PHILLIPSTON — In hopes of devising a comprehensive forest management plan, the town is applying for a grant with the state to study its more than 200 acres of forest.
Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Flynn is working on the application for the Community Forest Stewardship Implementation Grant from the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Forest Stewardship Program.
According to the DCR’s website, the Community Forest Stewardship Implementation Grant helps municipalities with their forest stewardship practices by analyzing local benefits the forests provide including wood products, wildlife habitat and clean water.
“We are stewards of this land on behalf of the residents so we want to take good care of the property that we own. We want to understand better the health of our forests,” said Flynn.
The town’s forests range from large parcels of land to smaller ones, Flynn said, with most of the land off of Highland Avenue and Baldwin Hill Road.
Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis and awarded to towns when the state has the funding available. If the application is approved and the money is allocated, the town will have to hire a licensed consulting forester to complete the analysis and review of the forests. The individual will research the make of the wood, the conditions of the trees and what action could be taken to encourage healthier growth in the forests, said Flynn.
The study would also assist with mapping the land to get a better sense of what the layout of the forests are, along with the possibility of improving local paths or trails. Flynn said the goal is to make the land more available to the public.
The exact funding for the grant depends on the forests’ acreage, said Flynn. The state will put forth 75 percent of the study’s cost, while the town will have to match 25 percent of the grant money.