WILDLANDS AND WOODLANDS CONFERENCE-HARVARD FOREST VISION FOR KEEPING 50% OF NEW ENGLAND FORESTED

Join Us for the New England Wildlands and Woodlands Conference!*

Friday, June 4, 2010, 9:30am to 4pm
Grappone Conference Center
Marriott Courtyard
Concord, New Hampshire

New England Forestry Foundation is hosting an all-day, regional conference featuring the Harvard Forest report co-authored by scientists from across the region, Wildlands and Woodlands—A Vision for the New England Landscape.

History has provided New England with a unique opportunity: a second chance to determine the fate of its forests and their balance with farmland and development. Following an early history of forest clearing and intensive logging, much of the region has reforested since the nineteenth century. However, this trend is reversing. Over the past 20 years, uncoordinated development has perforated forests and farms in every New England state, endangering our local resource base and cultural heritage.

Sensing the need for foresight and action, the Harvard Forest convened a team of leading scientists from across the region to draft a conservation vision for the future of the New England landscape, applying concepts from the 2005 report, Wildlands and Woodlands: A Vision for the Forests of Massachusetts. The New England Wildlands and Woodlands vision calls for an unprecedented, long-term conservation effort to retain the majority of New England in forestland, permanently free from development, and capable of supporting people and nature.

The Wildlands and Woodlands vision ensures, at reasonable cost, that New England will retain the vibrant, sustainable landscapes that shape its identity and support local economies, communities, and their quality of life. Financially prudent and forward-looking, the vision allows for continued economic growth and development — as much as a doubling of the current amount of developed land. In thoughtfully conserving its landscape, New England can provide national leadership in the integration of economic prosperity, natural resource conservation, and energy and resource efficiency.

In a region where more than half of all forests and working lands are privately owned by families and individuals, the vision cannot be achieved without the dedication of local citizens and a wide variety of local groups: landowners, land trusts, town boards, non-profit organizations, schools, foresters, loggers, farmers, and others. The Wildlands and Woodlands vision outlines concrete strategies for partnerships, Woodland Councils, and other collaborations of like-minded individuals to come together to share resources and solve problems at all scales.

At this conference, we will begin the dialogue among you — landowners, professionals, conservationists, and others — about how this vision could be achieved. We hope that you will join us for this important day.

For more information on the Wildlands and Woodlands vision, please visit http://www.wildlandsandwoodlands.org/

For directions to the Grappone Center, please visit http://www.grapponeconferencecenter.com/contact_us.php.

*CEU credits are available to foresters in NH, MA, ME, CT, and SAF, as well as wetland biologists in NH. CEUs may be available to other professionals. Please contact Sonya at sleclair@newenglandforestry.org with questions and to be sure that a Certificate of Attendance is available for you. A separate registration table will be set up to assist individuals requesting professional credit. All appropriate forms will be signed after the conference adjourns.

Register for the Conference

Registration for the conference is $40. Lunch is included. Because space is limited, participants are encouraged to sign up early. Registrants can use one of two methods described below. If you have any additional questions, please contact us at conference@newenglandforestry.org.

Participants interested in staying in Concord on Thursday evening can enjoy a reduced rate of $89 for the night (plus applicable tax) at the Courtyard by Marriott. Rooms are limited, so please call 1-800-321-2211 or visit the Marriott website by May 14 to make a reservation. Be sure to tell them that you are attending the NEFF conference.

Registrations with checks made out to "New England Forestry Foundation" or "NEFF" should be sent to:

New England Forestry Foundation
ATTN Donna Sibley/Conference
P.O. Box 1346
Littleton, MA 01460

Be sure to enclose your registration form with your check.