MASSACHUSETTS%20FORESTS%20AT%20THE%20CROSSROADS

1
MASSACHUSETTS FORESTS AT THE CROSSROADS

• Industrial Scale Logging and Wood Burning
  Biomass Energy Threaten Forests, Environment,
  Communities, Economy and Quality of Life

2
Forests Threatened

• Over the Last 80 Years, Massachusetts (and New
  England) Forests Have Recovered, Mostly Through
  Benign Neglect, From Early 20th Century Heavy
  Clearing. With The Return of Forests Have Come
  Many Important Benefits
• Cleaner Water, Cleaner Air, Flood Control
• Recreation and Wilderness Opportunities
• Scenery and Nature Based Tourism Income
• Fish Wildlife Habitat, Returning SpeciesBear,
  Moose
• Carbon Sequestration

3
The Problem

• 5 Proposed Western MA Wood Burning Power Plants
• Russell 50 MW
• Greenfield 47 MW
• Springfield 38 MW
• Pittsfield 40 MW
• Fitchburg 15 MW
• Total 190 MW

40 MW Wood Burning Plant Livermore Falls, ME
4
Western Massachusetts Targeted

5
Costs of the 5 Plants

• Quadruple the Logging Rate on all Massachusetts
  Forests. Clearcutting and Heavy Logging Methods
  Will Occur. Public Lands Targeted for 1,082
  increase in Logging
• Increased Air and Water Pollution in Already
  Polluted Areas
• 10 Increase in MA Power Sector Carbon Dioxide
  Emissions
• 650 Logging Truck Trips Per Day or 200,000 Per
  Year on Narrow Rural Roads
• Very Large Public Subsidies Directed to New
  Dirty Smokestacks Rather Than Clean,
  Non-Combustive, Truly Green Energy Sources.
  Fosters Public Cynicism.
• Threatens 14 billion Tourist Industry
• Divided Communities

6
Global Warming and CO2

• Biomass Power Plants vs Fossil Fuels
• Burning Trees Emits 50 More CO2 per MW Than
  Existing Coal Plants, 150 More CO2 Than Existing
  Gas Plants, and 330 More than New Gas Plants

7
Global Warming and CO2

• Russell Biomass vs Top 10 Worst
• CO2 Polluting Power Plants in the Northeast
• Burning Forests is Not Carbon Neutral

8
Global Warming and CO2

• Science Finally Catches up to Common Sense
• Timothy Searchinger, Princeton University
• "Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error
• October 23, 2009
• "Harvesting existing forests for electricity
  adds net carbon to the air. That remains true
  even if limited harvest rates leave the carbon
  stocks of re-growing forests unchanged, because
  those stocks would otherwise increase and
  contribute to the terrestrial carbon sink"

9
Additional Negatives

• When The Forests are Stripped, the Plants May
  Start Burning Toxic Construction and Demolition
  Debris (CDD). In Maine, 8 of 12 Plants That
  Started Burning Only Forest Biomass Now Burn 50
  CDD.
• Developer Often Sells After Getting Permits or
  When Plant Built. Pre-Construction Promises Are
  Not Carried Forward.
• Ash from the plants often contains lead and
  arsenic yet is spread on farms as fertilizer.

10
Benefits of the 5 Plants?

• 1 More Power Than Today
• Today 14,000 MW
• With 5 New Plants 14,190 MW

11
Genuinely Green Solutions

• Achievable and economic conservation and
  efficiency measures could reduce electrical use
  at least 30.
• Phantom Loads alone account for 5 of electrical
  use
• Conservation cost 3.2 cents per kWhr versus 8.9
  cents per kWhr for new production.

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Saving the Taxpayer the Environment
At this time of ecological and economic
crisis, taxpayers should not be forced to
subsidize new polluting, CO2 emitting, forest
devastating wood burning biomass power plants.
These subsidies should go to truly green
technologies to produce clean, non-carbon
emitting energy and local jobs.
Wood burning biomass energy projects should
not be eligible for public subsidies through any
of the Renewal Portfolio Standard (RPS) statutes.
13
Forest Impacts By The Numbers

• 190 MW x 13,000 tons / MW 2.5 million tons
• Waste wood (5 counties) 0.6 million tons
• Wood required from forests 2.5 0.6 1.9
  million tons
• Current Public and Private Logging 0.5
  million tons
• Requires Logging more than Quadruple in
  Massachusetts
• Waste wood claims are
• very doubtful. Existing 17
• MW Pinetree plant already
• burns whole trees.

14
McNeil Biomass Burner in Vermont

• 1 Air Pollution Source in Vermont
• www.planethazard.com/phmapenv.aspx?mode
  toptenareastatestateVT

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More Wood Burning Power Forest Impacts

• At the Historical Logging Intensity of 19 tons
  per acre
• 100,000 acres cut for biomass alone each
  year
• 8.6 million trees cut burned per year
• A Department of Energy Resources Report,
• targets 55 of biomass wood to come from
• public forests.
• At the historical logging intensity of 19 tons
  per acre, 16 years to log ALL western
  central Massachusetts forests, and only 9 years
  if protected areas are excluded.
• Plants burn at 23 efficiency, 77 of forests go
  up in smoke

16
Public Forests Targeted

• The Department of Energy Resources Report
  (Cited by Proponents) Targets State Forests To
  Provide 532,000 Green Tons of Wood Annually, (55
  of the Likely Biomass Fuel Supply). This rate
  is Ten Times Higher Than the Historical Average
  of 50,000 Tons.

17
Ramping Up Public Land Logging

• New management plans call for large logging
  increases over historical rates on state forests
  and watersheds
• 66 of State Public Lands Are
• Open to Logging, Only 34 are
• protected in Parks and Reserves

18
Timberspeak Used to Sell Logging

• The State Is Using Manipulated, Exaggerated
  and False Claims Such as Improving Forest
  Health and Creating Wildlife Habitat and To
  Sell Heavy Logging To The Public. Peer Review
  Comments of the States Certification Management
  Plans are Illuminating

• Planning effort should frame timber harvest in
  the context of maintaining plant and animal
  diversity, improving wildlife habitat, and
  protecting rare habitats
• Good forestry means lower water rates. That
  slogan will sell in Boston
• Patch Cut means a clearcut of one quarter acre
  to one acre in size. Patch cut size should be
  increased to 2 or 3 acres.. to avoid triggering
  the sensitive word "clearcut

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Timberspeak Fact vs Fiction
Logging For Forest Health Dr.
David Foster - Director, Harvard Forest
Not only is there sparse evidence that
silvicutural approaches achieve their goals of
increasing resistance and resilience, little
evidence suggests that natural disturbances yield
negative functional consequences. Therefore,
current management regimes aiming to increase
long-term forest health and water quality are
ongoing experiments lacking controls.
In many situations good evidence from true
experiments and natural experiments suggests
that the best management approach is to do
nothing.
20
Timberspeak Fact vs Fiction
Clearcutting to Create
Early Successional
Wildlife Habitat Dr. Lee Frelich, Forest
Ecologist Clearcutting virtually never
replicates the types of disturbances that created
early successional habitat under the natural
disturbance regime (or the natural regime
combined with Native Americans in some areas).
Fire created early successional habitats, and
 effects of clearcutting are not the same. Fires
tend to leave behind  80-90 of the trunk wood,
and remove the branches, clearcutting does the
opposite. Effects on soils are also different.
John Hutchinson, Wildlife Biologist
The decline of each species is a multi-factoral
function. More common reason for decline is
wintering habitat and migration route hazards
such as cities and cell towers. A clearcut in New
England would provide a boost in nesting habitat
for a few species, but the unintended consequence
is degradation of woodland habitat, particularly
dense forest land, which is a more critical
habitat and provides optimal nesting for many
more species and much needed shelter and food for
species migrating further north.
21
Timberspeak Fact vs Fiction
Softening Up
the Public For Clearcuts
Bob Leverett, Old Growth Forest
Ecologist
Co-Founder Eastern Native Tree
Society "The explosion of clear-cutting, a
highly damaging, unnecessary, shortcut practice,
is a prime case in point. What is the recipe for
getting people to accept unsightly practices like
clear-cutting? Give them plausible sounding
reasons tell them that the forest is unhealthy,
that red maple is taking over, that alien species
are invading, that trees will fall on people,
that there is an unacceptably high fire danger,
that a hurricane will blow everything down. Sound
familiar? Presumably, clear-cutting is needed to
help avert such impending catastrophes. But if
people aren't buying, what then? Push the "early
successional habitat" argument. Win support from
a naive public by insisting that we need more
cottontails and game bird species, suggestive of
a mid-1800s landscape. Have I missed any of the
arguments? By the way, I've been told in
private, by foresters, that these are the
standard talking points that state and federal
forest agencies routinely use to soften up the
public prior to an unpopular action."
22
Forestry Laws Inadequate Unenforced

• The state claims to have strong forestry
  laws that will protect forests. however
  Massachusetts forestry laws specifically allow
  clearcutting, including on conservation,
  recreation and watershed lands. Even the
  following existing laws are routinely ignored as
  shown in upcoming photos.
• Clear-cutting..the maximum size of the opening
  created shall be 10 acres unless the source of
  the regeneration is seeding from surrounding
  stands, in which case the maximum size shall be 5
  acres (Note 1 acre 1 football field)
• Filter strips shall be left along the edges of
  all water bodies and Certified Vernal Pools. No
  more than 50 of the basal area shall be cut at
  any one time
• On Fish and Wildlife lands (20 of public
  lands) clearcutting is prohibited, but the state
  skirts the law by renaming clearcuts with
  euphemistic labels.
• It shall be a condition of each contract for
  the cutting and sale of timber that clear-cutting
  timber on lands managed by the division is
  specifically prohibited

23
Protecting MA Public Forests

• Whereas
• State public forests, watersheds and parks
  comprise only 10 of Massachusetts land
  area and 16 of its forests and represent our
  best chance to preserve and
  protect wilderness areas, fish and wildlife
  habitat, clean water, clean air,
  tourism income, carbon sequestration, scenic
  beauty and recreational
  opportunities in the 3rd most densely populated
  state in the US.
• The 14 billion tourist industry depends heavily
  upon fully protected public forests.
• According to the FSC peer review, the public
  overwhelmingly prefers no commercial logging on
  public lands.
• Most of the wood is sent out of state and 90 of
  Massachusetts logging occurs on private lands.
• The timber program loses money, taxpayers are
  paying to cut their own forests.
• Massachusetts can be a leader in forest
  protection to help reduce global warming and to
  avoid valid claims of hypocrisy when admonishing
  third world countries to set aside their forests
  from logging.
• Proposal
• Prohibit commercial logging on State forests,
  watersheds and parks.

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A Preview of Future Forest Impacts From Wood
Burning Power Plants

• The Following Public Land Photos Taken From 2007
  To 2009 Are All Recent FSC Green Certified
  Logging On Massachusetts State Forests and Parks.
  
• Almost All of The Clearcuts in The Following
  Photos Were Euphemistically Called
  Shelterwood, Aggregate Retention, Salvage
  or Seed Tree Logging in Order To Avoid Using
  The Sensitive Word Clearcut.

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SAVOY STATE FOREST-2008
SEE NEXT SLIDE FOR GROUND VIEW AT RED
ARROW
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SAVOY STATE FOREST-2008
GROUND VIEW FROM PREVIOUS SLIDE
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SAVOY STATE FOREST-2008
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SAVOY STATE FOREST-2008
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SAVOY STATE FOREST-2008
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SAVOY STATE FOREST-2008
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BEFORE-FOX DEN WILDLIFE AREA-2005

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AFTER-FOX DEN WILDLIFE AREA-2005
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CONWAY STATE FOREST-2008
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H.O. COOK STATE FOREST-2008
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WINDSOR JAMBS STATE PARK-2008
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WINDSOR STATE FOREST-2008
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OCTOBER MTN STATE FOREST-2008
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OCTOBER MTN STATE FOREST-2008
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OCTOBER MTN STATE FOREST-2008
ILLEGAL 50 ACRE CLEARCUT,
CONSERVATION AND RECREATION LAND
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MOST STATE FOREST LOGS GO TO QUEBEC

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OCTOBER MTN STATE FOREST

• Before and After Same Location 2008 to
  2009

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POLAND BROOK WILDLIFE AREA-2008
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CHESTER BLANDFORD SF-2008
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CHESTER BLANDFORD SF-2008
ILLEGAL CLEARCUT TO EDGE OF POND,
CONSERVATION AND RECREATION LAND
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PERU WILDLIFE AREA-2008
FISH AND WILDLIFE LAND
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2008
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2009
Watershed for Bostons Drinking Water Supply
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2009
Watershed for Bostons Drinking Water Supply
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2009
Bostons Drinking Water Supply Behind Trees
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QUABBIN RESERVATION - 2009
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QUABBIN RESERVATION - 2009
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2009
Bostons Drinking Water Supply Behind Trees
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2010
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2010
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2010
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2010
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2010
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2010
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QUABBIN RESERVATION-2010Major Invasive Problem
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CHESTERFIELD GORGE STATE PARKTHE ZIMMER
TRACT-2009
Donated by Raymond Zimmer For Conservation
Purposes Only
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CHESTERFIELD GORGE STATE PARKTHE ZIMMER
TRACT-2009
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CHESTERFIELD GORGE STATE PARKTHE ZIMMER
TRACT-2009
Donated by Raymond Zimmer For Conservation
Purposes Only
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SAVOY STATE FOREST CEMETERY-2005

• BEFORE

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SAVOY STATE FOREST CEMETERY-2008

• AFTER

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SAVOY STATE FOREST CEMETERY-2008

• PHOTO VIEW 2 MAY 2008 Trees Are Still Alive

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SAVOY STATE FOREST CEMETERY-2009

• PHOTO VIEW 1 MAR 2009 Trees Are Now Dead

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SAVOY STATE FOREST CEMETERY-2009

• LOOKING OUT FROM CEMETERY

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SAVOY STATE FOREST CEMETERY-2009
SCS investigated the sites of concern raised by
Massachusetts stakeholders in a substantive
manner that conforms with FSC mandated audit
protocols. This investigation included site
inspections of most of the sites in question. SCS
felt confident that the DCR lands in question
were in conformance with the FSC standards.
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GREEN ENERGY IN MAINE
This past weekend I was on a hunting trip
in Maine, Northwest of Moosehead Lake. While
driving through some logging roads we came upon a
clear cut the likes of which I had not seen in 15
years or so. While I have always been a supporter
of sustainable forestry, this old practice of
clear cutting was never part of that.

• When we found the piles of trees our
  concerns were confirmed. This clear cut was not
  for lumber or paper products, it was in fact a
  Biomass clear cut. (I had my hunting partner
  stand in front of the pile of trees to give
  others a reference of the size of it.) As we
  traveled down the other side of the mountain
  there were hundreds of more acres marked off to
  be cut in this manner.
• When we talked to some of the locals about
  it, they actually laughed a bit and said it is
  amazing what you can get away with when you label
  something as "green energy". They explained that
  because now Biomass is called "green energy" they
  can take everything they can grind up to burn and
  nobody says a word.
• James L. Wallace, November 9, 2009
• Executive Director, Gun Owners' Action
  League
• www.goal.org

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MOOSEHEAD LAKE AREA, MAINE
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MOOSEHEAD LAKE AREA, MAINE
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New Look to Logging on Private Forests Also

• The Following 2009 Photos Are From a Recent
  Logging Job by Cowls Lumber in Huntington, MA
  (Not FSC Certified)
• After Public Complaints About This Logging
  Job, Cinda Jones, President of Cowls, Stated That
  They Will Not Log This Way Again, but Biomass
  Wood Demands Will Make That A Hard Promise To
  Keep. Cinda Wrote an Editorial Promoting
  Biomass Burning, in Part, Because it Would Create
  a Market for Trees Without Commercial Value

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COWLS LAND, HUNTINGTON MA
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COWLS LAND, HUNTINGTON MA
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COWLS LAND, HUNTINGTON MA
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COWLS LAND, HUNTINGTON, MA
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ITS OUR CHOICE..This?
SAVOY STATE FOREST, NORWAY SPRUCE
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And This?
HOLYOKE RANGE STAE PARK, MIXED FOREST
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Or This?
PERU WIDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, EX-FOREST
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• MA FORESTS
• AT THE
• CROSSROADS
• Its Our
• Choice
• Chris Matera, P.E
• (Washington State Registered)
• www.maforests.org
• christoforest_at_maforests.org
• For Sources and Citations, See
• www.maforests.org/Biomess.pdf