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Join Us on May 13th For A Virtual Foresters Council Meeting
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MFA's Foresters Council holds an annual meeting, typically at the Bluebonnet Diner in Northampton. Last year's event was cancelled, and we're still not able to hold the event in person this year (but we're hopefully getting closer to a return to normality!). This free event will take place virtually on Thursday, May 13th, from 5-7 pm. While designed to be of interest to foresters, the meeting is open to all MFA members and the public at large.
The schedule for the presentation:
- DCR Updates on state lands management and service forestry
- A presentation from MassWildlife on the joint MFA/MassWildlife RCPP grant program to create young forest habitat on privately-owned forestland - with updated eligibility and other application information
- A presentation from the New England Forestry Foundation on their new Exemplary Forestry guidelines for southern New England forests - learn how foresters can use these guidelines to increase productivity and carbon sequestration
- Legislative updates on the many forest-related bills filed this legislative session
We have applied for forester and timber harvester credits and will update our registration page with the credits awarded to the meeting.
The meeting is free, but registration is required and space is limited. Registration is now open, so please visit mfa-foresters-council-2021.eventbrite.com to register today! We hope to see you on May 13th.
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This month's issue of the Forest Update is brought to you by:
A fourth-generation farm located in Dalton, Holiday Brook Farm is 1,300 acres of farmland and forest that are managed in a natural and sustainable way. They raise 100% grass-fed beef and lamb as well as pastured pork. A wood-fired evaporator makes maple syrup from a 2,000-tap sugarbush. They also produce hay, straw, firewood and have an agricultural composting operation. The farm serves as a venue for weddings, mountain biking events, and farm and forest-based educational programs.
Holiday Brook Farm now offers free home delivery on purchases of more than $50 of grass-fed beef, pork, lamb, eggs, and maple syrup within Berkshire County. Call or text 413-441-4597 for more information.
Thanks to Holiday Brook Farm for their generous support!
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Chapter 61 Values for New Fiscal Year Released
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 Tax valuations for woodlands enrolled in Chapter 61 or 61A will decline slightly for woodlands west of the Connecticut River, and rise sharply for woodlands east of the river under new valuations voted on by the Farmland Valuation Advisory Commission to take effect in the new fiscal year which begins July 1st.
The average valuation for woodlands west of the Connecticut River will drop from $121/acre to $116/acre, a reduction of 4.1%, while the average value for woodlands east of the river will climb sharply from $98/acre to $119/acre, an increase of 21.4%. West of the river, below average woodlands would be valued at $93/acre while above average woodlands would be valued at $139/acre. East of the river, below average woodlands would be valued at $95/acre, while above average woodlands would be valued at $143/acre. Valuations for land in Christmas tree plantations will rise from $108/acre to $116/acre, while non-productive land such as wetlands or rocky land would be valued at $49/acre.
For years, average values for woodlands west of the river has been higher than east of the river. This year’s valuations show eastern values have climbed above those to the west, the result of higher stumpage prices paid on timber in central and eastern Massachusetts. Under the formula, a 50-acre average woodland west of the river would be valued at $5,800 for tax purposes, and in a community with a $15/$1,000 valuation tax rate, would be assessed $87 in annual taxes under Chapter 61, a cut of $3.75 from the current year. A 50-acre average woodland east of the river would be valued at $5,950 for tax purposes, and at a $15 tax rate, would be assessed $89.25 in annual taxes, an increase of $15.75 from the current year. MassWoods offers a Chapter 61/61A tax calculator where you can calculate your own tax total.
Values for Chapter 61 & 61A forestland are set using a formula MFA developed with assessors, the Department of Conservation & Recreation and the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation. The formula is based on average stumpage price values, discounted to reflect that not all woodland growth can be harvested due to site and environmental considerations.
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DCR Hires New State Lands Management Forestry Director
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We told you last year that Bill Hill, the forester responsible for overseeing state lands forest management, had retired and a search was being conducted to find his replacement.
 Bill's replacement has been named, and it is well-known forester and wildlife biologist Tom Brulé. Most recently, Tom has worked for MFA member Pantermehl Environmental Services and as a consulting forester for countless clients, including the Massachusetts Forest Trust, MFA's nonprofit affiliate. Fun fact - twenty years ago, Tom developed a forest management plan for a summer camp in Otis run by current MFA Executive Director Chris Egan - sparking an interest in forestry that eventually led him to MFA!
Last legislative session, MFA joined a coalition of major environmental groups (including The Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Trustees of Reservations, Harvard Forest, Mt. Grace and Franklin Land Trusts and others) to oppose a bill that would have largely outlawed forest management on state-owned lands. That same bill has been filed again this session, and we'll be working to defeat it again. DCR's forest management, overseen by Tom and a crew of management foresters, is critically important to help protect watersheds, improve wildlife habitat, strengthen forest resiliency, replace Depression-era monoculture plantations with native mixed-species forests, and more.
Congratulations to Tom, and we hope to have him as a speaker at our upcoming Foresters Council virtual meeting on May 13.
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Logger Aid Package Delayed
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 You may remember that we asked you to advocate for the federal Logger Relief Package as part of COVID economic recovery measures. And in December, it was incorporated into the COVID relief bill, setting aside up to $200 million for timber harvesters and log truckers. That was good news.
Unfortunately, it became apparent that USDA was hesitating to use the full $200 million authorized. MFA joined the American Loggers Council and other forestry groups on a letter to the USDA urging them to devote the full $200 million to the program.
While the law was passed some time ago, USDA still needs to set up the program, something that might require a rulemaking process that could take up to four months. We'll continue to advocate for this desperately-needed aid.
Read more on this from our friends at the American Loggers Council.
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Foresters for the Birds Training
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 The MassConn Sustainable Forest Partnership will hold a two-day Foresters for the Birds training on April 29th and 30th.
Foresters for the Birds is a DCR/Mass Audubon program providing cost share assistance to landowners to hire a qualified consulting forester to conduct a Bird Habitat Assessment on their land. The assessment provides information about the existing or potential habitat for target bird species and silvicultural recommendations for enhancing habitat through forest management.
To become certified to provide this service to landowners, consulting foresters must attend this training and then conduct two assessments under the review of Mass Audubon and DCR. Foresters will also become qualified to develop forest management plans with bird habitat assessments for landowners receiving USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) funding through the Southern New England Heritage Forest RCPP in south-central Massachusetts.
This training is intended for those who have not yet attended a Foresters for the Birds training, those who would like extra support, and those who are simply interested or have questions.
This training will include (1) a virtual classroom session accessible to anyone with an internet connection through the Microsoft Teams platform on April 29th from 2 – 4 pm, and (2) a site visit to the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission’s Ludlow Reservoir watershed property on April 30th from 10 am to 1 pm.
At the field site, participants will view different bird habitats and silvicultural treatments implemented to respond to gypsy moth-related oak mortality, which correspondingly enhanced habitat for forest birds and wildlife. Field session participants will be required to wear masks and follow social distancing best practices. Directions will be provided to registrants. Please dress for walking in the woods.
Space is limited. To register, please contact Christopher Riely at christopher@sweetbirchconsulting.com or call (401) 225-6135. This event has been approved for 5.0 MA Forester CFE credits and 2.0 CT Forester CEU credits.
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TTC Energy Unveils Videos
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 TTC Energy is a modern wood heat fuel supplier located in Windsor. TTC Energy screens and dries wood chips to offer its customers a renewable, locally-sourced, and energy-dense substitute for fossil fuels while supporting forest practices necessary to maintaining the vibrancy of New England forests.
TTC Energy sources their wood chips from sawmill residues, supplied to them by MFA members Roberts Bros. Lumber in Ashfield and Lashway Lumber in Williamsburg. These sawmills chip the "slabs" - rounded edges left over from turning a round log into square lumber - and send them to TTC Energy, who screens them (to achieve consistent sizing) and dries them, using hot air from furnaces that are themselves fueled by dried wood chips. The use of this waste material makes the decarbonization benefits even stronger for businesses that switch from oil or propane to clean, renewable modern wood heat.
TTC Energy produces and sells Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (APS) compliant dry chip fuel so its customers using approved dried wood chip boilers can qualify for Alternative Energy Credits (AECs) as they purchase fuel.
TTC has recently released a number of high-quality videos explaining the business. In one video, founder Tim Crane talks about the creation of the business. You can see all the TTC Energy videos on their YouTube channel.
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Allard Lumber CHP System Profiled
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 MFA member Allard Lumber was recently profiled on vermontbiz.com. The story explores their combined heat and power (CHP) system. With the system, Allard uses their own wood waste to provide heat and power. The system creates high-pressure steam, which is run through a turbine to generate electricity. The resulting low-pressure steam is used to provide heat to their kiln, used to dry lumber.
Power is a major expense for sawmills - Allard spent $250,000 each year. The CHP system saves them $160,000 annually.
Read this interesting and informative article by clicking here.
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Governor Baker Joins In Prescribed Burn
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 Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, and EEA Secretary Kathleen Theoharides joined in a prescribed burn yesterday at Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area in Royalston. The burn was designed to reduce fire risk, improve wildlife habitat, and regenerate vegetation damaged by drought. The political leaders not only observed, but took turns with the drip torch, assisting in the process.
WBZ TV had exclusive coverage on the event. Click here to watch their report.
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Surveying For The Lost Chestnut Bee
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 The CT and MA/RI Chapters of The American Chestnut Foundation have partnered to embark on a survey with entomologist Michael Veit to search for the lost chestnut bee, Andrena rehni. Also known as Rehn's Miner Bee, this pollinator was thought to have gone extinct with the loss of its primary habitat, the American chestnut. However, all hope may not be lost as one of these bees was found in a Chinquapin tree in Connecticut. Now, the search is on across southern New England to discover if these bees still exist within the native range of the American chestnut. To get involved email Kendra Collins, New England regional science coordinator, or the CT-TACF Chapter.
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Comment on USDA Climate-Smart Forestry
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 On January 27, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. This Executive Order laid out a series of actions for Federal Agencies to take regarding climate change mitigation and resilience, including directing the Secretary of Agriculture to collect stakeholder input on a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. As part of this process, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking input from the public to ensure that relevant information is considered. There are questions you can answer listed on the regulations.gov website.
USDA is accepting public comments on this topic through 11:59 PM on April 29.
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Project Learning Tree Introduces
New K-8 Activity Guide
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 Project Learning Tree® (PLT) released a new curriculum guide this month to engage kindergarten through grade 8 students in exploring their environment. Project Learning Tree is a long-established, award-winning environmental education program that uses trees and forests as windows on the world to advance environmental literacy, stewardship, and pathways to green careers. The guide includes fifty field-tested, hands-on activities that integrate investigations of nature with science, math, English language arts, and social studies. It incorporates outdoor education and connects youth to nature which has many proven benefits. The guide can be purchased as an ebook or printed copy from the PLT Shop.
MFA helps support DCR in delivery of Project Learning Tree programs here in Massachusetts.
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New Wood-Based Plastic Developed
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We occasionally bring you stories about exciting new wood products. Researchers at the University of Maryland and Yale have developed a new bio-plastic made from wood powder, a sawmill residue. Made by mixing the powder with a biodegradable solvent, the wood plastic can be made into a film for plastic bags, used for plastic packaging, and even in automobiles and other large uses.
Research shows that the material entirely biodegrades in three months, or can be simply broken down with mechanical stirring to return it to a slurry form, where it can be easily reused as if it were the initial raw material.
Read the article from the Yale School of the Environment here.
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Maine Biochar Facility Releases Video
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 We told you last month about a new biochar production facility starting up in Maine. Standard Biocarbon has now released a video about the value of their product and the economic effect on the rural community where they are located.
Biochar is created by heating wood in a low-oxygen environment (a process called pyrolysis). This does not combust the wood, but turns it into an almost pure carbon charcoal that retains most of the carbon that was in the wood and is stable (won't rot or decay). It can be used to increase agricultural productivity - a soil amendment that doesn't run off, but remains in the soil long-term and helps retain water. It can be used in animal feed to improve health and reduce methane emissions. It can be used as an additive to concrete to make it water-resistant. There are countless beneficial uses.
To view the video, visit the Standard Biocarbon website and scroll down.
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