North Quabbin Woods is a project of the New England Forestry Foundation. The goal of the project is to revitalize the North Quabbin economy based on the sustainable use of local forest resources. Project initiatives include:
- Marketing locally made wood products. North Quabbin woods promotes over 30 local woodworking businesses with products as diverse as lumber, gift items and fine furniture. Through our showroom in downtown Orange, this website, and our display of wood products businesses we are connecting these woodworking businesses to markets in the North Quabbin, Massachusetts, New England, and the entire Northeast.
- Educating landowners about sustainable forest management. We host a regular series of workshops for local landowners on topics ranging from forest thinning to timber taxes, from chainsaw safety to sawmill tours. We also convened the highly successful Coverts Program, an intensive four-day seminar about forestry and wildlife management for local opinion leaders, who are charged with educating their neighborhoods and communities about forest management.
- Training & Promoting Forest Guides. In partnership with the Millers River Environmental Center, we developed a guide training program to help local residents establish themselves as forest guides, offering natural and cultural history tours of the region to locals and visitors. With 16 graduates, the program now works to promote the guided recreation in the region.
- Raising Community Awareness about the economic, social, and environmental roles that forests play in the region. Through our workshops, wood products display, logo placement, and regular media coverage, we are working to promote the theme that forests matter in our local economy!
The North Quabbin Woods Project is supported through a variety of state, federal and foundation grants as well as from the local businesses we promote. Major funding comes from the Ford Foundation's National Community Forestry Demonstration Program and the US Forest Services Rural Development Though Forestry Grant.
For more information about the North Quabbin Woods Project, please contact:
Scott Maslansky, Project Director
North Quabbin Woods Project
New England Forestry Foundation
1 East Main Street; Post Office Box 27
Orange, MA 01364
(978)544-3332
northquabbin@northquabbinwoods.org
