Legal logging is Illegal Logging

Cut no logs. Remove no native trees or plants in Buckland State Forest

This notice is for State Foresters; not just public visitors.

Massachusetts state lands need to be completely returned to the natural landscape. All forms of logging harm the forest. Forestry oversight harms the forest. We do not know how to do oversight; we must get out. Massachusetts forestry schools will always be contributing to the degradation of state lands. They continue to teach old school forestry and resource extraction. They cannot self-regulate.

We do not need you on State lands. Forests benefits the community without being logged, hunted or open to vehicles.

From the Mohawk Trail (State Route 2) you can clearly see a totally protected set-aside species' forest in the center of these mountains above the Deerfield River. Directly on the far side of these mountains looking southwest is Buckland State Forest which is "controlled" by the State of Massachusetts employed foresters and thus it is in danger of legal logging. One can walk cross-country through the forest from one to the other.  Forest protection ends outside of the Species' Forest.

This 21st century the Commonwealth of Massachusetts could have total state land protection, but it does not. Among other things, over a century ago, State foresters created the problems with tree plantations and selective logging. And today State foresters continue this ignorance by the creation of the ugly commercial forest triage "futures" plan.

Led by entrenched commercial foresters they divided state lands into three arbitrary resource driven gerrymanders: "parks", "preserves" and "woodlots".  None of these are set-aside as species' forests and therefore none of these, including Buckland State Forest, is a returned or returning forest.

The century has just begun and the old guard is still here. If individual State Foresters do not protect the species' forests then these foresters have no business being State foresters. They should quit their day jobs let others do conservation.

"If I am a conservationist then what exactly do I conserve?"

The End of Commercial Logging and Pivate Hunting in Massachusetts State Forests Doable.

Organic Buckland State Forest

Fantastic natural landscape of Buckland State Forest, Buckland, Massachusetts (US). This species’ forest is filled with forest storm debris. Most of the rotten logs are pieces of hemlock trees broken off several meters up rather than uprooted. This organic debris prevents human and AUHM (animals under Human management) traffic and thus the local species get all the benefits of forest decay. Buckland State Forest has not been logged in its interior for perhaps a century. We detected no tree stumps. Friends of Buckland State Forest demand that this forest remain a returned species' forest in perpetuity and that logging, hunting and trails not be built or those existing trails on the perimeter and the gravel road to the cell tower not be maintained. Other than removal, invasives, and non-native trees, we tell the state to just let this RSF (returning species' forest) be.

not for people improvements

No stumps

a RSF (returning species' forest)

tree standing free

Massachusetts has Something in Common with China - Political Forestry

Did China just create a model for recovery of the world’s forests?

In the US, after the 19th and 20th centuries, the eastern broadleaf forest grew back from being cleared for cattle and sheep. This was, because of the railroads importing fossil fuel (mostly coal in those days) which replaced firewood. This forest return over all of New England was the first in all the world, yet the farmers of New England don't even know that the Great North Eastern New England Forest is impressive and unique. All politicians, President Obama and Senator Sanders for example, now are giving the go ahead to farmers to once again cut and totally exploit the forests which have taken one hundred and fifty years to re-grow. The proof of the returned forest can be seen anywhere in New England. Stone fences crisscross the land under the now returned forest canopies. There are few pastures, only trees, but this one hundred fifty year progress (via neglect) may be reversed by China-like selfishness. --- Richard H Stafursky

Buckland State Forest is under constant threat from State Forestry planners. Our friends group asks that all logging, hunting and other resource extraction end on Buckland State Forest acres. Actually, ending some destructive practice is easy. No research is required; just end it and the species' forest will return. The centuries of damage by the State of Massachusetts to this species' forest (Buckland State Forest) can be fixed within a few years. Invasive plants will grow less once this habitat "enhancement" is ended and the canopy returns and shades out invasives. This canopy return and the dynamic natural equilibrium which follows will also eliminate the hunter's excuse to manage and kill the mega-fauna for bushmeat.

Both eastern China and Northeastern US have a history of returned forests. The mature forests are our asset, not the biomass, firewood, paper and lumber from these  mature forest. Locals live in the middle of this magnificent forest, but they don't see it. We must praise the result of forest neglect over the centuries. We must not have politicians quietly form their plans for this species' forest destruction.

All are welcome to join Friends of Buckland State Forest, Buckland, MA (US) Please call Richard (Dick) Stafursky (802) 258-7845 Cell

Letters and Comments 2014

Letters and Comments

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On Oct 27, 2014, at 10:47 PM, richard stafursky <rhstafursky@yahoo.com> wrote:

Sharl,

Thanks for the note. We are at Friends of Buckland State Forest, MA (US).

Fungi at nearby Flagg Mountain ghost subdivision state land.

We probably will not come to the FN Conference Dec. 6, 2014. For the last year we have been visiting Buckland State Forest from several vantage points. Currently our purpose is to find out the extent of human impact from hunting, snowmobiles and future logging. We probably won't have a plan to get these things banned soon. These are entrenched practices that will be hard to kill, so to speak. That is unfortunate, because they do harm the species' forest of Buckland State Forest. Right next door are Flagg Mountain, the Species List Forest and lands of NEFF. All are open to the public and all can be accesses by walking.

The ghost subdivision of Flagg Mountain is rife with invasive plants. If the nightmare of logging (selective or clearcut) happens those invasives would spread via logging roads to the sun-lit logged areas. The Species List Forest to the east has just about eliminated most of the invasive plants caused by a State illegal logging plan some 21 years ago. That was eight years prior to the Species List Forest being donated. If Buckland State Forest was logged we fear it would also give invasives more than twenty years to invade the area.

Next year we plan to check out reports that there are non-native Norway pine and European larch in BSF. None of us are botanists so it may take a while to confirm this. If there are significant number of non-native trees we will have to devise a plan for their removal and a plan to prevent non-native saplings from growing again. We do not know the extent of the early 20th century tree plantation and we can't even begin to guess on how to eliminate it and return the full canopy of a species' forest in perpetuity. There are several options to choose.

At this time we have only two members of Friends of Buckland State Forest. We have informed the Buckland Town Administrator of our and concerns. She has provided us with some helpful information. We have posted at least one event, but only one person has gone with us. There is a lot of competition from other forests open to the public in the area. In order to get the community involved in defending Buckland State Forest it will take some planning. Our goal is to return the forest complete. A returned species' forest is the healthiest forest. It is best for the climate and the human community. The MSJC has made it perfectly clear that simply by being conservation land all such lands benefit the community. We believe that Buckland State Forest can and should be such a place and it should join with the existing Species' List Forest in northern Conway as a model species' forest. A species forest is of, by and for all the other native plants, animals, fungi and soil microbes that occupy or have occupied that place.

Two years ago Susan and I participated in a FN Conference in Worcester. There was no opportunity for local groups to speak. We had expected that all of the FN Conference would be for friends participation. Instead we were an audience only. In 2015 perhaps this will be different. If so, I would be glad for Susan or me to make a presentation.

Our web site is not well viewed. We are working on this, too.

Best wishes,


Friends of Buckland State Forest
Richard Stafursky
155 Belmont Avenue
Brattleboro, VT 05301
rhstafursky@yahoo.com
802 258 7845 cell


On Monday, October 27, 2014 7:06 PM, Sharl Heller <slheller@comcast.net> wrote:


Hello Richard,

How've you been? Do you have a website or facebook page that we can link to from the Friends Network newsletter and website? Hope to see you at the FN Conference Dec. 6!

Thanks,

Sharl Heller, Facilitator
The Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network
http://www.networkingfriends.net

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Richard,

Thank you for the update and the link. 

We listened to the suggestions of friends groups and give more time now for groups to share what they are doing with the other groups.

You have a big job on your hands with little support. Keep up the good work.

Best,

Sharl

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