Norco Forestry and Logging

This webpage contains documents pertaining to Norco’s forest management plan, DCR restrictions and compliance for both land and water, and logging plans. 

2023 Logging Plan

The 2023 Logging Plan objective is to increase woodland diversity by age, monetize mature stands, increase wildlife and wildlife habitat for deer and turkey. The plan has also been award state grants for habitat management. Some of the grant money will be forgone based on decisions to not harvest in those stands.  The agreed to plan should net Norco around $45,000.00  These funds are being prioritized for use to improve club ranges and grounds, per the 2023 Member Survey.  The documents/plans include the following: 

  • previous clear-cuts stand 13 and 14 , that have since grown in 
  • planned logging cuts for 2023 stand 9, stand 2, stand 4;, stand 7 this cut will result in standing seed trees and new growth. New growth fosters a richer wildlife habitat than a mature stand. Mature stands are valued for their logs and return revenue to the club.
  • optional logging cuts not to be done due to access: stand 8  ; if and when DCR does a cut on adjacent land, this stands will be logged. This stand is deemed mature; difficult to access through Norco property due to the stream.
  • optional logging cut not to be done, stand 12:  since these are small wooded areas between the pheasant hunting fields for hunter safety and habitat. There is no monetary value in the wood in this stand.
  • planned volunteer cutting on stand 14 and 15, a thinning process, whereby the forester marks trees and Norco volunteers cut the sapling growth. This will open up the space for the remaining trees to grow, provide better hunter access into the stand. There is no monetary value in the wood. The downed saplings can remain where they fall and become compost for the forest floor.
  • the revenue is as follows: $19,000 for 26 acres of mature trees; $39,000 MA grants; percentage of total revenue is paid to forester for their services estimated at $13,000; net to Norco estimated at $45,000.00 . Logger receives revenue directly from the mill for the logs and chips they harvest.

 



Norco Pheasant Fields

Norco has had discussions about pheasant field improvements and food plots for deer & turkey.  A few fields fall within the DCR watershed restriction that need more research for what the club can due with disturbing the soil and a few fields are located in the unrestricted areas of the club property (e.g. 2 fields closest to the clubhouse and field behind the pistol range), whereby we can disturb the soil. The Dec 2022 discussion has been to designate one unrestricted field to experiment with increased grass growth and a food plot.   

Following is a  MA DFW soils biologist assessment of the fields, with references to the field that has the tractor trailer to further encourage grass growth over the briar, fern, and goldenrod growth. 

“Establishing warm season grass in the fields and/or expansion of those fields at NORCO would likely be a good fit for the MassWildlife Habitat Grant.  With the preexisting sandy soils found there,  some light disking (or equivalent) would dilute the top organic soil layer with lower horizons of sand and break up the sod forming cool season grasses. We found a small patch of little bluestem in the first field (field with the tractor trailer), so there is some latent seed waiting for the right conditions. There still would be recommended to overseed, with, local genotypes since they grow more vigorously, so we should try to encouraging them where they occur. Exploring the requirements for maintaining those warm season fields will also be an important consideration for the club. “


Documents to be posted, but not yet include the Chapter 61A forest management plan; DCR land restrictions for Norco’s undeveloped property, and other relevant reference materials for forest management, watershed/waterway protections.  Any questions about these can be sent to webmaster@norco.club .

Norco Landowner Goals Management Summary

Norco Chapter 61A Forest Management 10 Year Plan

documents to be posted in the near future

Norco DCR Restrictions

Reference Documents and Links

https://masswoods.org/sites/masswoods.net/files/Ch61-v2.pdf

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/watershed-preservation-restrictions

https://www.mass.gov/doc/watershed-preservation-restriction-landowner-handbook/download

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/watershed-protection-act

https://www.mass.gov/doc/brochure-on-landscaping-and-the-watershed-protection-act/download