Bill > H4150

This bill aims to establish coordinated management guidelines for public forest lands in Massachusetts. The key provisions are: 1. It creates a "Forest Reserves Scientific Advisory Council" to oversee the designation and management of forest reserves, and to suggest additional acquisitions to enhance the ecological value of the forest reserve program. 2. It requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish coordinated management guidelines for public forest lands and sustainable forestry practices on private forest lands, including agreements on equipment, personnel, operational costs, and management responsibilities. 3. It expands the urban parks district to include more cities and towns, and gives the Division of State Parks and Recreation the authority to regulate the use of certain spaces along or near rivers and ponds within the district. 4. It requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation to adopt watershed management plans every five years, with input from various experts and the public, to provide for the protection of forests, fish and wildlife, soils, water quality, carbon storage, and consideration of climate change impacts. 5. It designates all commonwealth lands under the care of the Department of Conservation and Recreation as "parks" or "reserves," and prohibits the sale, exchange, or commercial use of these lands, with limited exceptions. 6. It establishes a policy of cooperation with landowners and other agencies to promote the proper and profitable management of all forest lands in the interest of the owner, the public, and the users of forest products, while ensuring sustainable forestry and native biodiversity protection.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4150