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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4009 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 894
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Aaron L. Saunders
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to forest management and practices guidelines.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/20/2023Aaron L. Saunders7th Hampden1/23/2023Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex2/10/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/23/2023Michelle L. Ciccolo15th Middlesex3/2/2023Michael P. Kushmerek3rd Worcester3/8/2023 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4009 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 894
By Representatives Sabadosa of Northampton and Saunders of Belchertown, a petition
(accompanied by bill, House, No. 894) of Lindsay N. Sabadosa, Aaron L. Saunders and others
relative to forest management and practices guidelines. Environment and Natural Resources.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to forest management and practices guidelines.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 51 of Chapter 132, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking
2out subsection 2 and inserting in place thereof the following section-:
3 (2) promoting the development and increased use and affordability of renewable energy
4resources demonstrating the role of renewable energy sources and carbon sequestration in
5addressing the current concerns of air quality, greenhouse emissions, and forest management
6practices, establishing applied research and development activities that examine and promote
7best available control technology serving as a depository of information regarding renewable
8energy resources, providing consulting and technology transfer assistance to the public sector in
9an effort to help public institutions replicate best available practices in incorporating renewable
10energy strategies into existing and future construction and providing a forum for public
11education and training regarding renewable energy and related application; 2 of 4
12 SECTION 2. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
13department of conservation and recreation shall conduct a formal review of its coordinated
14management guidelines for sustainable forestry practices created pursuant to section 2F of 15
15chapter 21 of the general laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, and the operations of
1616 the division of forest and parks, as described in chapter 132 of the general laws, as so
17appearing. The department will conduct the same review of the watershed lands under its care.
18The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife shall conduct the same review for lands and waters under
19the administration of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
20 (b) The Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture shall appoint a
21“Public Land Management Advisory Council” (hereinafter referred to as “Council”). The
22Council shall consist of nine members, including: the commissioner of the Department of
23Conservation and Recreation or a designee, the director of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
24or a designee, one expert in the field of plant ecology, one expert in the field of nongame wildlife
25and endangered species, one member from the Native Plant Trust or the Native Tree Society; one
26member from the Woodwell Climate Research Center; one member who has technical training
27and experience in the field of soil or watershed science; and two members of the public with
28experience in natural area conservation. The Council will coordinate and oversee the ongoing
29review process of both agencies.
30 (c) Said reviews shall occur every five years to (i) assess the efficacy of the department’s
31and division’s existing forest management practices to protect and preserve the commonwealth’s
32natural resources; (ii) review the department’s landscape designation process and make
33recommendations for operational improvements, increased transparency, and improved
34opportunities for public participation; (iii) conduct an equivalent review for the divisions’ 3 of 4
35properties; (iv) make recommendations for any statutory changes needed to improve the
36department’s and division’s management of public and private forest land; (v) assess
37opportunities to increase acreage of forest reserves, with particular consideration for old growth
38forests with the goals of designating a minimum of 30% of the department’s watershed lands and
3930% of the division’s publicly owned wildlife management areas as reserves by December 31,
402030; (vi) make recommendations for transparency and accountability improvements for the
41department and the division, including, but not limited to, proposed statutory changes to codify
42advisory committees and administrative bodies overseeing forest management; (vii) identify
43opportunities for nature-based solutions to maximize the utilization of forest land to meet the
44commonwealth’s emissions reduction goals; (viii) assess the department’s and division’s
45preparedness to manage and mitigate climate change impacts on public and private forest land;
46(ix) assess the commonwealth’s capacity for carbon sequestration on public forest land as a
47method to mitigate climate change; (x) conduct an ongoing science-based review and evaluation
48of the impacts of land management policies and practices on biodiversity, with a goal of
49protecting and restoring native species to their long-term historic ranges and population levels.
50 (d) The forests and parks of the commonwealth now under the care, custody and control
51of the commissioners and subject to the formal review shall not be leased, sold, or exchanged, or
52be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or
53destroyed, except as a response to a known forest management emergency, and no commercial
54activities except those essential to the quiet enjoyment of the facilities by the people shall be
55permitted on such lands until the department and the division have submitted their findings to the
56clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on ways and means and 4 of 4
57the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture, pursuant to Section 4 of
58this act.
59 SECTION 3. The department and the division shall identify all existing reserve areas
60designated as of January 1, 2023 on lands under their authority, expand the reserves where
61appropriate going forward.
62 SECTION 4. The department and the division shall solicit public input on their forest
63management practices as part of the review process. Not later than March 1, 2025, the
64department and the division shall (i) hold no fewer than 4 public hearings in geographically-
65diverse regions to receive public testimony on forest management in the commonwealth and
66shall provide for remote participation; and (ii) solicit and accept written and electronic testimony
67submissions from the public. Not later than May 1, 2025, the department and the division shall
68release a draft report of their findings and solicit public comment for at least 30 days.
69 SECTION 5. The department and division shall submit their findings, along with any
70updated guidelines, draft regulations, recommendations for statutory changes, and written
71comments and summaries of oral testimony submitted during public comment periods to the
72clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on ways and means and
73the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture not later than June 30,
742025.