Demonstration Forests
The goal of a demonstration forest is to implement strategies that put the forest on course to better cope with climate change and other forest health threats, without necessitating the need for continual forest management. Among the goals of the Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts is to establish at least one demonstration forest in each county to provide places for people to observe how forests are changing with the climate, and to learn how best practices can improve forest health and resilience over time. Demonstration forests can help promote monitoring and adaptive management while providing opportunities for the public to learn about climate-smart forestry and its benefits.
Notch Reservoir, North Adams
The City of North Adams and its conservation partners have identified specific management strategies that promote water quality, climate change adaptation, biodiversity, and invasive species removal. The Forest Stewardship Climate Plan for Notch Reservoir was designed to balance North Adam’s goals for income from harvest, long term sustainability, and climate change resilience to support the overall goal of providing and maintaining high-quality drinking water to the citizens of North Adams.
Each management practice was carefully selected for each unique section of the forest to ensure the future forest has improved biodiversity, climate change resilience, and ability to produce valuable local wood products that can substitute for fossil fuel-based products and support the local economy. In addition to physical signage and maps installed at forest sites to help visitors learn about practices as they are planned and implemented, digital media including StoryMaps, are being created to provide additional learning experiences for the community.
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6/29/2022: Public meeting for input on the Plan
9/10/2022: Public woods walk to review proposed management
9/22/2022: Public input on Climate Plan development
4/28/2023: Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference woods walk
7/23/2024: Conservation Commission meeting re: Operations Plan
8/5/2024: Conservation Commission meeting re: Operations Plan
8/7/2024: Public woods walk
9/12/2024: Information Session/Q&A at City Hall
