Forestry

There are 3.2 million acres of privately owned forest land in Massachusetts and 285,000 acres of State Forests and Parks. Municipal watershed lands cover 245,000 acres and there are 351 municipalities with associated urban trees and forests. The Bureau serves all of these owners and the forest they care for through the programs listed below. If you have questions or simply care about the forests of Massachusetts this is a good place to start.

Public Notices

New Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and the Future of Ash in Berkshire County

A FREE Seminar for the Public and Ash Resource Managers in Berkshire County – Wednesday, June 19th in Pittsfield. Click here for more information.

Preparing for Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Massachusetts/April 18th at UMass Dartmouth or May 8th in Shelburne Falls

Workshops for Foresters, Tree Professionals, and Landowners, and Students (free and open to the public)

Pre-registration requested.  Click here for more information.

State Officials Announce Quarantine to Halt Spread of Invasive Emerald Ash Borer Species

Emerald Ash Borer Workshop Presentations held in 2012 are now available to view

The DCR Service Forestry Program and MA Forest Stewardship Program sponsored Emerald Ash Borer Workshop Presentations held on December 4, 2012 in Leominster and December 18, 2012 in Amherst as well as the first workshop held in Dalton on September 18, 2012--are now available to view.

Proposed Forest Management Projects

• New Public Outreach - Comments and Responses
• New Pre-Harvest Tours Scheduled

Public Meetings - Emerald Ash Borer in Massachusetts

• October 16 & 17, 2012 - Meeting Information and Materials

Tree Steward Training: Strengthening Branches in Your Community Forest

Two Day Training – October 19th & 20th, Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA

Click here for additional information…

Notice for Public Comments/Forester Licensing Regulations  
Notice   |  Regulations   |  Public Comments

Monitoring the Natural Resources of State Forest, Park and Reservation Properties of the Department of Conservation and Recreation

Monitoring our Forest Resources – Forest Statistics

Long Term Ecological Monitoring of Forest Reserves

Forest Certification Audit Report 2009

Announcing Financial Assistance for New Forest Stewardship Plans & Plan Upgrades for Green Certification

Massachusetts State Lands Forest Resource Management Planning Information

Robinson SP: Updated May 16, 2008 Survey for Rare and Protected Species and Uncommon and Priority Natural Communities

• Appendix C: Plant and Natural Community Survey Report
• Appendix D: Herpetological Survey Report
• Appendix E: Odonate Survey Report

Understanding Forest Land Valuation for CH 61/61A

• For Landowners and Foresters
• For Municipalities

Draft Massachusetts Emergency Response Plan for Highly Destructive Invasive Species

Service Forestry - The Service Forestry Program promotes long-term forest management and resource protection on private lands through a combination of statutory mandates, tax relief, and outreach and education programs. This would be a good place to start if you are interested in forestry on your own lands or having a forester visit your town or property.

Urban and Community Forestry - The Urban and Community Forestry Program offers technical assistance and grants to communities to build long-term support for the protection and management of public trees and forests. This would be a good place to start to learn about trees in towns and cities, their, care, and how you can help.

Management Forestry - The Management Forestry Program is responsible for the planning and implementation of all natural resource management activities on the State's 285,000 acre forest and parks system. This would be a good place to start if you are interested in learning more about the management of these lands for both forest products and the public's enjoyment.

Forest Health - The Forest Health Program monitors and assesses factors that influence the health of Massachusetts's forests. This would be a good place to start if you are interested in learning about common insect and diseases that threaten trees and forests in Massachusetts.

Utilization and Marketing - The Forest Products Utilization and Marketing Program assists landowners, foresters, timber harvesters, sawmills, manufactures, and recyclers in the promotion and expansion of the forest products industry in the Commonwealth and the Northeast Region. This would be a good place to start to learn more about the wood industries and wood based initiatives.

Forest Legacy - The Forest Legacy Program is a partnership between participating States and the USDA Forest Service to identify and help protect environmentally important forests from conversion to non-forest uses. The main tool used for protecting these important forests is conservation easements. The Federal government may fund up to 75% of program costs, with at least 25% coming from private, state or local sources.

Federal (USDA) civil right non-discrimination statement

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