Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines – Public Input Session

Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines – Public Input Session
September 12, 2023, 6:00-8:30pm

A notice from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs:

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs invites you to join a public meeting about a comprehensive effort to conserve and manage forest land in the Commonwealth, known as the Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative.

On September 12, 2023, from 6:00 – 8:30 pm, a remote meeting will be held to seek public input to inform the development of forest management guidelines based on the latest climate science. The guidelines will be applied to forest management on state lands, inform other forest landowners, and serve as the basis for state incentives for adoption of climate-oriented forest management practices.

This meeting is intended to obtain general input on the approach and content of the guidelines. A second public meeting will be held in November to seek feedback on specific issues related to draft guidelines.

We kindly request your consideration of the following framing questions, to guide your input at this first session:
- What role should humans play in optimizing carbon storage and sequestration in forests? To advance other objectives such as clean water, habitat for rare species, or wood products?
- What is your definition or concept of forest reserves? What, if any, is the role of human intervention in maintaining reserve conditions?
- According to the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment (2022) degraded forest health is expected due to warming temperatures, changing precipitation, increasing pest occurrence, and more frequent and intense storms. What types of forest vulnerability do you think require effort to preserve, protect, fortify and/or enhance our state forest lands? What management practices or approaches do you suggest to make the forests of Massachusetts more resilient to the conditions projected by the Climate Change Assessment?

Please register for the session using the following link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

-To attend the virtual session on September 12 from 6:00-8:30pm, please sign up here
-To provide oral comment at the virtual session on September 12, please sign up here
-To provide written comments, please submit your input using the following form. While submission of written comment related to this session by Friday, September 15 at 5pm will facilitate consideration, comments will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis thereafter.

If you have any additional comments or questions not related to this public listening session or wish to share any attachments, please submit to the following email inbox: guidelines@mass.gov