Restoration

The Massachusetts Dynamic Forest Restoration Initiative (MADFRI) is a collaboration on public and private lands in north central Massachusetts and the Berkshire Highlands region that enhances forest resiliency, restores fish and wildlife habitat diversity, mitigates invasive species, and creates a baseline model for long-term transboundary landscape-level planning throughout the region by through forest habitat restoration, forest habitat resilience, public engagement & outreach, and long-term landscape planning.

Forest Habitat Restoration

What makes MADFRI unique among restoration initiatives is our “big picture” view of Massachusetts forests as a patchwork quilt of small and large sites that can be managed in a holistic and complimentary way. The 20-acre family forest is as important to the quilt as the 2,000-acre wildlife management area down the road. Coordinating the health of forested landscapes across public and private land is essential for the overall resilience of the New England’s forests. When we knit together this strong quilt of healthy forests, wildlife is better able to migrate to different areas, invasive plants and insects are better kept in check, and humans can have a healthier relationship with the land.

MADFRI’s goal in forest habitat restoration is to identify, plan, and deliver sustainable forest management and invasive species treatments on public, private and conservation easement properties in a coordinated manner that accounts for both landscape-level conditions and property-level planning considerations. 

Land protection alone is not enough for conservation of biodiversity. The rare species crisis is an integral part of the climate crisis, and in Massachusetts many of those rare species rely on open habitats and priority natural communities, many of which are themselves rare, due to land-clearing and development for other human uses. Targeted restoration provides habitat for wildlife, increases climate resilience, and provides outdoor recreational opportunities for human communities.