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Maps and photos of clear-cut area

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On September 5th, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied the Sierra Club's Appeal for a hearing without explanation, in turn granting final approval for a private developer to begin the clearcutting of state forests on publicly owned parkland. The clearcutting of these majestic forests occurred in late summer.

Click here to learn more about the decision and to view interactive maps demonstrating how the clear-cut violated the state's own management plan for the reservation.

[Download the Sierra Club petition to the court]

Mt. Wachusett, located in central Massachusetts, is a public parkland and the state’s highest peak east of the Connecticut River. The park is home to the state’s fourth largest stand of Old Growth Forest, hailed by scientists from all over the world for its unique features and value as a historical and scientific resource. Also located on Mt Wachusett is a commercial downhill ski area, privately owned and operated by Wachusett Mountain Associates (WMA), who have proposed to expand their extremely crowded - and extremely profitable - ski facility. The family who owns WMA (as well as the Polar and Adirondack Beverage Corporations) leases the land form the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the state agency responsible for protecting, not developing, the reservation. Unfortunately, DCR has approved the private developers plans to unnecessarily clear-cut rare forest habitat on our state parks, all for private profit. To date 8 acres of 140 year old forests have been cleared, with 4.5 more acres planned for next summer.

When completed, the Ski Area Expansion will cause:

• Clearcutting of more than 12.5 acres of forest, including majestic stands of 140 year old mature Northern Red Oak.

• Destruction of biologically diverse habitat within a buffer zone for the Old Growth Forest which the state's own review process determined should be managed in a "hand's off" fashion.

• Increased erosion and runoff from trail clearing, blasting and excavation.

• More areas of the park becoming “off limits” to hikers and other passive users of the mountain.

• Increased damage to the Old Growth Forest from higher skier numbers and increased snowmaking operations and edge effects caused by wind and icing.