AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FOREST RESOURCES OF MASSACHUSETTS Avril L. de la Crétaz1, Lena S. Fletcher1, Paul E. Gregory2, William R. VanDoren1, and Paul K. Barten1 1 University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Natural Resources Conservation and 2 Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Prepared for the USDA Forest Service June 2010 AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FOREST RESOURCES OF MASSACHUSETTS Avril L. de la Crétaz1, Lena S. Fletcher1, Paul E. Gregory2, William R. VanDoren1, and Paul K. Barten1 1 University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Natural Resources Conservation and 2 Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Prepared for the USDA Forest Service June 2010 An Assessment of the Forest Resources of Massachusetts Rick Sullivan, Commissioner Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation 251 Causeway Street Boston, MA 02114 617-626-1250 http://www.mass.gov/dcr/ Authors: Avril L. de la Crétaz, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst Lena S. Fletcher, M.S., Research Associate, University of Massachusetts Amherst Paul E. Gregory, M.S., Asst. Management Forester, Myles Standish State Forest, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation William R. VanDoren, Research Assistant, University of Massachusetts Amherst Paul K. Barten, Ph.D., Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Chair of the Massachusetts Forestry Committee The development and publication of this document were facilitated by grants from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the National Association of State Foresters, and in-kind support from the Uni- versity of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Natural Resources Conservation. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue. Cover photographs by: Michael Jones (salamander), Lena Fletcher (children and canopy), and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Section title pages and criterion photographs by Michael Jones (spotted turtle), Paul Barten (various), Lena Fletcher (various), and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (various). Front cover art by Jim Taylor; back cover photo by Paul Barten. Table of Contents Section 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Massachusetts Statistics 2 USDA Forest Service Subsections and Ecoregions 4 Forest Types 6 Patterns of Population and Development 6 Land Use History 7 Land Use of Massachusetts 10 Section 2. Forest Conditions and Trends .................................................................................... 13 Criterion 1: Conservation of Biological Diversity ............................................................... 15 Forest Ownership 16 Biological Communities and the State Wildlife Action Plan 18 The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program— Biomap and Living Waters 19 The Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System (CAPS) and the Index of Ecological Integrity 22 Forest structure and condition 22 Forest management for biodiversity 24 Privately owned forestland 24 State owned forestland 25 Drivers, Issues, and Threats 26 Loss of native species and the spread of invasive species 26 Forest conversion and fragmentation 26 Climate change 30 Criterion 2: Maintenance of Productive Capacity of Forest Ecosystems ............................ 33 Timber Resources 34 Timber Harvesting 37 Productive Capacity 38 Drivers, Issues, and Threats 39 Forest conversion and timber harvesting 39 Forest conversion and fragmentation 41 Timber products 42 Criterion 3: Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health and Vitality .................................... 45 Weather Related Natural Disturbances 46 Windstorms 46 Thunderstorms and microbursts 46 Ice storms 46 Wildfires 49 Fire risk 49 Prescribed burning 49 DCR forest fire control 51 Invasive Plant Species 51 Pests and Diseases 52 Environmental Stressors 57 Tree Mortality 58 Drivers, Issues, and Threats 60 Potential invasive forest pests 60 Climate change 60 Criterion 4: Conservation and Maintenance of Soil and Water Resources ......................... 65 Forest Hydrology 66 Massachusetts Soils 67 Watersheds of Massachusetts 69 Ability to Produce Clean Water 71 Forests and Public Water Supplies 75 Surface water supplies 75 Groundwater 78 Drivers, Issues, and Threats 79 Forest conversion and fragmentation 79 Forested watershed area, forested riparian area, and impervious surface area 79 Criterion 5: Maintenance of Forest Contribution to Global Carbon Cycles ........................ 87 Forest Carbon 88 Forest carbon pools 88 Carbon by forest type 90 Carbon by forest age 91 Carbon in old growth 92 Climate change and carbon 92 Forest management for increased carbon sequestration 93 Carbon registries 93 Drivers, Issues, and Threats 95 Forest conversion and fragmentation 95 Climate change 95 Criterion 6: Maintenance and Enhancement of Long-Term Multiple Socioeconomic Benefits to Meet the Needs of Society ................................................................................ 99 Forest Ownership 100 Local Wood Production and Forest Sector Employment 100 Biomass 106 Forest biomass 106 Biomass harvesting 106 Biomass harvest guidelines 108 Controversy surrounding biomass markets 109 Non-Timber Forest Products 109 Ecosystem Services 111 Social Services (Recreation) 112 State Support for Private Forest Landowners 115 Current Use tax programs: Ch. 61 115 Forest Stewardship 116 The Working Forest Initiative 117 Support for Forestry Programs 118 State spending 118 Federal funding 119 Research funding 121 Drivers, Issues, and Threats 122 Local wood production and marketing 122 Funding/human resources reductions 123 Criterion 7: Legal, Institutional, and Economic Framework for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Management ..................................................................................................... 127 Legal Framework—History 128 Legal Framework—Forestry 129 The Forest Cutting Practices Act 129 The Forest Land Assessment Act (Current Use) 130 The Wetlands Protection Act 130 The Rivers Protection Act 130 The Massachusetts Endangered Species Act 131 Management Guidelines 131 The Slash Law 131 Old Growth Policy 131 Snowmobiles and ATVs 131 Legal Framework—Open Space Protection 132 Conservation Land Tax Credit Law 132 Conservation Restrictions 132 Community Preservation Act 133 Land Use Partnership Act 133 Legal Framework—Climate Change 133 Institutional Framework 134 State agencies 134 Educational institutions 135 Conservation organizations and land trusts 137 Forest landowners 139 Economic Framework 139 The 2008 Environmental Bond Bill 139 Monitoring at the State Level 140 Drivers, Issues, and Threats 141 Legal, institutional and social factors 141 Financing DCR operations 142 Section 3. Existing and Emerging Benefits and Services ........................................................... 145 Section 4. Issues, Threats, and Opportunities.............................................................................. 149 Forest Conversion and Fragmentation 151 Local Wood Production and Consumption 152 Exotic Invasive Pests and Plants 154 Climate Change 155 Steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 155 Planning for an altered climate 156 Biomass energy 157 Section 5. Priority Landscape Areas .......................................................................................... 159 National Theme Overlays 162 Conserve and Manage Working Forest Landscapes 162 Protect Forests from Threats 163 Enhance Public Benefits from Trees and Forests 164 Synthesis Overlays 166 Forest Functions, Benefits and Values 166 Forest Vulnerability 166 Priority Areas 167 Multi-State Areas 168 Section 6. Summary .................................................................................................................... 173 Please contact Paul Barten ([email protected]) to request an electronic copy of the Appendix Section 7. Appendix ................................................................................................................... A.1 Introduction A.1 Forest Conditions and Trends A.4 Criterion 1 A.4 Criterion 2 A.9 Criterion 3 A.12 Criterion 4 A.22 Criterion 5 A.27 Criterion 6 A.28 Criterion 7 A.35 Methodology of the Geospatial Analysis A.38 Data Gaps A.83 References A.85 PREFACE This report describes and quantifies the remarkable set of functions, benefits, and values that emanate from the forests of Massachusetts. It also discusses a daunting array of drivers, issues, and threats that influence the size, continuity, character, and condition of our forests. The seven sustainability criteria developed by the Ca- nadian Council of Forest Ministers were the framework for this assessment; they highlight the diverse, complex, and inter-connected nature of forests and people in Massachusetts. After the grand successes for forest protection and restoration work in the early-20th century, foresters