Events

Breakout Session 3: Strengthening Forest Policy at the State and Local Level

Panelists:

• Bill Labich, Senior Land Use Planner, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
• Bob O’Connor, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
• Joe Smith, Director, Forest & Wood Products Institute, Mt. Wachusett Community College
• Jay Healy, Former MA Commissioner of Agriculture

The discussion was designed for participants interested in supporting forest-based businesses on a state and local level. The panelists shared information about progress happening in these two areas.

Bob O’Connor

Programs and initiatives at the State Level

• Forest Stewardship—the state pays the cost of a forest stewardship plan.
• Forest Viability- based on the Farm Viability Program; the state has $200k to implement it next year but the details are still being worked out. Most likely the state will pay for the business plan and assist in implementing it. Applications will be out this spring.
• MA Saw Mill Study—trying to help local mills compete with Canadian mills; tapping into local clientele willing to pay extra for local products
• New legislation
• trying to get tax credits for sustainable management that supports local industry
• compete with biotech tax incentives offered by the state
• credits for having a forest stewardship plan
• Green certification
• the state’s forests are now green certified
• There are 212,000 forest landowners in the state; 180,000 of them own less than 10 acres

Joe Smith

Programs and Incentives at the Regional Level

• focused programs and partnerships are necessary
• there is a lack of a skilled workforce locally
• loggers are an aging group
• trying to develop forestry as a career opportunity and make sure that the schools’ wood classes are not abolished
• logging is one of the most unsafe vocations--more loggers are killed or hurt than any other industry
• work with technical and regional schools to encourage wood shop classes

Marketing--there is a lack of local markets and infrastructure, so the Institute is trying to help people network.

Biomass

• 80% of fossil fuel income goes out of area; 100% of biomass income stays in the region
• One school saved $250k in heat costs
• Gassification units are making for cleaner burning as well

Jay Healy

Needs and opportunities at the Local Level

• Spoke about his difficulties getting the permits from his local planning board for his sawmill: there is a need for education of planning boards and the general public about forest cutting.
• Technical assistance offered by Extension
• Purchase of Development rights
• But PDR only raises the neighbors’ land values
• If the business itself isn’t sustainable, what happens to it in 20 years?
• Transfer of Development rights
• Put density where it belongs in village
• Procurement laws and regulations need to be changed to encourage local products: need more education and marketing assistance