“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.”  - Henry David Thoreau

Protecting our forests in this time of climate crisis and biodiversity collapse is recognized as an important way to protect our environment and our future health and well-being. Two bills have been submitted to the Massachusetts Legislature this session. One would permanently protect 412,000 acres under the care and control of the Division of Conservation and Recreation. The other would permanently protect 30% of the land owned by Fish and Wildlife, about 51,000 acres,  by 2030. These state agencies already have land in reserves where intact ecosystems are influenced primarily by natural processes. These bills request more reserves than we now have, and give them legal protection that they do not currently have. Together these actions would help Massachusetts to do its part to help mitigate climate change and protect our native natural heritage. 

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                          Save Massachusetts Forests is a project of  RESTORE: The North Woods. 

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           LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND ACTION YOU CAN TAKE 

OUR FOREST PROTECTION BILLS FROM THIS SESSION WERE REWRITTEN AND                                             VOTED OUT FAVORABLY

                                               Bill H.5216 An Act Relative to Forest Protection 

     We will continue to work with our lawmakers for more state land forest protection. 

                                              THE ORIGINAL BILLS THAT WERE FILED 

H953: AN ACT RELATIVE TO FOREST PROTECTION

       https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H953 sponsored by Representative Carmine Gentile,would update century-old public land policies 

       written before we recognized the climate crisis and global loss of biodiversity and would help address these concerns by designating 312,000

       acres of  forest lands controlled by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as parks or reserves.

H952: AN ACT RELATIVE TO WATERSHED FOREST PROTECTION 

H1048: AN ACT RELATIVE TO INCREASED PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE  MANAGEMENT AREAS

             https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1048/Cosponsor  sponsored by Representative Danillo A. Sena, would add 50,000 acres of state

             owned Wildlife Management areas as reserves.

Together these bills would permanently protect  462,000 acres as intact ecosystems that are influenced primarily by natural processes in our forests and parks — a level of protection that now exists for only 1% of the state’s land base to:

• Fight climate change by allowing forests to grow back and keeping them standing

• Protect native biodiversity by preserving about 9% of the state’s land base — an important

   step toward the goal of protecting 30% of our nation’s lands and waters by 2030.

• Mitigate climate change impacts for all Massachusetts residents, including environmental

   justice communities which are especially vulnerable to climate change impacts,

• Provide direct benefits to people, including clean air and water, scenic beauty, recreational

    opportunities, and potential for economic diversification.

• Prevent harmful uses, such as land sales or exchanges; new gas pipelines; commercial solar

   or wind facilities; pesticide and herbicide spraying; or promotion of woody biomass energy.

• Safeguard sacred and historic sites by prohibiting destructive resource extraction and

   industrial development.

• Take immediate action to fulfill the commitment by the Governor to  employ forest ecosystems to

  mitigate global warming by increasing reserves on public and private land.

  Help to prevent  large scale solar, wind, biomass, batteries, transmission lines or other energy infrastructure on state land.

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                 Prescribed burning in the Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area. Is this okay with you? 

        In the news - Carbon Forestry Committee Report released-

Report of the Climate Forestry Committee: Recommendations for Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines     https://www.mass.gov/doc/forest-as-climate-solutions-climate-forestry-committee-report-final/download

“Unsurprisingly, disturbing the forests of Massachusetts as little as possible and allowing forests to grow and age through passive management is generally the best approach for maximizing carbon, ecological integrity, and soil health.” (page 4)

More information about this report is here:     https://www.mass.gov/info-details/forests-as-climate-solutions

       In the news- Massachusetts state land logging moratorium petition                                                     delivered to Governor Charlie Baker  

                      https://www.recorder.com/Petition-seeks-to-stop-logging-on-state-owned-land-46824885

                  Pre-eminent Biologist E.O. Wilson Supported Our Bills

                              to Protect State- Owned Land 

"I strongly support this bill, which would permanently protect 13 percent of the Massachusetts land area, reaching from the Berkshires to the Atlantic Coast. This is the single most important action the people of thestate can take to preserve our natural heritage. As it has many times in the past, Massachusetts can provide leadership on this issue, inspiring other states across the country to take similar bold  action." 

With best wishes,     

Edward O. Wilson

                                                                                                        July 6, 2019

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