Saying Yes to Wildlands AND Woodlands Webinar

How can New England best protect its forests as the region sits at the precipice of climate change, biodiversity loss, development, and forest fragmentation?

The answer to this question often falls in one of two camps: either conserve forests as working lands that provide timber and other forest products, or protect them as wildlands without timber harvesting. In this critical and timely discussion, two region-wide conservation organizations who approach forest protection from seemingly opposite ends of the spectrum will show how the strategies of protecting wildlands—forests largely left in a natural and undisturbed condition—and woodlands—forests managed to provide wood products—are not in conflict, but can in fact be complementary.

Northeast Wilderness Trust Executive Director Jon Leibowitz, New England Forestry Foundation Executive Director Bob Perschel, and Kestrel Land Trust Executive Director Kristin DeBoer will unite their years of conservation experience to demonstrate that protecting both wildlands AND woodlands is an effective approach to addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic security.

Achieving the ambitious land protection goals laid out in the Wildlands & Woodlands Vision—which calls for conservation of 70 percent of New England as forests—requires a full suite of conservation approaches in order to create a resilient, interconnected landscape that will provide for the health of people and nature for generations to come. Northeast Wilderness Trust, New England Forestry Foundation and Kestrel Land Trust are each working towards meeting these ambitious goals. While the organizations use different methods, they share a common belief in and mutual respect for the importance and urgency of one another’s work.

The event will begin with an introduction by Kristin, then Jon and Bob will weave together their different perspectives to articulate a common, expanded framework for forests as a natural climate solution. They will then switch roles, each speaking for the mission and goals of the other. Giving examples from real conservation projects and current initiatives, they will show how a dual approach of conserving both woodlands and wildlands can result in a better forested landscape for all. They will cover important conservation attributes that can be achieved or not achieved by implementing either wildland or forest management practices. Kristin will moderate the Q&A portion of the event and join the discussion with Jon and Bob to round out the event.