Old Growth Forest Protection

Now is our chance to save the remaining old growth forests in Massachusetts. A bill to protect old growth forests on state lands is on the move in our state legislature. If you believe we should protect our last remaining old growth forests on state lands please contact your state senator and urge her/him to call for a favorable finding on bill S.485 by the Senate Ways and Means Committee and passage by the senate. This would be especially helpful if your senator is on the Ways and Means Committee. Old-growth forests are extremely rare, and serve as "living laboratories" where students, scientists, and the public can learn more about forest development, tree genetics and climate change. Although 3 million of Massachusetts' 5 million acres are forested, only 1,500 acres of this land is original old-growth forest. These ancient groves are scattered throughout the state in small patches, with most on the steep mountainsides of Western Massachusetts managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The value of these rapidly disappearing old-growth forests to people and wildlife is immeasurable; in forests that have not been disturbed for hundreds of years, canopy layers and fallen trees create rich and diverse habitats for many species of birds, insects and reptiles. These areas also act as carbon sinks - helping to sequester global warming gases. Currently, old-growth forests in Massachusetts are not lawfully protected from timber cutting, only by policy that could change at any time. This bill would:

• Protect old-growth forests from logging and development by establishing a system of permanent old-growth forest reserves on state lands.
• Require an inventory of the forests on state-owned land to determine the extent and condition of old-growth forest stands and their surrounding landscapes.
• Include an assessment and selection of future old-growth forest areas that exhibit characteristics which, if left undisturbed, would meet the definition of an old-growth forest.
• Prohibit new development, new or expanded recreational facilities, and commercial timber cutting in old-growth forest.
• Establish a research and education program to monitor the status and promote understanding of old-growth forest reserves.