Public Comments Needed on Draft Forest Management PlansThe Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife) is seeking public comment on forest management plans for the Taconic Mountains and Marble Valley Forest Management Zone (FMZ) and the Berkshire Highlands Forest Management Zone. Both management plans integrate principles of MassWildlife’s Biodiversity Initiative and addresses Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC) “Green Certification” requirements for habitat management planning on state forest and wildlife lands. The plans are posted below. Interested citizens, conservationists and natural resource professionals are encouraged to submit written comments postmarked by February 16, 2007 to: John Scanlon, MassWildlife Forest Project Leader, MassWildlife Field HQ, Westborough, MA 01581. The draft Taconic Mountains & Marble Valley FMZ plan provides a summary and assessment of forest resources on over 6,600 acres of MassWildlife lands in western Berkshire County, and describes long term forest monitoring and management goals for those lands over the next two decades. Forest management activities include active and passive management such as timber sales to create or enhance young forest habitat and identification of forest reserves to establish biologically mature forest habitat. A revised draft plan for Berkshire Highlands FMZ covers 34,000 acres of DFW lands in central and eastern Berkshire County. An initial draft of this plan was posted for public review in August 2005, and comments were received until December 2, 2005. Many of the public comments received are reflected in the revised draft.
MassWildlife's Forest Management Program is an integral part of MassWildife’s
Biodiversity Initiative, a habitat based approach to address the needs
of wildlife in greatest need of conservation. Through the leadership of
MassWildlife’s foresters, who have been actively engaged in managing
valuable forest habitats for wildlife, Massachusetts became the first
state in the nation where multiple state environmental agencies received
a designation of GREEN certification for all of their forest management
practices on approximately 500,000 acres of state forests, wildlife and
water supply lands. This designation by the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC), adheres to high professional standards which ensure sustainable
forest management in terms of ecological, economic and social benefits.
MassWildlife Forest Management Program activities include mapping of forest
and non-forest cover types, inventory of timber and other wood product
volume, biological monitoring of plant and animal populations, timber
harvesting to provide young forest habitat, and establishment of forest
reserves to secure mature forest habitat. Ruffed grouse, chestnut-sided
warbler and New England cottontail are types of wildlife benefiting from
MassWildife’s forest management activities. Questions? Comments? Contact: MassWildlife at Mass.Wildlife@state.ma.us Date Last Updated: November 20, 2006 Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Executive
Office of Environmental Affairs
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