More than 80 residents of Hampshire and Franklin counties have signed a letter addressed to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, urging Commissioner Doug Rice to reallocate funds that better support “forest-based climate mitigation.”
The letter aims to encourage Rice to use state funding allocated for commercial logging of state-owned lands to instead implement the framework envisioned in a municipal reforestation bill (S.504/H.905) introduced by Sen. Cynthia Creem, D-Newton, and Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead. Greenfield resident Glen Ayers said this bill, in addition to another logging-related piece of legislation, didn’t make it to the committee process.
“We urge you to take steps to redirect the entire management forestry budget toward proforestation and urban reforestation, expanding existing programs such as the Greening the Gateway Cities effort at DCR,” states the letter, drafted by Ayers and signed by 10 local organizations and 82 individuals. “This budget redirection would likely provide about $2-3 million of annual funding, and the existing staff could easily be transferred over to support the effort, retaining the current employees while letting them use their skills for something climate positive.”
According to the letter, DCR’s main justification for logging mature trees is to demonstrate “good stewardship and timber cutting practices.” Those who have signed onto the letter however, believe this to be an outdated policy, particularly in light of climate change.
“(DCR) needs to admit we’re in a climate emergency,” Ayers said. “It’s all hands on deck. We need to do everything we can to reduce (carbon dioxide) emissions and also to draw down as much CO2 out of the atmosphere as we can. The technology we have available to us now is trees.”
Leverett resident Don Ogden, who is the host of the regional radio program “The Enviro Show,” said trees and wetlands are some of the few natural carbon capture sources that we have.
“They work 24/7/365,” Ogden said. “It seems obscene that people have such little regard for forests and trees.”
Susan Worgaftik noted that logging practices impact more rural areas like Franklin and Hampshire counties.
“Logging doesn’t take place in Boston, it takes place out here,” she said. “(The issue of logging) is not something that can be taken lightly, and having been a resident of Greater Boston for over 30 years, the concept of what’s important out here is not totally understood. … I signed this (letter) to kind of stop the process to say, ‘Let’s look at this again, because it needs to be looked at.’”