Main Street (Route 116)
Ashfield
MA
Are you thinking of having some timber cut on your property but are worried about the possible effects on wildlife or the environment? Are you interested in getting some trees cut, but are unsure the best way to proceed?
This winter the Massachusetts Forest Trust and the Department of Conservation & Recreation are holding a series of Harvest Tours to show how timber harvests can help landowners carry out their goals for their woods while protecting the environment. Each tour will feature a different mix of forestry equipment so landowners can see a variety of options for having harvesting done on their land.
The first Harvest Tour will be held in Ashfield on Friday, February 16th beginning at 9 a.m. at the Town Hall on Route 116. The program will begin with an inside session where MFA staff and DCR foresters will explain the harvesting process, the requirements landowners must comply with, and safeguards they should take to protect the environment and their woods.
Following that, the tour will visit a nearby woodland where a timber harvest is in progress to see how the harvest is laid out, which trees are being cut and which left to grow, and how streams and wetlands are protected from damage. This harvest is being done by a family logging business which fells the trees with chainsaws and hauls them to the landing with a cable skidder, a common combination in smaller operations in western Franklin County
Other harvest tours will be held in February and March at different locations in Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester counties.
These programs are free and open to the public. Participants should dress for the weather and ground conditions and be prepared to hike up to a mile on rough terrain. Tours will be held during light precipitation but cancelled in event of heavy rain or snow.
Preregistration is not required but strongly encouraged so participants can be warned if a tour has to be postponed or cancelled. To preregister, call Greg Cox at (413) 339-5526 or email gcox@massforestalliance.org
For information on other tours in this series, visit the MFA website at www.massforestalliance.org
These programs are funded by a grant from the USDA — Forest Service.