By Mike Roche

This past Tuesday, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairshosted via Zoom a public input session regarding Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines that will affect the direction of the state moving forward. When notified of this event, this writer checked it out and signed up to comment. It is clear that there is a serious discussion regarding the direction of forest management in Massachusetts and this issue is central to the future of the state’s publicly-held open space. Much of that land is controlled by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and MassWildlife. Governor Healy placed a six-month moratorium on all previously approved forestry management work on public land in June, and everything is on hold until this review process is completed.

The session provided three questions to comment on. They were:

What role should humans play in optimizing carbon storage and sequestration in forests? To advance other objectives such as clean water, habitat for rare species or wood products?

What is your definition or concept of forest reserves? What, if any, is the role of human intervention in maintaining reserve conditions?

According to the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment (2022), degraded forest health is expected due to warming temperatures, changing precipitation, increasing pest occurrence, and more frequent and intense storms. What types of forest vulnerability do you think requires effort to preserve, protect, fortify and/or enhance our state forest lands?

This observer has walked and observed the interaction of forests and wildlife for six decades and was involved in policy decisions on MassWildlife lands for 35 years as a member of the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board. In that time, I saw anecdotal and scientific data-driven impact of active forest management on animals, birds and insects. Many species displayed dramatic increases due to habitat manipulation and cutting specific trees to adhere to a designed forestry management plan. Mature forests are favorable to only a few species of birds, animals and insects while early successional growth of selected plants and trees are a boon to many species.

In my comments, I stated that the wildlife component of the biodiversity picture seemed to be left out of the discussion and that “the science” of forestry management had evolved several times in the past 50 years and undoubtedly would continue to evolve, and that should be kept in mind as policy was being discussed.

If you want to comment on Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines that will affect the direction of the state moving forward, there is still time to submit written comment. To me, the support of active forestry management on state lands needs support as many people seem to believe that no trees in Massachusetts should be cut, ever!

To comment, go to the OEEA web site and the Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines – Public Input Session and you will find directions on how to submit comments. This is a serious matter that will have a great impact on Massachusetts forests going forward.

Meanwhile, it is time for my annual switch-over from “regular” to “high test” in what my bird dogs are fed. Over the years, yours truly has spent a lot of time reading about and speaking with people who are knowledgeable regarding nutrition for hard-working bird dogs. In my time running dogs it has been clear that upgrading food definitely improves a dog’s ability to hunt longer and harder. My first experience was when I met Bob West, who was a pioneer in canine nutrition and worked for Purina when they introduced a line of upgraded food. Using that food on a Brittany owned by my father, it was clear that Jude hunted longer and harder with the change in diet.

Since then, the dog nutrition market has exploded and it is almost bewildering with all the selections for puppies, old dogs, dogs with sensitive stomachs, big dogs, small dogs, toy dogs, and many more specialized foods for dogs, which have, in my humble opinion, been elevated in our society to place where they are, in the minds of many owners, equal to or more important than people.

With that said, we drove to Mount Tully Kennels to see what Steve Drew had to say on the topic. He has spent a lot of time studying what goes into dog foods and he agreed with my choice of Purina Pro Plan Performance 30/20 Canine Athletes food. It is proven in the field by my dogs, and it really is a numbers game. The 30 and 20 are the protein and fat content and they are higher than even the better dry foods from popular brands. The food also contains added vitamins and minerals. Believe me, I know dog poop. When you put good, high nutrition food in, very little comes out as the dog’s body makes use of the needed contents. Cheaper foods are mostly fillers, and that stuff comes out, in volume!

The new diet is added incrementally, and this is synched with an increase of activity. Like any athlete, the dogs are conditioned over time with a schedule and plan to have them in top shape when the season opens. My activity also increases, but my diet could be improved, but who can say no to snacks! Next week we will introduce a change in dog collars that I thought I would never make.

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the MaharFish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.

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