An effort in part by Franklin Regional Council of Governments to protect woodlands in 11 West County towns came under protest last week from a group, ironically, that also seeks to protect forests.
What was described as a “silent vigil for the forests” to commemorate United Nations-declared International Day of Forests, Mass Forest Rescue organized the protest at the COG’s Greenfield headquarters to call attention to “the plight of the world’s forests” as well as the proposed Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership.
The 3½-year effort by the COG and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, on behalf of 10 Berkshire County towns, aims to “increase economic development related to forestry and natural resource-based tourism, support the expansion of forest conservation and sustainable forestry on private lands” and boost those towns’ financial stability and sustainability, according to the COG.
The 15 or so protesters, though, claimed in a handout that the COG “is supporting subsidizing cutting our local forests and burning wood pellets in our schools.”
The organizer of Tuesday’s protest, Beth Adams of Leverett, said, as part of the press statement, that the project “has a plan for at least one, perhaps more wood pellet facilities as the center of the proposal. … The public seems to be under the impression that this is a land conservation effort, or that maybe there will be a national park. But the reality is that land conservation is a very minor part of the partnership.”
Citing materials that he said had been removed from the COG website, wrote local environmental activist Don Ogden, “If you look at what they are doing and where the money is coming from, it’s clear that this is a plan to provide a market for supposed ‘junk’ wood, and the plan is to burn it as pellets.”
Although the University of Massachusetts Clean Energy Extension has been studying the economic feasibility and air-quality impacts of “energy-efficient wood heat,” to provide information to towns interested in converting from oil to wood heating for its buildings, according to a project description, that is not associated with the 10-town woodlands partnership, which has been the subject of more than 50 public meetings around the region.
“While the plan calls for a feasibility study of wood heat including a community-scale wood pellet manufacturing facility,” the description says, “a wood pellet manufacturing facility is not one of the proposed projects in the draft business plan. Further, no funding has been received yet to implement any of the projects proposed in the draft business plan.”
“During the many public meetings that developed the (woodlands partnership) plan,” said COG Executive Director Linda Dunlavy, “an idea identified by community members was switching from oil to energy-efficient wood heat using sustainably harvested, local, low-grade wood. We recognize that such an idea is just that, an idea, and one that requires further study.”
The state’s Executive Office on Energy and Environment, which has programs and grants to help replace oil-burning furnaces with “clean” wood-burning furnaces, is funding the UMass air quality and economic feasibility study of wood heat, said Dunlavy, adding that the COG “advocated strongly” that the state include an air-quality and health-impact assessment because we had heard so much outcry about this. Once this study is complete, we will ensure it is widely released with many opportunities for public input.”
About 82 percent of land is forested in the 21-town partnership area, for which special state legislation has been proposed, and Dunlavy insisted, “We do not, will not and have not promoted clear cutting or destruction of our forests.”
Adams said she thinks that’s the wrong way to go for the climate and the future generations. We don’t think that any project like Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership project should be done if it doesn’t help us move toward 350 parts per million (of carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere, that’s the upper limit of what we should have. We’re at 400 now.”
She said her organization has no problem with “local uses of wood,” including home heating, and wants to see more sawmills, but opposes commercial-scale use.
Dunlavy countered, “To make the leap that the Mohawk Trail project, and this study is being done by UMass, means the COG doesn’t believe in climate change and our intent is to clear cut the forests, is not true.”
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