Eastern Connecticut Valley Forest Management Projects

This portion of Northfield State Forest was acquired in 2016 through a collaboration amongst the Trust for Public Land, Northfield Mount Hermon School, and DCR.  The approximately 1,300 acre property has a rich history of forest management and recreational use prior to state ownership; and the DCR seeks to continue sustainable forest management and public outreach there with this project.  Group selection and variable density thinning will be applied to regenerate some portions of the treated stand, and maintain the vigor and growth of residual trees in others.  This will allow the forest to continue to maintain high growth rates across a diverse group of species and forest conditions.  Additionally, a collaborative study involving UMass Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation faculty is proposed for this project.  This study will investigate the relationships between forest management practices, forest structure and growth, and ways to enhance carbon stocks and flux; and, consistent with DCR’s mission and UMass’s roots as a land grant university, will translate this research into outreach to the public, landowners, and forest managers.