State officials announced on Wednesday they have reopened a public comment period for a controversial project to clear some 175 acres of white pine trees in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest.
Leaders with Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) provided an overview of the project on Wednesday along with the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest Task Force, which includes the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and other local conservation groups. DCR officials, after fielding concerns about the plan from Island residents, said they are encouraging locals to participate in the newly opened public comment portal on their website, which will be live for the next two weeks and closed on March 26th. The public can comment here.
The cutting plan presentation on Wednesday was attended by many locals who were against the plan and called for more community engagement.
The comments for DCR’s plan to restore acreage in the State Forest to a sandplain environment had previously been opened in 2022, but was closed before any Island residents chimed in. Many locals said they weren’t aware of the plan before November of 2024, when DCR Forester Paul Gregory hosted a walk through the forest and presented the project.
In recent months, DCR’s plan for the State Forest has gotten Island-wide attention — a video circulating on social media that showed an aerial view of the forest in question, posted by Michael Blanchard, has reached nearly 17,000 views across his platforms. An attached change.org campaign to halt the plan has received over a thousand signatures of support.
Blanchard was present at Wednesday’s cutting plan, and brought attention to the efforts to halt the project. “I’m asking for an opportunity to sit at the table to have these discussions,” he implored the DCR’s representatives, who primarily attended over Zoom.
The State Forest project is scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2025, and will take place in the off-season. According to DCR’s representatives, it will require active management of the area after the white pine trees are removed.
It should be mentioned that the deadline accordant to their web sight is 3/26/25.
https://www.mass.gov/forms/dcr-public-comments
Could the Times please post a link to comment to the state?
Let’s remove this mistakenly planted forest. It was an idea years ago to creaet a lumber industry on the island. It was planted with the wrong species of trees and it is time to move on from that mistake. It was intended to be cut down when it was planted. How are people missing that fact?
Dead and dark bring light and life
DCR wants to chop down app 15,000 mature white pine trees from the forest. This is not ecological restoration – it is deforestation/resource extraction. The comment period should remain open for 6 weeks at a minimum to give people across the island and the state time to engage. Otherwise the smell of fresh pine needles may be replaced by nasty diesel fumes come September.