Download Beyond the "Illusion of Preservation"

New England touts a strong conservation ethic, however, we suffer from a considerable shortfall in production of our forest products compared to our enormously high rates of consumption and our capacity for sustainable production. Given New England’s favorable climate and abundant, productive forests, as well as New Englanders’ strong capacity to apply strict environmental oversight, few places on earth should be better poised to be a leader in advancing forest protection and the sustainable harvesting of forest products while upholding ecological and social values. We set forth an ambitious vision for 2060 to protect forests, reduce consumption, and expand ecological forestry that would not only remedy these production and consumption imbalances but also dramatically enhance protection of our forests and propel us toward meeting urgent climate and biodiversity goals.