DCR Background Materials
for June 23 Joint Meeting
Technical Steering Committee and Stakeholder Advisory Group
In response to the Technical Steering Committee’s request for baseline information about DCR and its stewardship of state forests, DCR is providing background and materials about three key areas related to DCR forests: statutory mandates, organizational background and overview of DCR forest lands, and forest management planning and implementation.
1. DCR Statutory Mandates
2. Organizational Background and Overview of DCR Forest Lands
a. Key Points - DCR Forest Lands.
b. Statewide Overview of DCR lands - The majority of the 450,000 acres DCR managers on behalf of the public are forested lands. These lands are part of a larger forested landscape in Massachusetts with broader ownership and protection characteristics.
c. DCR's Division of Water Supply Protection has care and control of approximately 100,000 acres of watershed forest and deliberately managers approximately 2/3 of these acres for long term protection of drinking water.
d. The Public's Use of Outdoor Resources in Massachusetts represents the finding of a 2004 market research survey to expand DCR's knowledge of the "core users" of state parks and recreation facilities (which included forested lands). Through phone surveys of 400 park users and 100 non-users, the research expanded DCR's understanding of both user and non-user demographics and motivations; the relative popularity of activities; the importance of various services or facilities and the key characteristics that influence customer satisfaction.
e. DCR Organizational Structure - All of the functions and responsibilities related to managing and maintaining DCR's parks, forests, beaches and other facilities are part of the Park Operations Division, including the Bureau of Forestry and Fire Control. The Bureaus and Divisions of Park Operations work in coordination with a number of other support functions to fulfill DCR's range of responsibilities.
3. Forest Management Planning and Implementation on DCR State Forest Lands
4. Other Background
|
