhibit stability, with no wide fluctuations in the amounts harvested.
Yuh, totally regulated! nothing like being "regular"- not a bad goal for a large private forestry business, but not a wise goal for government- governments in America are not supposed to be running businesses of any sort, especially wood businesses. I expect timber industry propaganda to say this but not TNC. Even assuming the state should be selling timber at all- it should be variable from year to year for countless reasons well understood by real scientists.
- Management is oriented towards yielding high-value timber products.
Fine on private wood lots- on public woodlots, timber is only one possible value- other values should be preeminent. The state shouldn't be producing goods and services- it should stick to working in the interests of the public, all of it- not certain industries.
Even with our wealth of forest cover, 95% of the wood products used by Massachusetts residents are imported.
So what, we also import almost everything else. This isn't the Middle Ages where every community was self sufficient.
Decreasing our dependence on distant forest products will mean vibrant woodlands with diverse wildlife habitats as well as strong, rural economies and the creation of permanent jobs.
But do it with private lands. And, who says it's wise to have most of that wood production go to the local market? Doing so will be far less profitable for private woodlot owners than exporting those fine high quality logs to world markets. If the local wood industries can't compete, they should go out of business.
Ultimately, increasing the viability of our forestry economic sector will preserve forestland by ensuring that forests are valued for their inherent natural resource attributes.
Sure, yet the state has strongly defended the right of the wood industry to rape and pillage private woodlots. A decade ago, Director of Forests and Parks, Todd Frederick, as much as admitted this when he said in a letter to a forestry consultant that "requiring a forester to prepare a cutting plan would be a revolutionary act against industry". That was an incredibly ignorant statement by him but it let's us see what the state has really believed, despite all their cute rhetoric.
How can I find out more about reserves?For information on upcoming meetings to gain input into potential forest reserve locations and on forest management plans for state forests, visit the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs’ website at http://www.mass.gov/envir/forest/default.htm.
No, don't read state propaganda- read real science- read a book like "Wilderness Comes Home - Rewilding the Northeast" edited by Christopher McGrory Klyza.
For more information on how the state cares for our forests, visit the state’s Bureau of Forestry website athttp://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/forestry/index.htm.
ha, ha, ha--- that's funny
“Maintaining Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems”, Edited by Malcolm L., Hunter, Jr. (1999). Cambridge University Press.
Yes, that's worth reading- one of those 1,000 page books with some real science in it- I wonder how many state people have read it? I wonder how many enviro leaders have read it? I have it and I've read it.
Joe
Forests and Parks in need of Friends!
Click here to view forests and parks in Western and Central Massachusetts in need of friends
Forests and parks in the Northeast District in need of friends
The Forests and parks in the state’s western and central districts have too few friends. DCR’s web site shows 25 parks in western district but lists only 3 “friends” contacts. In the central district, 31 forests and parks are listed but only six have listings for friends groups. So far Friends Network has been unable to verify that all of the groups listed are currently active.
We are working on the list of forests and parks in need of friends in every region of the state. Contact the Friends Network for information about friends groups not listed in the pdf above.
If you’ve ever thought of joining or starting a friends group we’re here to help! Please contact the Friends Network by clicking here.
DCR will help you start a friends group too. Conrad Crawford is the new Director of Partnerships at DCR. Conrad’s office is in Boston but he travels when needed across the state. You can find out more about DCR partnerships by calling Conrad (617) 626-4964 or email by clicking here.