We seek permanent public forest preservation in the Quabbin, Wachusett, and Ware watersheds to benefit all Massachusetts residents, preserve ecosystem integrity, and support wildlife. Please sign this petition asking the state to end logging on these state lands!
Why This Matters
The following text is background information, the petition text is the message on page 2 of this form:
Forests are the only large-scale means to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which they do for free! The Quabbin, Wachusett, and Ware watersheds contain among the most carbon-dense, biodiverse and connected forests in Massachusetts. These forests have been logged for decades for the stated purpose of preserving a clean and constant water supply for Eastern MA communities. While this so-called “protection-forest” logging may be well-intentioned, it assumes that the environmental risks associated with repeated usage of industrial logging equipment are less than the risks of natural disturbances (e.g., hurricanes and pests). More rigorous scientific data are needed to prove that this is justified when the many benefits to unmanaged forests, especially in a time of climate and biodiversity crisis are well documented and widely accepted.
In 2023, The Wildlands in New England report was released with updated data on land protection across the Northeast. Sixty-four percent of Massachusetts is forested but only 3.5% of Massachusetts forests are currently preserved to the standards of the Wildlands in New England report: “Wildland is free-willed, being allowed to develop without significant human intervention once designated.” The vast majority of those MA Wildlands are owned by the state and only protected by administrative designation. As explored in the report, Wildlands destination “does not imply the absence of humans, but only their lack of dominance in the landscape.” There are many benefits to setting aside more land as Wildlands including intrinsic value, supporting biodiversity, storing carbon, and enhancing landscape resilience. The public forests of the Quabbin, Wachusett, and Ware watersheds are great candidates for Wildland designation. They contain large amounts of continuous BioMap core habitat, high carbon density, and areas marked as Priority Habitats of Rare Species in the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.
