How Much Timber is Cut?

Timber Cutting

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Timber is harvested at a range of scales and intensities. Some landowners harvest timber or firewood ("cordwood") at a small scale and therefore, do not maintain records of their work. Others will sell timber or cordwood commercially.

The Forest Cutting Practices Act (Chapter 132) requires a cutting plan for timber harvests exceeding 25,000 board feet (or 50 cords) or for harvests within a wetlands resource area. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM) administers the law and maintains records of approved cutting plans.

Cutting plans provide some useful data reflecting the scale of regional timber harvests, however, it is important to note that they represent only a portion of the timber cut in the region. Smaller operations and land clearing also account for a significant portion of timber cut in the region.

Between 1984 and 2000, 1222 cutting plans were approved in the nine towns of the North Quabbin region. These plans represent 47,900 acres, of which 36,300 acres (76%) were privately owned.

According to cutting plans over 167 million board feet (b.f.) were cut in the region between 1984 and 2000. Approximately 105 million b.f., or 63% of the total, was on privately owned land (including individuals, sawmills, and non-profits). The mean volume per cutting plan was 139,000 b.f. Approximately 9.8 million b.f. were cut per year.

Since 1990 there has been a general increase in the number of approved cutting plans as well as in the total timber volumes listed.