Forestry Then & Now
Although Massachusetts is the third most densely populated state in the country, it is the 11th most forested state by percent forestland (Oswalt et al. 2019). The way we interact with and care for forests in Massachusetts has changed considerably over a few short centuries. During colonization, European settlers displaced more than 100,000 indigenous peoples, bringing a heavily extractive and mostly privatized approach to land management. Once over 90% covered in forests, by the 19th century, forest canopy had declined to less than 40% of the state as land was cleared extensively for agriculture, industry, and population centers. As the economy continued to change, forests began to rebound in abandoned farm fields during the early 20th century, but low-density residential development and fragmentation from commercial interests continue to present new challenges to forest health and sustainable growth.
The legacy of colonization left another indelible mark on our forests: private forestland in Massachusetts is now almost exclusively in the hands of white landowners, and state forestry programs are being delivered to predominantly college-educated males over the age of 60. While women now constitute 40% of decision-makers on family forest land, the existing support structures for landowners in place have developed inherent class, cultural, and access barriers. Moreover, there is a growing gap between professional advice and actual landowner values, as fewer landowners are practicing traditional timber management and many are increasingly interested in managing their forestland for other amenities such as recreation, wildlife habitat, hunting, or privacy.
Urban forestry programs are gaining popularity around the country as residents organize around environmental justice and equitable access to green spaces. Yet achieving sustainable forestry on a landscape scale across Massachusetts on ever-smaller parcels of forestland will require employing better, more culturally appropriate efforts to engage and involve underserved landowners.
