[WestMALocals] EcoForestry Concern | Forum Slated in Agawam Re: "Shelterwood Harvest" of Pine "Plantation" in State Park

[Owen Broadhurst]

 Hello folks,

On Monday, the 22nd of May, the Friends of Robinson Park are hosting a forum
regarding a recent controversy: the pending timber sale of both sick and
healthy trees within a 130 acre section of Robinson State Park. The Friends
have organized against the harvest, but are hosting this informational
session at which foresters, state legislators, and the public is invited.

Robinson State Park is located within the Town of Agawam, my hometown and
the heart of the Third Hampden District wherein I'm campaigning for the
office of State Representative. Within this district, I may be competing
with a field of up to seven other candidates - four of whom are now seeking
the Democratic Party nomination (yes, the field has expanded from its
original four).

Ms. Denise Moffat is one such Democratic Party nomination contender. She's
also the administrative aide to the former State Representative Daniel
Keenan, who resigned office in February. Ms. Moffat has maintained
constituent services for Dan Keenan's office in his stead.

She wrote a recent guest editorial for the Agawam-Advertiser News, a local
newsweekly that shall be most influential in the present state
representative race. This guest editorial in essence was a piece promoting
the proposed timber sale, and was one I found alarming in its being replete
with logging industry jargon. She defends the current forestry practices of
the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation, I believe,
uncritically. My fear regarding this is that the proposed sale is far less
for forest health than for revenue generation in the creation of tree farms.


Details known to me now follow. Kind advice would be welcome, as is all
input into what application of ecoforestry principles might look like in
such instances as this.

--
Owen R. Broadhurst(MA)
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org



http://www.masslive.com/metrowest/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1146124129290910.xml&coll=1




Five acres burn:

http://www.masslive.com/metrowest/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1144914534168230.xml&coll=1




>From Agawam Advertiser-News, May 4 2006, p4:



Guest Editorial: Clearing up misconceptions about Robinson State Park



By Denise Moffat

Administrative Aide

Third Hampden District State Representative Office



In the past week, concerns have been brought to my attention by many
constituents regarding the "logging" that is scheduleed to take place in
Robinson State Park this year. There are numerious trees painted yellow and
blue in the park, which designates them for removal. Mass Live has posts
about how upset residents are that the trauls might be destroyed and the
animals might be without homes. There is a committee called "friends of
Robinson Park" who are trying to scale back or stop the "logging". All this
prompted me to immediately call the Department of Conservation & Recreation
(DCR) to get an explanation as to what is transpiring at the park.



Let me preface this article by reminding everyone that Foresters are in the
business of preserving nature and doing what is best for the environment.
They go to school to protect the environment. That includes vegetation and
animals. They would never intentionally harm or remove these trees if there
wasn't a valid reason. That reason is as follows, directly from DCR. It is
my hope that this will explain and clear up many residents' misconceptions
about the tree removal at Robinson State Park slated for later this year.



The Facts... Robinson State Park (from DCR)



Robinson State Park covers in excess of 800 acres along the Westfield River
and is located in the towns of Agawam/ Feeding Hills and Westfield in
Hampden County. This facility is blessed with an assortment of large
diameter, high quality hardwood species many of which are uncommon in the
Eastern Connecticut Valley Forestry District. Unfortunately, however, forest
in Robinson State Park lack diversity in age class. Most of the park
supports forest strands that are approaching maturity with little or no
advance reproduction of like kind in the understory. One of the reasons for
this predicament is that there has always been an unwritten policy that the
"parks" were for recreation use and not meant to support forestry
activities. As the years go by, it is becoming readily apparent statewide
that this policy may not be one of wise land stewardship. Many of our parks
statewide now support forests that are approaching 80 - 90 years of age. The
geriatric nature of these forest stands means that they lack vigor and are
facing more and more forest health issues as the time moves on. Large
diameter sawlog stands are the most susceptible stands in the event of
catastrophic weather events such as hurricanes, micro bursts and tornadoes.
The creation of a mosaic of stand age classes and stand types across the
park would greatly help to lessen the damage from weather related events.



Robinson State Park 2006 Timber Sale: Why Harvest?



Many of Robinson State Park's non-native Red Pine Planation are diseased and
dying. As trees die and fall they present a severer liability issue for DCR
in light of the high public use experienced in Robinson. In some instances
hardwood stands adjacent to plantations were also included in the harvest
because it was determined they could also benefit from a silvicultural
treatment at this time. These hardwood stands require use of the same access
roads and landing areas so it make sense to treat them nowas opposed to
re-entering the same area in a year or two.



How large is the harvest area?



The are designated for harvest is approximately 130 acres in size and
seperated into two different sale. Exact acreage will be available shortly
as soon as GPS field mapping is complete and has been analyzed. Sale 1 in
the south end (reacreation day use area) would be harvested during the
months of November/ December 2006. Sale 2 in the northeast end of the park
would be harvested in mid to late summer 2006. Harvesting under bare ground
conditions is preferable to obtain "ground scarification" resulting in
better seed germination success. Due to safety issues and heavy summer
recreational use, the south end will be harvested during the winter months.



How does a timber sale take place?



The park supervisor at Robinson State Park contacted the Management Forester
and explained the problems the park was experiencing. As mortality increases
dead red pine were falling across main park access road with increasing
regularity.



The forester conducted a forest "cruise" of the affected areas collecting
stand data to assess the problem and to determine the most appropriate
corrective measures.



A management decision was made to salvage the affected strands and to site
convert the non-native red pine stands to native white pine hardwood stands
utilizing the "shelterwood harvesting system." Trees designated for harvest
were marked and tallied by trained licensed foresters.



Timber sale volumes will be determined, a time tested timber sale contract
will be drafted, cutting plans will be filed, a timber sale showing for
interested loggers and sawmills will occur, and timber sale bids will be
received and opened. The timber sale contracts will be awarded to the
successful bidders by June 30, 2006.



Unannounced filed checks made by the forester will occur during the
harvesting process to assure the contractor is in full compliance with the
timber sale contract. Following the completion of harvest in each stand,
final bulldozer grading and site stabilization will occur to insure any
potential erosion issues have been corrected.



What is meant by the term "shelterwood harvesting system?"



The "shelterwood harvesting system" is a reproduction harvest designed to
reproduce a forest strand. The shelterwood system is the system of choice
when trying to reproduce white pine, oak or hemlock in the ECV district.



In the shelterwood system approximately 50% of the existing overstory is
removed leaving an evenly distributed overstory. The biggest, best quality
trees are retained to serve as the seed source for the next forest stand.
Most understory trees are cut so that the new forest seedlings are free to
grow. In some instances desirable advanced white pine regeneration is
present. Where the situation occurs, an effort will be made to harvest
minimizing damage to the bulk of the white pine advanced reproduction.



Who gets the revenue from a timber sale on DCR lands?



Eight percent of the bid amount is returned to the town in which the sale
occurs. Approximately 20 - 30% of the estimated value of a sale goes back
into the land where the harvest takes place. This is accomplished through
the "special provisions" section of the timber sale contract where the
logging contractor is required by contract to accomplish various designated
services ( i.e. XX hours of a certain size class bulldozer with operator to
repair or maintain a designated road or trail in the harvest area). The
remaining 60 +/- % of the sale value is deposted in the state general fund
account to help fund the commonwealth.



What are the timber sale benefits to Robinson State Park?



1. The timber sale benefits to Robinson State Park are many...

2. Serious safety issues along sale boundaries with private abutters will be
removed and corrected.

3. The timber sale will improve forest stand diversity as well as forest age
class diversity in Robinson State Park. The increased diversity will improve
the general forest health of Robinson State Park as well as benefit native
wildlife that lives in the park.

4. 3.6 miles of boundary work was accomplished prior to sale layout.
Boundaries were located, painted, tagged and blazed. Missing boundary
monuments were noted and boundary encroachments were identified.

5. The timber sale will serve as a means of accomplishing much needed road
and trail maintenance and will help correct a number of serious erosion
problems on roads and trails in and adjacent to the sale areas.

6. Poorly located trails will be relocated to more environmentally friendly
areas.

7. Two new scenic vistas overlooking the Westfield River will be created and
two existing vistas will receive needed maintenance.

8 The main power line in the south end of the park that serves the beach
area and the power line that serves the headquarters will receive much
needed maintenance to protect both power lines from falling dead and dying
trees. Besides reducing the chance of power failure, the removal of the
standing dead and dying trees will also reduce the chance of a brush fire
caused by fallen live electrical wires.


--
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org