| The FREMO Network |
Welcome to the FREMO network! As a municipal official, you are in an excellent position to promote forest conservation in your community. However, municipal officials don’t always have the expertise or resources to move forest conservation forward. The Forest Resources Education for Municipal Officials (FREMO) Network project was designed to help municipal officials overcome these barriers. Our goal is to provide a network of municipal officials that can provide you their experience, information, resources and advice on promoting forest conservation at the local level. After all,who knows better than other municipal officials how to promote forest conservation in a community. As a municipal official, you know best which projects fit your community. Below is a listing of projects that municipal officials from across the state have worked on. Each person listed has agreed to be a part of the network and be contacted for information and advice. Contact them or download resources from their project and get your forest conservation project moving forward or get information through the discussion board! Forest Conservation ProjectsCh. 61 Right of First Refusal Town Policy
Chapter 61 Right of First Refusal (ROFR) Town Policy - A town may exercise it's ROFR or it may transfer it to an eligible conservation organization. In order to take advantage of the ROFR, it is recommended that communities establish a ROFR policy. Below are contacts for communities that have established a policy, some example policies, and related resources regarding the ROFR process. ROFR Policy - Town of Shelburne - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Other ROFR Resources: Management of Town Land - Town land can be managed for a variety of community benefits, including recreation, firewood, timber, and wildlife. Below are contacts for communities that have successfully managed their town lands and some example documents. Contact them to find out how they got started. Town of Sturbridge Forest Stewardship Management Plan -
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or (508) 347-2506. Forestry Revolving Fund - It is possible to use forest management as a way to fund some of your community's conservation work. To do this, you can create a forestry revolving fund that ensures that the proceeds from a timber sale goes to an account specifically for conservation activities. This can be done as through a town warrant. Forestry Revolving Fund Example - Norton -
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or (508) 285-0275 Land Protection - Protecting land can be a very effective way for communities to realize their community development goals. Below are contacts for people working to conserve land in their communities through a variety of means. Successful LAND grant application - Jassy Bratko, Hubbardston Open Space Committee Hosting a neighborhood conservation meeting -
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, Conway Open Space Town meeting vote to purchase open space Prioritizing Land for Conservation - Shelburne - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Community Outreach and Landowner Education - Helping to inform the decisions of private landowners and connecting the community to forest resources are excellent ways to encourage forest conservation. Below are contacts working to educate landowners and the community as to the importance of our forest resources. "Hiking Through History" Getting people out for a hike to learn about both forests and local history. - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Upton Open Space and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Friends of Upton State Forest Hosting a 'Woods Forum' program - Giving landowners the opportunity to ask their forest management and land conservation questions while meeting local professionals. Hosting a workshop on the Ch. 61 Programs - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Westport Zoning - Increasing residential development is one of the primary threats to the long term integrity of the region’s forests. Zoning is one strategy available to towns to reduce the potential fragmentation effects of new residential development. Below is an example of a community that developed innovative zoning for their community to conserve forests. The town of Shutesbury pioneered an approach called Natural Resource Protection zoning that seeks to preserve the town’s forests by encouraging new development in the town center and existing villages, and reducing the amount of new houses that are allowed in the outlying forested areas. Shutesbury Zoning Bylaw Recreational Trails - Creating and maintaining trails is a great way to connect people to forest resources, teach people about the value of forest resources, and promote forest conservation. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - (413) 628-3268 |
