MassWoods

Landowners across the state are facing increasing property taxes which can make it difficult to maintain the land as undeveloped.  The State’s current use programs (Ch. 61, 61A, and 61B) offer an opportunity to reduce property taxes in return for providing the public benefits that these lands provide.  Chapter 61 has a focus on timber management, and requires a 10-year forest management plan. Chapter 61A is for agricultural lands. Chapter 61 B has been referred to as being for recreational lands.  Historically, participation in these programs has been low and has remained fairly steady over time.  

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What can towns do to be sure their community's resources are conserved? Learn from energetic and dedicated municipal officials from across the state, like Norton's Jennifer Carlino. In her post as Conservation Agent, Jennifer has the opportunity to do everything from wetland protection to field studies identifying rare species habitat, vernal pool certification, land protection, and community education.

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Support for forest conservation can come in many forms.  Animal tracking is one great way to engage people and communities while providing valuable information to inform land conservation and land use decisions.  Keystone Cooperator Janet Pesaturo is proof of that.

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For an all-volunteer organization, the Hilltown Land Trust has a substantial list of accomplishments. Founded in 1986 by community members who were concerned about the potential loss of their open space, the trust has acquired 23 (soon to be 25) conservation restrictions, three agricultural preservation restrictions, and it owns six properties, all within the nine westernmost towns of Hampshire County. "We're not one of the big flashy land trusts," says one founding board member, "We're slow but steady."

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Jassy Bratko is committed to conservation. A 10 year member of Hubbardston's Open Space Committee, one of a handful of remaining founding members, she has been instrumental in a number of the committee's key achievements. Though originally from England, Jassy settled with her husband, who was born nearby, in Hubbardston 25 years ago, and considers it her home. Her desire to be sure the town retains the rural character to which she was first attracted has led Jassy to dedicate a significant amount of time and energy to protecting and managing its open space, both in her capacity as Chairperson of the Open Space Committee  and as a landowner.

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Albert Adams seems to have fulfilled at least one of his dreams when he purchased some land five years ago, and he's been improving on it since. A sportsman and wildlife enthusiast, Albert was thrilled to get a good deal on 29 acres of woodland in Windsor, a parcel that abuts other woodlands and sits across the street from a wildlife management area.

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Three years ago we launched our website, MassWoods, to promote informed forest conservation (management and protection) decisions. We monitor the use of the site and have been very pleased with its success. Since its launch, MassWoods has had over 23,000 visits (an average of 24 per day), with an average visit length of over three minutes and almost four pages viewed per visit.

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When a Pennsylvania family wanted to find a way to make the world a better place, they convinced the Pennsylvania legislature to create an official state holiday called "Invite Your Neighbor to Dinner Day", on the second Saturday of January. Dinner day is a designated time when people invite not-so-familiar neighbors to have dinner with them with the hope that friendships will be formed which in turn will increase the strength of their communities. If this seems like a very small way to make the world a better place or if you think it has nothing to do with forest management or land protection, think again.

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In ecology, a keystone species is one whose impacts on its environment are larger and greater than would be expected from one species. Like the Coverts program before, the Keystone Project educates forest owners and community leaders who have a significant impact on their communities.  Help us identify these important people who can make the conservation difference!

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When landowners need to decide the future of their land, it can be very helpful to learn about the decisions that other landowners have made. There is much to be learned from the stories of other landowners who have faced similar decisions. One way we try to encourage this is through our Cases of Conservation, case studies of landowners who have used different conservation tools to meet their personal and financial objectives. A great example of a case study that demonstrates how conservation helped meet a landowner's personal objectives is the story of the Borton family.

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