Overview
It is critical to ensure that Massachusetts’ forests are conserved and managed to optimize carbon sequestration and mitigate climate harms, as part of meeting the state’s aggressive climate goals. Forests as Climate Solutions will accelerate progress toward our land conservation goals of protecting 30 percent of the Commonwealth by 2030 and 40 percent by 2050, in service of achieving net-zero statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Forests as Climate Solutions will expand existing state programs, invest in forest conservation, enhance a network of forest reserves, and develop forest management guidelines based on the latest climate science. These guidelines will apply to state lands, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration will also provide incentives for private landowners to adopt them to maximize the climate benefits of their forests.
Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches New Climate-Focused Forestry Initiative
Climate Forestry Committee Issues Recommendations for Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines
In June 2023, the Administration convened a 12-person committee of experts and engaged with stakeholders and the public to inform the development of climate-oriented management guidelines that increase carbon storage and resilience to climate change.
On January 3, 2024, the Healey-Driscoll Administration released the report of the Climate Forestry Committee: Recommendations for Climate Oriented Forest Management Guidelines.
The committee agreed it was paramount for Massachusetts to “keep forests as forests” by supporting efforts to reduce land conversion and increasing permanent land conservation. The recommendations include enlarging forest reserves, applying practices for maintaining carbon stocks when managing actively, and implementing passive management strategies to realize older forests and increase carbon stocks.
We invite public comment on this report to inform the state’s implementation of the recommendations. To provide written comment on this report, please do so via the following form: share comments. Comments submitted by January 24th at 5pm will facilitate consideration. If you are limited by length or wish to share attachments, please send materials to guidelines@mass.gov.
Additional Resources
Ongoing Agency Initiatives
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and its agencies have also pursued a series of parallel efforts to advance the consideration of climate through enhanced forest management practices.
The Administration has announced a $50 million investment to achieve these goals. These initiatives include:
- Investing in accelerated land conservation
- New incentive programs to support municipalities, forest landowners, and forest-based businesses to adopt climate-oriented management approaches
- A new forests data dashboard with information about state forest management
Prior Public Input
Throughout this process we have embraced diverse public input.
Public Input Session #2
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs hosted a Public Input Session on November 14, 2023, 6:30-8:30pm. All content from the meeting can be found at the following link: Public Input Session 2 Materials
Written Comments on Session 2 received through December 5, 2023:
- FACS Emails and Comments Combined
- FACS Session 2 Submitted Written Comments (pdf)
- FACS Session 2 Submitted Written Comments (xls)
Public Input Session #1
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs hosted a Public Input Session on September 12, 2023, 6:00-8:30pm. All content from the meeting can be found at the following link: Public Input Session 1 Materials
Written comments on Session 1 received through October 17: