State Park to be logged?

By Erin O'Connor

Staff Writer

AGAWAM Logging is planned for Robinson State Park and can begin as early as late summer, said Carol Gilmor of the Friends of Robinson State Park Committee (FRSPC).

"We are concerned what the logging will do to Robinson State Park," Gilmor said.

""It is now an internal process. We are (State Foresters) currently preparing approvals and contract processes," Jim Dimaio chief Forester of the State said last Thursday.

Members of the FRSPC have been organizing rallies and attending meetings in order to stop the cutting down of trees in the State Park.

"This logging is something that unfortunately is happening all over the state right now," said Judy Eisman, chair of the Kestrel Trust, a regional land trust established for Amherst and nine surroundings areas. Other state forests that have been logged recently include Chicopee and Chester.

A meeting was conducted at the Public Library on May 22. In attendance were state foresters, legislators and members of the community.

"I hope that the logging does not take away from the beautiful piece of land and destroy the Park," Mayor Richard Cohen said after the meeting.

"I do not have a say because it is state owned," he added.

Robinson State Park was donated to the state in 1934. It includes 811 acres of woodland refuge with five miles of frontage on the Westfield River.

"Robinson is an extension of Mitteneague Park that is across the river. A botanical survey was conducted on Mitteneague recently that found it to have over 548 plant species in this area. The species can be said to be existing in Robinson," Charlie Spencer an environmentalist said.

The park is also home to numerous tributes and fundraising activities for the community. Events include 'the Ride for Sight' that took place last spring, cross country events for high schools and a very special five mile walk/run yet to occur that will pay respect to Jason Olbrych, a high school student who died in a car accident in 2005. The event will occur at the Park June 16.

The first stages of the logging operation are underway, Steve Rossi, member of the FRSPC, who spoke to Reminder Publications after the meeting said.

"There is blue and yellow paint on numerous trees. Trees painted blue are to be cut for lumber. Trees painted yellow mark the future road for heavy equipment access, and will also be cut for lumber," Rossi said.

"Massachusetts presently holds some 285,000 acres of forest throughout the state. With this timber sale, the state is attempting to sell 130 acres of our small 852 acre park (approximately 15.26%)," Rossi said.

"The reasons given for the logging are constantly changing," said Rossi.

"First it was said to be a 'Shoe String Fungus' infecting some of the Red Pines. Then they (state foresters) said the trees were a liability, and next it was that they wanted to diversify the Park's tree species population," Rossi Said.

"We are concerned about the long term interest of the forest," DiMaio said. "We are concerned about the falling trees and that over time elevated wild fires will pose risk to the homes that are surrounding the Park."

Rossi does not believe that this is the truth behind the logging.

"The state recently handed down the numbers that Massachusetts has been contributing two to three percent of the timber that goes toward the paper production in the state. They want to increase this number and therefore are looking for ways to increase this percentage by increasing the amount of timber they get within the state therefore logging is increasing," Rossi said.

The Chicopee Memorial State Park was logged about two years ago. Entering the State Park today one can see there are cut trees that have been left not cleaned up and on the forest floor.

"Chicopee is an example of a state forest that was left too long to not have had intervention," DiMaio said.

"This is not the case," said Rossi."Doing the logging earlier does not explain the left trees and the destruction that has been done to the forest (Chicopee)," he said.

"Much of the herbacious species will be destroyed in the process of the cutting," Spencer said.

"The problem is," said Rossi, "That much other hardwood will also be harvested in order to make this timber sale profitable and more attractive."

The sale needs to be attractive both the private logging companies (that will be bidding on the forest) in July or August and and the quotas/tallies for in-state harvested wood (for the paper product industry) Rossi said.

Previous to the meeting members of the FRSPC held a two-part "Support Rally" on Saturday in Agawam.

"My father is doing this for himself but he is also doing this for me," said Michael Rossi, Steven Rossi's son who was at a Rally.

"We feel that the loss of recreational value by the cutting will far outweigh the benefit of the sale of the trees," Rossi said.

"What we would like to see happen, is for mother nature to run her course, She'll take care of it like she always does," said Gilmor.

At the meeting state foresters commented that the state forests' conditions are a liability, Gilmor said.

"The state foresters were playing to the fear card. They are trying to provide timber to the Industry and get the forest ready for future timber sale 20 to 40 years from now," Gilmor said.

"The issue of the logging began when an employee of the Park made a call to state foresters saying that he was having trouble with red pines falling," Gilmor said. "We feel that by cutting 50% of the red wood trees it will leave the other 50% in a healthier position," DiMaio said.

The members of the FRSPC do not agree.

"The fungus infecting the redwoods infects all of the state forest and by logging the trees it will not prevent the fungi," Rossi said.

Rossi urges members of the community to contact legislators in order to stop the logging.

Robinson State Park is located Route 57 West off of route 187.