Townsend Road
Athol
MA
Mass DCR will hold a Pre-Harvest Tour for Willis Road North & South project areas at Lawton State Forest in Athol on Monday, October 27th from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
DCR Forester Joelle Vautour will lead a tour of the Lawton State Forest – Willis Road North and South project; a 214-acre forest management project within a mixed softwood plantation and a white pine-hemlock-oak forest stand, discussing forest management techniques, providing a view of the trees designated for harvest, and explaining how harvest operations will take place. A silviculture prescription will be provided to attendees upon request.
These forest management projects are proposed for Lawton State Forest, which – when under prior private ownership by the Lawton family – was the first Tree Farm in Massachusetts and the second in the United States. The North project is proposed in an area of even-aged red pine, white pine, and Norway spruce plantations, with naturally seeded native species between; several prior treatments have occurred over the life of these stands. Treatments in the shelterwood system will be applied to these stands, with the treatment type and intensity tailored to local site and microsite conditions, including the presence of advance regeneration. Variable-retention thinning may be applied in areas where the vigor of trees does not warrant removal and their vigor can be sustained; these will help to increase the presence of native species and natural forests on this property.
The South project is planned in an even-aged white pine-oak-hemlock stand; where a group selection treatment will help to diversify species and age class composition of the forest, increasing its resiliency to stressors and disturbance. Additionally, a collaborative study with UMass Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation faculty is proposed for the South project. This study will investigate the relationships between forest management practices, forest structure and growth, and ways to enhance carbon stocks and flux; and, consistent with DCR’s mission and UMass’s roots as a land grant university, will translate this research into outreach to the public, landowners, and forest managers.
Meet at the log landing on Townsend Road, approximately 900 feet north of the Willis Road and Townsend Road intersection in Athol.
Attendees will then walk within the project area to view the planned operation. This tour will involve approximately 1-2 miles of walking on and off trail. Attendees should be prepared to be away from their vehicles for an extended amount of time and distance for this tour.
Attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather and to wear sturdy shoes. Walking within the project area may be difficult due to fallen trees, rocks, or other obstacles.
The tour will be conducted rain or shine.