PROPONENTS OF THE LOGGING PLAN

• NEFF (apparently the grant that started this came from them)

• Mass Audubon (gets some grant money -they won't specify how much- to oversee and make sure it's all "climate friendly")

• Woodlands Trail Partnership (North Adams doesn't have a representative on their board right now, but Dicken Crane, chair of their board shows up to all the meetings) [See Mary's Letter Below]

• New England Forestry Consultants (one employee wrote the management plan and the operations plan, another is managing the invasive species removal plan and work)

 

BACKGROUND 

In roughly 2022 a grant was offered to the City of North Adams for the purpose of creating a management plan for woodland and riparian areas in the face of climate change.  To the best of our knowledge, the mayor at the time and the public works commissioner accepted, without consulting the conservation commission or the citizens at large - at least not in any meaningful way (still working on getting public meeting documentation. They gave us dates, not sure of attendance or publication or meeting minutes at this time).

 

By city charter, and local practice, the public works commissioner is in charge of the watershed and only needs the mayor's approval to do most projects. The conservation commission should review major logging plans, but is not reliably notified of many projects they should review.

 

The public at large only began to be aware of the logging plan in late July 2024 when an iBerkshires article mentioned a conservation commission meeting about herbicide use in the watershed.  One nearby property owner publicized that on Facebook, and roughly a dozen concerned citizens showed up at the conservation commission meeting. 

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July 2024: Article in iBerkshires speaking of the potential logging plan. 

August 2024: A ConCom meeting occurs to go over the potential logging plan. Concerned residents learn plan calls for use of herbicide chemicals near their drinking water. Concerns grow over this information and the use of herbicide chemicals are taken off the table. 

August 2024: After a walkthrough hosted by the city of North Adams, New England Forestry Foundation and Mass Audubon  a group of concerned citizens come together to form a group that will work on stopping the logging plan.

August 2024: A petition opposing the logging of Notch Forest was created. Members of the group also spoke on the Enviro Show podcast and many letters to the editor and city members were written in hopes of stopping this plan. Members of the group and concerned residents start to voice their concerns at city council meetings. 

October 2024: The group holds their first public meeting to inform residents of the logging plan and how it will affect the forest, the habitat and their drinking water. 

October and November 2024: Protests take place in front of City Hall. Members of the group and residents attend city council and other meetings to continue voicing their concerns about this plan.  

December 2024: The group holds their second public meeting to update residents of what has been occurring. Collaborative discussion leads everyone to agree that water safety is the first priority and the forest should be protected from the logging to help ensure that.

December 20, 2024: The Berkshire Eagle publishes an article announcing Mayor Macksey has cancelled the logging project. 

December 2024 - Present day: Group has been working hard to find ways to permanently protect Notch Forest and Notch Reservoir.