Massacoe State Forest Wildlife Corridor

The southern block of Massacoe State Forest is an invasive-free wildlife corridor loved and enjoyed by many people. We will have some information to share on the value of keeping some forests intact and growing, and finding a balance between protecting nature and resource management. This is also a critical research agenda. More and more science is showing the value of mature and old forests. They are RARE in Connecticut!

Please review the additional information provided here, and note that this site is under construction. We agree with forest management in the right place and for the right reasons, and we respect private property rights. But we quickly need to evolve past the outdated view that every forest needs management – and we need to protect nature wherever we can right now.

Foresters are a critical workforce in responsible resource management and collecting data. They are trained to assess forests and manage them for various reasons, but we need areas for nature. Nature provides forests with maximal carbon storage, full native biodiversity, and more. We all need to be patient, be willing to learn, and realize there is so much we don’t know.  

Friday, June 12th several people gathered quickly at Massacoe to be a witness to what is happening and create this documentation.

Friday, June 12th

Operations

October 1 — December 1

Upcoming

Teach-In: A panel discussion on the health and role of forests in a warming planet.

The contract is for logging 81 out of 83 acres in this area. Research is being conducted to confirm the details of the sale. Consistent with other logging contracts, it is likely the rights to logging 81 acres of trees on public land was sold for well under $25,000. Goals for the area are in this report from 2014

October 1 — December 1

Timeline

  • Contract was signed in 2018. A CT DEEP plan full of contradictions for Massacoe was created in 2014. 
  • Tree clearing started Thursday, June 11th in the middle of nesting season. 
  • June 12th: pause in logging. A group gathered at noon to document the cutting. A request for a copy of the contract was made by 12:30 pm.
  • June 15th: logging resumed for 8 hours.
  • About half of the 81 acres were logged. There are 83 acres in this Massacoe block.
  • CT DEEP called a public meeting for June 19th at 10 am. At least 50 people attended this meeting. A contract though promised for Friday morning was not delivered. CT DEEP could not produce a report on the biological survey of the forest that should have been done prior to cutting. State Senator Witkos and State Representative John Hampton were present and spoke in favor of protecting Massacoe. 

Sunday, June 21st, Rick Jacobson sent this email:
“From Rick Jacobson –

Thank you for attending this past Friday’s gathering at Massacoe State Forest.  The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection welcomed the opportunity to share with you the goals and objectives of the Massacoe State Forest Management Plan.

We appreciate your engagement on this issue. We have heard your concerns and are committed to providing information and addressing the concerns that were raised. We are halting tree cutting work on the site effective immediately, while we work to ensure that concerns are addressed.

The Department is dedicated to conserving, improving, and protecting our natural resources. We take this responsibility seriously and will be in touch with all of you later this week with additional information.

Thank you all for sharing our passion for Connecticut’s natural resources.

Sincerely,
Rick Jacobson, Chief
Bureau of Natural Resources

Advancing the conservation, use and appreciation of Connecticut’s fisheries, forest and wildlife resources.”

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