Victory
for FMTSF-ENTS |
Robert
Leverett |
May
25, 2006 11:27 PDT |
ENTS,
The commonwealth of Massachusetts has undertaken an ambitious
program
to partition its public forests into areas of active management
and
forest reserves using models partly developed by TNC that speak
to the
preservation of biodiversity. Basically, the reserve component
of the
program calls for 20% of the public forests to be set aside as
forest
reserves (no management), which amounts to about 120,000 acres.
I am part of a select committee that is identifying reserve
boundaries
in western Massachusetts. Presently, I am the only non-state
employee
representative on the committee and that distinction comes from
the work
FMTS-ENTS has done over the years. Here I join FMTSF and ENTS as
an
entity since some of the work done is more properly identified
as ENTS,
but under the auspices of Friends.
Near and dear to my heart are the forests of
the Deerfield River
watershed in western Massachusetts. The public forests of
consequence
include Mohawk Trail State Forest, Savoy Mountain State Forest,
Kenneth
M. Dubuque State Forest, and Monroe State Forest. These 5
properties
include approximately 30,000 acres.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the committee
had agreed on the set aside
of just under 8,000 acres as forest reserves within the above
four state
forests. This amounts to 26 2/3% of the 30,000 total acres and
includes
all the old growth and the high growth sites of the mature
second growth
areas. The remaining acreage, to be actively managed, is all
upland
second growth that has been repeatedly cut and in need of a good
silvicultural prescription.
The partnership that has been formed
between FMTSF-ENTS and the
state's Department of Conservation and Recreation has been
exemplary.
One reason for the success of the partnership is the quality of
the
information that FMTSF presents to DCR about the forests that we
study.
It also represents different kinds of information than cna be
gleaned
from the state's Continuous Forest Inventory program. One system
is not
a substitute for the other, so there is a genuine benefit to DCR
to
having us out there measuring trees, documenting old growth, and
mapping
our findings.
Under "Newest Updates", May
22, 2006 Ed has posted a copy of the
report that I carried with me to the Tuesday committee meeting.
Please
feel free to review it.
I'll let the report do the talking. I
would just like to point out
that report would have been impossible to produce to the
included level
of detail without extensive input from the following Ents:
Tony D' Amato (PhD candidate, UMASS, on
Board of FMTSF),
Gary Beluzo (Professor, HCC, Science
advisor FMTSF),
Will Blozan (President and cofounder of
ENTS,
past
science technician with GSMNP, arborist),
Dr. Lee Frelich (Director, Center for
Hardwood Ecology, UMINN,
VP
of ENTS, unofficial advisor to FMTSF)
John Eichholz (the resident FMTSF-ENTS
mathematician),
John Knuerr (resident ENTS philosopher,
Exec Dir of FMTSF)
Lisa Bozzuto (resident FMTSF forester
and forest researcher),
Susan Benoit (Sooper dooper assistant),
Susan Scott (Archeologist and sooper
dooper assistant),
Howard Stoner (ENTS mathematician),
Dr. David Orwig (Harvard Forest
scientist),
Other significant contributors include:
Dr. Robert Van Pelt (Forest
ecologist,tree measurer
extraordinaire),
Ed Coyle (Arborist and climber),
Dale Luthringer (Naturalist and
educational director at Cook),
Dr. Tom Diggins (Ecologist at Youngstown
State U.
principal
researcher at Zoar Valley, NY),
Ed Frank (ENTS webmaster),
Jess Riddle (ENTS Ecologist),
Nancy Rich (PhD candidate Antioch
Graduate School,
board
member of Friends),
Holly Post (Sooper dooper assistant),
Professor Monica Jakuc (My new boss and
Secretary-clerk,
of
Friends),
Paul Jost (Electrical engineer and tree
measurer extraordinaire),
Dr. John O'Keefe (Harvard Forest -
oversees Fisher Museum),
Dr. Neil Pederson (Dendrochronologist,
Columbia University
at
the time),
Tad Zebryk (Forest ecologist),
People no longer with us who have contributed
to the high level of
acceptance of Mohawk as a forest of great historical,
ecological,
scientific, aesthetic, and cultural value include:
Jani Leverett (Past president, FMTSF and
Director of AIM, Mass),
Frank Decontie (Algonquin Native
American advisor to FMTSF),
Colby Rucker (The grand old man of
ENTS),
Dr. Michael (Perlman (One of the
cofounders of ENTS),
Karl Davies (Forester extraordinaire),
Bill Shafer (Forest companion, great
human being),
People who are still living and who have made
valuable contributions
in the past that are reflected in the current or prior reports
in one
way or another include:
Dr. Peter Dunwiddie (Plant ecologist,
my partner in
the first wide scale
studies of Mass
old growth),
Don Bertolette (Professional forester
and ecologist
-
now with the Grand Canyon NP,
**
and most importantly** ,
my
buddy in consuming mass
quantities
of sherbet)
Dr. Patricia Swain (Plant ecologist,
Mass Natural Heritage
and
Endangered Species Program),
Joseph Choinier (Mass Audubon
naturalist),
Mo Ewing(Forest ecology graduate
student, Antioch Grad School),
Jack Sobon (Timber Framer, architect,
surveyor),
William Rivers (Management and planning
forester, DCR),
Chief Jake Swamp(Mohawk Tree of Peace
treaty Chief),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse(19th
Generation Keeper of the
Sacred
White Buffalo Calf Pipe)
Dr. David Kittredge (State Extension
Forester),
Chris Kane (Forest ecologist),
Ehrhard Frost (Forester, Forest Stewards
Guild),
Ross Morgan (Forester, Forest Stewards
Guild),
Kimberly Jensen (Naturalist),
Chief Joseph Norton (Mohawk - Kahnawake,
Reserve),
William Commanda (Elder, Algonquin
Nation of Canada),
John Brown (Chief, Narragansett Nation,
Rhode Island),
Bob Bagdon (Poet and song writer),
Dennis Hayman (Douser, species
communicator),
Diane Gray (Photographer
extraordinaire),
Paul Rezendes (Photographer
extraordinaire and animal tracker);
Sandy Oliver (Poet),
Jim Balog (Photographer)
If I have left anyone out of any of the above lists, my sincere
apologies. This is all straight of the top of my head.
Representation in FMTSF-ENTS from outside scientists, foresters,
naturalists, arborists, etc. has made a significant difference
in how
DCR views the effort that we collectively make. It will come as
no
surprise that DCR expects me to be in full promotional mode most
of the
time - no surprises there. They accept my tree measuring
prowess, but
they also want to know that there is a real team of experts
making the
effort and there definitely is.
So, I just want to take this opporrtunity to say a heart felt
thanks
to all of you. We've accomplished the mission as a team. ENTS is
way,
way cool. Just way, way cool.
Bob
Robert T. Leverett
Cofounder, Eastern Native Tree Society
|
RE:
Victory for FMTSF-ENTS |
Joshua
Kelly |
May
25, 2006 14:21 PDT |
Congratutions Bob and FMTSF!
8,000 acres of forest preserve is a large chunk of good news! A
toast to
protecting old-growth and other priceless landscapes. Hopefully,
this will
be the start of permanent protection for all primary forests in
the East!
Cheers,
Josh
|
Re:
Victory for FMTSF-ENTS |
windbear@juno.com |
May
27, 2006 03:12 PDT |
Bob,
I am sure we are all delighted at this turn of events. I am for
sure. I also know that you will never toot your own horn, so I
will do so for you. All of the folks on your list have certainly
helped make this come to fruition. It is wonderful to behold -
and to have participated in it. I have always felt as though
this Forest that has been selected has been a part of me for
many lifetimes. It always feels like home when I am there.
So, my
humble brother, let it be said that you have been, and continue
to be, the binding that tied all the pieces together. Using the
Haudenosaunee example, one arrow may be broken quite easily in
your hands, but bind several together with stout cordage and
their strength is increased many fold. (We'll have to add that
as a new name to Burl-Belly: Stout Cordage).
We all know that facts and measurements are not enough to
produce the results we have sought. There needed to be someone
with the expertise to communicate with everyone in the
scientific, political, and spiritual communities - and all in
between - to show them the value of preserving our natural
heritage and biodiversity.
You are that
man. I know that this result is very satisfying to you and also
that you will not stop there. My humble thanks to you and a
hearty congratulations!!! And a big Bear hug.
Warmest regards,
Dennis
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