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 Goals and Objectives of MWPA
Massachusetts
Wood Producers Association fully supports the management of our state
forests for multiple goals, including the protection of clean water,
clean air, and biodiversity. While our members' businesses are based
upon the harvest of forest products we do not support harvesting that
jeopardizes theses values. It is our opinion that management plans give
consideration for all forest values and place forest harvesting within a
responsible framework that provides for forest reserves, forest
biodiversity, forest health, recreational values, and soil and water
protection.
Our
state forests are invaluable resources that exist because of the
foresight of past generations. It is our responsibility to protect,
maintain, and enhance this resource for the benefit of future generations. WE the MASSACHUSETTS WOOD PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION - A) Monitor state and local legislature and agency actions that impact the
forest products industry and work toward implementing those policies to meet
the mission of the Association. B) Provide a forum for dialogue between the forest products industry and
opinion leaders, legislators, other interests groups and the general public. C) Foster better public understanding of the forest products industry and
its contributions to the economy and the environment. D) Provide a forum for dialogue within the forest products community. E) Serve as representative of the forest product industry. F) Meet membership needs within the context of the Association's mission.
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Ash Killing Beetle found close to New England The invasive beetle that has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees over the past decade has been found east of the Hudson River for the first time, marking its closest known threat to New England, researchers in New York reported this past week. The larval beetle tunnels under the bark, eventually destroying a tree without any sign until its foliage yellow and dies. The shiny green adults are only about half an inch long and tend to fly well above the ground, making them hard to spot. Ash trees, prized as a commercial hardwood and featured in urban plantings, have been ravaged through much of the Midwest and into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast since the Chinese beetle was first discovered near Detroit in 2002. Borer infestations were found in western New York in 2009, but experts say the Hudson Valley colony could have started years before that, possibly after catching a ride across the state in a load of wood. The main population has been spreading gradually at a pace of about 2 to 3 miles a year, but "satellite" colonies leapfrog ahead, mostly by hitchhiking in loads of logs or firewood. New York became a leading edge for research and control efforts after a m major infestation was discovered on the west shore of the Hudson in 20101, about 150 miles east of colonies discovered elsewhere in New York since 2009. Researchers set out purple traps and stripped bark from trees last year, eventually mapping finds of beetle larvae in a 225 square mile area running north from just below Kingston, bounded on the east by the river and parts of the Catskills in the west. Jeff Rider, a DEC supervising forester, thinks the latest infestation involved adults that crossed the river during last summer's flying season. Forestry experts in New England have been closely watching for any sign of the ash borer, relying on the familiar purple traps.   Northeast being affected by high tick population Most people have, at one time or another, found a tick on a family member, the family pet or on themselves. Tick bites can be painful and cause skin inflammation, secondary infection and could start forming microorganisms that spread disease. There are several different types of ticks found in New England. Two of the most "high risk" areas are Massachusetts and Rhode Island. According to the Centers for Disease Control tick-borne diseases is an epidemic forming in the United States. Ticks are related to mites, spiders and scorpions, but are not considered an insect. Ticks have eight legs and insects have only six. Ticks develop in four stages: egg, larva, nymphs and adult. After mating on a host, female ticks drop to the ground then lay anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 eggs. The eggs then hatch into larvae which are also referred to as seed ticks. Larvae collect in large groups and wait for an animal to pass within reach. After feeding on the host, the larvae then drop to the ground again and shed their skins. The larvae have now turned into nymphs. A nymph follows the same process as the larvae in the way that it finds a host to feed on then, drops to the ground and sheds its skin. However, at this time, the nymph will become an adult. Adult ticks will then seek a host to feed and mate. Adult ticks will only mate while on a host animal. Male ticks will mate one or more times and then usually die, but some may live for months after mating. Female ticks die shortly after the process of laying eggs. Certain ticks can have a life cycle from two months or up to two years. For additional information: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health(MDPH), Division of Epidemiology and Immunization at (617) 983-6800 or toll-free at (888) 658-2850, or on the Tickborne Diseases website at http://www.mass.gov/dph/tick, or your local board of health (listed in the telephone directory under local government) Tick Borne diseases in Massachusetts http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/cdc/lyme/tickborne-diseases-physician-manual.pdf |
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