PrimalNature.org
Restoring Old-Growth Characteristics on Private Lands
Supported by the The Massachusetts Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the University of Massachusetts Extension has published a thoughtful booklet on "Restoring Old-Growth Characteristics," targeted at private land owners. People who value actual old growth may cringe at the idea of creating snags by girdling living trees and creating downed logs by felling trees. However, the booklet presents these activities within a balanced discussion of the range of possibilities. Authors Anthony D'Amato and Paul Catanzaro, state that passive management, i.e. letting nature take its course, results in the most natural appearance and conditions but that this approach will often take over a century to produce the desired results. Active management achieves faster results, and it need not involve artificial creation of structure. The key is to designate and never to remove "legacy trees" in the canopy. Landowners whose primary objective is creating old growth should retain and mark for permanent conservation 25 to 50% of the canopy trees. They may or may not choose to adopt supplemental measures such as girdling to produce snags. Working with adjoining landowners, they can create large areas of future old growth. The authors urge that whatever approach landowners who choose to restore old-growth characteristics choose, they take legal steps to ensure that their land will stay forested and that legacy trees will remain standing after the land is bought or inherited. The booklet is aimed at landowners in southern New England where almost two thirds of the forests are in private hands; but it would be valuable to private landowners in other states. It can be downloaded from http://www.masswoods.net/pdf/Restoring_Old_Growth_Characteristics.pdf .
--Posted October 14, 2007