Public forums set on state forest land
By George Barnes TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
gbarnes@telegram.com
WESTBORO ? Continuing to involve the public in planning the future of state forests, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation will sponsor five public forums in February to discuss draft recommendations on the stewardship and management of forest lands within the state parks system.
The DCR began the Forest Futures Visioning Process last spring to determine how best to manage the myriad public benefits and values of forest land within the agency?s parks system. That includes recreation, tourism, aesthetics, renewable forest products, habitat diversity, landscape ecology and how to strike the appropriate balance among them. The process has several components, including forming an advisory group of stakeholders and the Technical Steering Committee, which includes academics, practitioners and scientists; it is developing draft recommendations with input from the public and the stakeholders.
?We are committed to having an open, wide-ranging, public conversation about forests in Massachusetts,? said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. ?We had three public forums and forest tours over the summer, and we look forward to the Technical Steering Committee?s recommendations and hearing public comment.?
The Department of Conservation and Recreation contracted with the Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution & Public Collaboration at the University of Massachusetts in Boston to develop a design for the public process. Among the forums in the summer was one in Leominster that included a visit to the Crow Hill Wildlife conservation area.
Among the upcoming public forums is one scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4, at the Westboro Public Library, 55 West Main St. The snow date is Feb. 16.
The other forums are 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 6 at the North Adams Public Library, 74 Church St., North Adams; 2 to 4 p.m. in Melville Hall, Room 201, at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West St., Pittsfield; 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Jones Library, 43 Amity St., Amherst; and 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Taunton Public Library, 12 Pleasant St., Taunton.
The Technical Steering Committee is composed of 20 people who have expertise in the issues, trends and best practices of forest conservation and ecology, invasive species, landscape ecology, natural resource economics and law, recreation, silviculture, social policy, aesthetics, watersheds and wildlife habitat.
The draft recommendations will be posted soon on the Web site of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, www.mass.gov/dcr. The public is encouraged to review the recommendations and comment on them by sending e-mail to MODRDCRFFVP@umb.edu. The Technical Steering Committee is expected to make its final recommendations to the state later in the winter.
jsongy wrote:Scott,
I'd like to see this subject brought up @ the NEA Jan 9th meeting. I'd like to attend one of these public forums and feel I don't have enough experience/ knowledge on the subject of land use. If there are members interested in going to various dates/locations, is there PR -type literature ready to be used so that EVERYONE is saying/showing the same info. It would also be great to refer to NH guidelines to show what can be done.
Maybe I'm just losing it?
Scott Hatch wrote:As you looking for general information about the NEA for PR type literature or something specific for land use?
PatriotJeep wrote:We need to get as many people to all the meetings we can.
I'll post this to our club and I plan to make what ever meetings I can.
We should post who is going to these meetings and make sure we hit all of them.
jsongy wrote:PatriotJeep wrote:We need to get as many people to all the meetings we can.
I'll post this to our club and I plan to make what ever meetings I can.
We should post who is going to these meetings and make sure we hit all of them.
Sheer numbers may intimidate, possibly not in a good way either. Well prepared and knowledgeable speakers can gain a higher respect rate.
jsongy wrote:PatriotJeep wrote:We need to get as many people to all the meetings we can.
I'll post this to our club and I plan to make what ever meetings I can.
We should post who is going to these meetings and make sure we hit all of them.
Sheer numbers may intimidate, possibly not in a good way either. Well prepared and knowledgeable speakers can gain a higher respect rate.
jsongy wrote:PatriotJeep wrote:We need to get as many people to all the meetings we can.
I'll post this to our club and I plan to make what ever meetings I can.
We should post who is going to these meetings and make sure we hit all of them.
Sheer numbers may intimidate, possibly not in a good way either. Well prepared and knowledgeable speakers can gain a higher respect rate.
mrfreakinwhite wrote:John, if erosion became a sticking point in discussion, you talk about trail hardening and the positive things we do to minimize impact.
Every trail user has impact, from horse hooves to strollers.
I'm sure there is more concern about trespass issues, but none the less, the discussion should be about what to do with forest land.
I was seriously looking at attending North Adams and then Pittsfield that Saturday, and then another.
Scott Hatch wrote:I understand but I wasn't sure exactly what you were looking for....I think I can throw a rough draft together and post something up by Monday and then we can add and/or remove information
That would be awesome, Dave.Jeepin Dave wrote:mrfreakinwhite wrote:John, if erosion became a sticking point in discussion, you talk about trail hardening and the positive things we do to minimize impact.
Every trail user has impact, from horse hooves to strollers.
I'm sure there is more concern about trespass issues, but none the less, the discussion should be about what to do with forest land.
I was seriously looking at attending North Adams and then Pittsfield that Saturday, and then another.
Mike, I may be able to make the one in Pittsfield with you...
Scott Hatch wrote:The state doesn't own these roads Rich, the towns do.
PatriotJeep wrote:We need to make an agreement with the state that we will keep these
4WD roads clear.
jsongy wrote:Acting as a representative of the NEA at any of these meetings, information would need to articulate the usage(both positive and negative) of 4x4 use. We have to be able to admit that what we do does pose erosion issues, yet it would be nice to have IN HAND information to offer about how we handle Land Management and how clean-ups have been performed to show our support of multi-use areas.
jsongy wrote:jsongy wrote:Acting as a representative of the NEA at any of these meetings, information would need to articulate the usage(both positive and negative) of 4x4 use. We have to be able to admit that what we do does pose erosion issues, yet it would be nice to have IN HAND information to offer about how we handle Land Management and how clean-ups have been performed to show our support of multi-use areas.
I've got nothing. I may try to make the 9th in Amhrerst.
mrfreakinwhite wrote:jsongy wrote:jsongy wrote:Acting as a representative of the NEA at any of these meetings, information would need to articulate the usage(both positive and negative) of 4x4 use. We have to be able to admit that what we do does pose erosion issues, yet it would be nice to have IN HAND information to offer about how we handle Land Management and how clean-ups have been performed to show our support of multi-use areas.
I've got nothing. I may try to make the 9th in Amhrerst.
My surgery got postponed cuz I was sick, but I can do the 9th.
Wanna meet there, John?
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