Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership

“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.

It's Time to Take Action--Go to the ACTION-Forest Protection page

H 912 - An Act Relative to Forest Protection is being sponsored by Representative Michael Finn - 6th Hampden District

The proposed Act Relative to Forest Protection, H 912, would update century-old public land policies written before we recognized the climate crisis and global loss of biodiversity. This bill would help address these concerns by designating 412,000 acres of lands controlled by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as parks and reserves. We would be conserving intact ecosystems that are influenced primarily by natural processes in our forests and parks.

The text of the bill can be found here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H912

H.912 Act relative to forest protection [...]
Adobe Acrobat document [104.4 KB]

H 1002 - An Act Relative to Increased Protection of Wildlife Management Areas is being sponsored by Representative Lindsay Sabadosa - 1st Hampshire District

The proposed Act to Increase Protection of Wildlife Management Areas, H 1002, would expand the system of Nature Reserves on public Wildlife Management Areas under the control of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and make them permanent. The bill would direct the designation of at least 30% of agency’s lands as Nature Reserves by 2030, consistent with the latest biological and climate science.

The text of this bill can be found here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1002

H.1002 Act to increase WMA protection ba[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [107.1 KB]

Support for this bill includes this from last session's similar bill:

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

Moratorium on Logging on Massachusetts State-Owned Lands

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/moratorium-on-logging-1

Please sign our petition. Renowned Biologist E.O. Wilson did!

Contact us at savemassforests@gmail.com

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." — Mark Twain