New England Forestry Foundation has participated in the Mass Timber Dialogue since it began in fall 2020; this collaborative effort is convened by the State of Massachusetts, the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), and ClimateWorks Foundation, and is facilitated by the Meridian Institute. It investigates how mass timber construction, including but not limited to CLT, could be effectively increased across the New England region to help mitigate climate change. Collaborators include people from state governments, experts in forestry, representatives of the conservation community, architects and mass timber experts.
The group released a 2021 report that acknowledges full optimization of climate benefits depends on the implementation of climate-smart forestry practices like NEFF’s Exemplary Forestry standards. The report explains the benefits of mass timber, its current status, obstacles to increasing its use, and policy recommendations for actions that could be taken to increase its use.
The essence of the report was presented to Commissioners of key state agencies across the region and was favorably received. NEFF and partners are now advocating for implementation of its recommendations.
Visit masstimberregionaldialogue.com for more information