Amicus
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2005
- Messages
- 1,145
- Reaction score
- 112
Last Spring, the Mass. DCR appointed a diverse committee of 11 citizens to develop a "Forest Futures Vision" for managing, over the next century, the 308,000 acres of State and Urban Parks managed by the DCR. (The DCR did this in reaction to specific complaints about some of its forestry practices and general complaints that it seemed impervious to the wishes of the citizenry.)
The Committee has just released a first public draft of its 10 recommendations. Both its 71-one page complete Report (with another 73 pages of annexes) and a more readily digestible 12-page Executive Summary have been posted on the DCR's website.
I won't attempt to summarize the 10 proposed recommendations, but note that a key aspect would be to classify the parklands into three categories - Forest Reserves, Woodlands and Parklands. Forest Reserves would comprise about one-third of total acres (which would be twice the amount of land now classified as "large reserves") and would permit the least "human intervention." As I read the Report, no new trails would be permitted, except relocation of existing trails for ecological reasons. An unspecified subset of the Forest Reserves would be classified as "Wilderness," but it seems that existing trails could be maintained even in those areas, although mountain bikes and some other activities permitted in other Forest Reserves would be barred. (See. p. 42 of the Report.) The "Funding" item calls for increased "User fees," which I assume could include hikes in the parking fees now charged by a few Parks and instituting such fees in other Parks.
The recommendations focus on the DCR's parklands but a few look beyond them. One recommendation calls for greater restrictions on use of all 3 million acres of public and private forests in Massachusetts (63% of the Commonwealth.)
As noted in the materials, the members of the Committee do not agree on all points, and for that reason in particular, they say they are eager to hear from the public. The website also includes an on-line Survey which would be easy to complete and a list of five public forums to be held in five different towns between Feb. 4 and 11.
The Committee has just released a first public draft of its 10 recommendations. Both its 71-one page complete Report (with another 73 pages of annexes) and a more readily digestible 12-page Executive Summary have been posted on the DCR's website.
I won't attempt to summarize the 10 proposed recommendations, but note that a key aspect would be to classify the parklands into three categories - Forest Reserves, Woodlands and Parklands. Forest Reserves would comprise about one-third of total acres (which would be twice the amount of land now classified as "large reserves") and would permit the least "human intervention." As I read the Report, no new trails would be permitted, except relocation of existing trails for ecological reasons. An unspecified subset of the Forest Reserves would be classified as "Wilderness," but it seems that existing trails could be maintained even in those areas, although mountain bikes and some other activities permitted in other Forest Reserves would be barred. (See. p. 42 of the Report.) The "Funding" item calls for increased "User fees," which I assume could include hikes in the parking fees now charged by a few Parks and instituting such fees in other Parks.
The recommendations focus on the DCR's parklands but a few look beyond them. One recommendation calls for greater restrictions on use of all 3 million acres of public and private forests in Massachusetts (63% of the Commonwealth.)
As noted in the materials, the members of the Committee do not agree on all points, and for that reason in particular, they say they are eager to hear from the public. The website also includes an on-line Survey which would be easy to complete and a list of five public forums to be held in five different towns between Feb. 4 and 11.
