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In 2015, Elizabeth and Maynard Stowe had 23 acres of forested land together jointly and privately, with no family trust in place to keep their forest as forest long term. At that time, the woodland was overgrown with invasives such as Bittersweet, Japanese barberry, Privet, Buckthorn and Honeysuckle making it difficult to cross and offering degraded wildlife habitat. They were aware of the risks that climate change might pose to their land, and they set an intention to manage their forest with long-term climate adaptation and forest resilience in mind.
The Stowes were interested in exploring a Forest Stewardship Climate Plan, which can help to bring benefits to people and wildlife communities by providing critical wildlife habitats, creating recreational opportunities, and storing carbon, among other outcomes. Also, the Stowe’s forester, Mary Wigmore, found them to be ready for the learning involved in developing a climate-centered forest plan.
The Stowes have worked to overcome challenges to implementing their plan by seeking technical assistance from the Forest Climate Resilience Program and by exploring multiple paths for funding their stewardship work, including funding from the NRCS and the MA Climate-Stewardship Incentive Program. With this help, Mary, Elizabeth and Maynard crafted a ten-year forest stewardship climate management plan for the property.
Forests provide unmistakable benefits to people and wildlife communities, such as providing critical wildlife habitats, creating recreational opportunities, and storing carbon. For Elizabeth and Maynard Stowe, their 23.37 acres are full of excitement—both in terms of the current wildlife and personal use and the future possibilities. With this in mind, they have identified the following high-level goals for their property:
There are a number of existing challenges on the landscape that may be exacerbated by an uncertain climate future. The southwest facing slopes on the property expose the forest soils to late afternoon sun through the growing season. Hot, dry soils could create challenges for seed germination and introduce heat stress to trees (i.e. during the 2022 growing season black birch suffered heat stress). This stress can also reduce available native tree habitat and increase tree mortality in the long-term. Continual soil drying could change the water dynamics across this slope. For instance, drying out the flow of a natural spring in this area could impact water sources for wildlife and songbirds.
The development of younger trees in the forest is suppressed by browsing by deer as well as the abundance of some native plants, such as American hophornbeam and witch hazel, that can inhibit the growth and establishment of tree seedlings. Black birch, hemlock and beech sprout up in any available openings and compete with native shrubs, like blueberry and viburnum, that could add more diversity and structure to the forest. The lack of future climate adaptive seedlings poses a risk to sustainable ecosystem function.
Anticipated Climate Impacts
Located on the western slope of a small, unnamed hilltop with peak elevation near 885 feet, this primarily wooded property has two distinct forest types typical of this region: northern hardwood and transition hardwood. The tree diversity on this land is high with 16 species of trees counted, including hemlock (28% of stocking), red oak (20%), white pine (9%), aspen, red maple, black birch (12%), paper birch, white oak, black oak, shagbark hickory, pignut hickory, white ash, cherry, basswood, cedar, elm, sycamore, larch, gray birch, hawthorn, and beech.
The forested landscape supports a rich mosaic of forest, farmland, water features, home sites, and deep forest. Broken only by Route #116, a long narrow forest corridor allows for habitat connectivity and tree species migration. This property connects to a network of other lands protected through the Chapter 61 protection program, conservation easements, and public or non-profit ownerships. Large tracts of forest increase landscape resilience to climate change impacts.
In 2017, a tornado ripped through Conway, blowing down a section of forest. Subsequent extreme storm debris caused crown damage, branch droppings, and losses in tree vigor. This extreme weather event prompted the couple to learn more about their property and how they can help the forest withstand and adapt to changing climates.
The Stowes have had success in starting to treat invasive species in advance of their harvest and are working to maintain and improve their trails as a family. Their main barrier to finishing the implementation of the stewardship plan is the cost of implementation and the challenges that can come with navigating incentive programs. Luckily their forester has connected them with the Forest Climate Resilience Program. The program is working to provide technical assistance, alongside their forester, so they can overcome these barriers. The Stowes have since applied for funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (federal funding) and a pilot program the Forest Climate Resilience Program is offering. They may also seek funds from Massachusetts’s new Climate Stewardship Incentive Program.
As they work to implement their plan, the Stowes continue to share important lessons learned with their friends, family, and neighbors about the importance of Forest Stewardship.
Mary Wigmore
Wigmore Forest Resource Management
wfrmanagment@gmail.com
Special thanks to Elizabeth and Maynard Stowe and Mary Wigmore of Wigmore Forest Resources, Rick Whitney of Mass Audubon, and Emily Boss of Massachusetts Woodlands Institute, for their help in preparing this case study.
Conway
The land is in the town of Conway, MA on the unceded lands of the Nipmuc, Pocumtuc and Wabanaki peoples. Learn more about native lands in Massachusetts.
Elizabeth and Maynard Stowe
Family Forest Land
Elizabeth and Maynard Stowe, Consulting Forester Mary Wigmore, MA DCR Stewardship Program, MassWildlife Habitat Improvement Program
Forest stewardship climate plan to improve the forest’s ability to adapt to climate change (be more resilient) and enhance songbird habitat
Invasive plant management, patch cutting and thinning, herbivory management, understory plantings
New England Forestry Foundation
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Mass Audubon
