Breaking Barriers
The Woodlands Connect program connects historically underserved landowners with resources to empower them to help their woodlands thrive. The purpose of the program is to expand the reach of traditional forestry services and implement targeted new strategies to provide underserved forest landowners with the resources they need for successful land management. Through equitable outreach and technical assistance, these landowners will gain the knowledge, skills, and support needed to optimize the health, ecological value, and economic potential of their woodlands and farms. By connecting underserved landowners with expert guidance and fostering a sense of community, the program will create a network of informed and capable forest stewards who can ensure more healthy, well-managed and robust forests in Massachusetts.
Woodlands Connect is built upon successes and lessons learned from the Working Forest Initiative (now ForestsWork) and Forest Stewardship Programming (FSP). Research has increasingly indicated that Family Forest Owners (FFOs) values and motivations are changing. The National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) data for Massachusetts shows:
- Decreased Traditional Engagement: Between 2006 and 2018, a decreasing proportion of FFOs harvested timber or received advice about managing their woodlands for timber.
- Increased Amenity Values: There is an overall trend noted by researchers toward decreased traditional engagement and management and a slight increase in owning land for its amenity values (e.g., recreation, privacy, aesthetics, habitat).
In addition to addressing long-standing barriers that have limited underserved landowners’ access to existing programs, Woodlands Connect seeks to expand outreach, incentives, and technical support beyond traditional timber-oriented models to better reflect the diverse values, stewardship goals, and economic realities of landowners in Massachusetts. It will deliver the resources necessary for successful land management for the following underserved groups:
- Beginning Farmers, Ranchers, or Forest Landowners;
- Farmers, Ranchers, or Forest Landowners Living in High Poverty Areas;
- Federally Recognized Tribes or Alaska Native Corporations/Villages;
- Limited Resource Producers; and/or
- Veterans
These landowners may not have largely not previously engaged with DCR’s Service Forestry offerings due to limited resources, information, regulatory complexities, or a lack of awareness or trust . Addressing these and other barriers requires community engagement, culturally sensitive outreach, targeted educational materials, partnerships with local organizations, capacity-building initiatives, and a commitment to long-term sustainability. Enhanced analysis is also needed to assess where programming and resources are effectively reaching audiences and where additional support or investment would help. By carefully considering and actively working to overcome these barriers, the State of Massachusetts can develop a forestry program that genuinely benefits historically underserved forest landowners and promotes sustainable land management practices across the entire Commonwealth.
