[MassChestnutOrchards] Globe article on clear cutting in MA

[Fred Hebard]

Thanks for the clarification Bruce.  Rather than clearcutting, the  
north Quabbin operation sounds more like high grading masquerading as  
group selection, but bad forestry no matter how one classifies it.   
On private lands down here, one often sees high grading masquerading  
as shelterwoods or "selective cutting," not unfrequently with an  
extremely low residual basal area of sourwood and other  
unmerchantable species.

It's very encouraging there was an audit.

Fred

On Mar 14, 2010, at 11:41 AM, Bruce Spencer wrote:

> Globe Article,
> I made a couple of hard statements in this article that needs  
> further clarification. The cutting practices that bothered me are  
> on the north Quabbin. The south Quabbin foresters are doing  
> excellent work and were not a concern of mine or of the Green  
> Certification audit this past spring. But the north Quabbbin  
> foresters work was of great concern to the auditors and as a result  
> required significant corrective actions on the part of the Division  
> of Water Supply Protection (DWSP). My concerns were the same as the  
> audit team, namely that the 1-2 acre clear cuts did not provide for  
> adequate diverse regeneration and the patches were often in the  
> better timber, leaving low vigor and poor quality areas uncut.  
> Remember that the Quabbin had serious over browsing of deer for  
> over 50 years, and consequently the regeneration that normally  
> develops in the understory did not happen. As Rufin mentioned,  
> clear cutting older stands generally results in good regeneration  
> because the regeneration is in place. However,Yvonne understood the  
> problem, that without regeneration it's a slow process through  
> shelterwood cuts to establish diverse regeneration.
>
> Chris Materia, unfortunately can't tell the difference between a  
> good clear cut and a poor one and treats them all the same to stop  
> cutting on DCR forest. DCR did conduct some clearcuts in dying  
> spruce plantation which responded dramatically with diverse vibrant  
> regeneration, but Materia cares little for the success only the  
> photo op after the cut.
>
> Unfortunately the DWSP clearcuts, however small, were not forestry,  
> just bad work. The likely results of clearcutting an 80 year old  
> oak stand is a stand of black birch and maybe some pine.
>
> Planting chestnuts in clear cuts that do not have advance  
> regeneration exposes the chestnuts to browsing because they are the  
> only trees available. It is far better to have lots of small trees  
> for the chestnuts to compete with and there is a greater supply of  
> food available for browsers and good competition for the chestnuts.
>
> I hope this clarifies my Globe comments.
> Bruce
>
> --- On Fri, 3/12/10, Yvonne Federowicz  
> <Yvonne_Federowicz at brown.edu> wrote:
>
> From: Yvonne Federowicz <Yvonne_Federowicz at brown.edu>
> Subject: Re: [MassChestnutOrchards] Globe article on clear cutting  
> in MA
> To: masschestnutorchards at masschestnut.org
> Date: Friday, March 12, 2010, 11:25 AM
>
> It sounds like some of the cuts might have made it more difficult  
> to re-establish forest, since they didn’t properly do a  
> “shelterwood” cutting? Would these also make it more difficult to  
> plant chestnut?
>
> It would be good to hear from Bruce, Dennis and Lois.  I doubt  
> we’ll be in the position to make any official statements anyhow as  
> a group, probably not an issue – unless someone cuts our trees or  
> improperly prepares a site that is agreed upon for one of our  
> plantings, in the future.
>
> Re. expressing opinions - seems more like a situation where  
> Massachusetts residents might want to express opinions as citizens,  
> or forestry professionals – as Bruce has done.
>
>
> On 3/12/10 10:03 AM, "Gary Jacob" <gjacob at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Interesting article.  It is too bad that a state like Massachusetts  
> should be setting such a bad example.  I think it is important,  
> however, that we not take a position or express any official  
> opinions concerning this issue.
>
> What we should do is to begin thinking about different planting  
> plans we would use, for future American chestnuts, depending on  
> whatever harvesting situation we may find.
>
>                 Gary
>
>
> From: masschestnutorchards-bounces at masschestnut.org  
> [mailto:masschestnutorchards-bounces at masschestnut.org] On Behalf Of  
> Jamie Donalds
> Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:21 AM
> To: orchard mgrlist
> Subject: [MassChestnutOrchards] Globe article on clear cutting in MA
>
>
> Hi All,
>
>  Here is an article in the Globe I found this morning about clear  
> cutting in MA. It has a quote from Bruce Spencer.
>
> I would like to here more about this issue and how it might affect  
> future restoration plantings at Quabbin  and elsewhere.
>
> Does this effect any plans for our seed orchard  at Moore State Park?
>
> Perhaps Bruce , Dennis or Lois  would be interested in talking on  
> this subject at the April Meeting?
>
> Food for thought,
>
> -Jamie
>
>
>
> http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/03/04/ 
> a_clear_cut_controversy/
>
>
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