Connecticut needs both wildlands & woodlands — not one or the other

Northeast Wilderness Trust
We live in uncertain times. As we face the twin crises of climate change and extinction — and their relationship to human well-being — the importance of forests continues to take center stage in public discourse.
Recent commentaries on the topic across Connecticut point to a wide range of views. Some discuss the irreplicable value of leaving parts of the landscape unmanaged as wildlands. Others explain how important and necessary forestry practices are and the industry that enacts them. Together, these perspectives form a holistic approach to protecting and managing New England forests, which is the approach taken by Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands, & Communities (WWF&C) — an initiative my organization participates in.
To mitigate climate change, reverse the extinction crisis, and chart a resilient path forward for people, when it comes to forests, New Englanders ought to consider an “all of the above the strategy” that includes far more wildlands than exist today and managed woodlands to support local jobs and produce local products. How to balance those complementary uses ought to be the aim of our energies.
Over the past five years, I have co-presented with Bob Perschel, the executive director of New England Forestry Foundation, in an attempt to bridge divides and find common ground. What has emerged from those conversations?
Perschel and I agree that what is needed most across Connecticut and New England is to stop losing forestland to development and that the correct approach in stemming forest loss embraces a meaningful increase in permanently protected wildlands alongside well-managed woodlands. We need both.
Perschel and I also agree that wildlands can’t produce the needed timber products our society depends on and that managed woodlands can’t produce all of the ecological, climatic and spiritual values of wildlands. Again, we need both.
One recent commentary on the topic by Joseph Orefice makes the argument that “Connecticut forests must be centered on advancing multiple-use forest management” but then calls it reckless to permanently protect forests as wild and unmanaged. While I agree with most of what Orefice says in his commentary, in the spirit of advocating for a wildlands and woodlands strategy, two points that he makes require further inspection.
First, Orefice claims that “taking human intervention out of the equation now would be unprecedented and reckless.” Far from unprecedented, there is great precedent across the Northeast for landscape-scale, permanent wildlands protection — just not in Connecticut. As one example, in New York’s Adirondack and Catskill parks, nearly 3 million acres have been constitutionally protected as forever-wild, much of that for over a century.
Far from reckless, the Adirondack Park is a globally notable example of what largescale forever-wild protection actually can do for carbon storage, biodiversity protection, soul-nourishment, and a robust outdoor recreation-based economy. Meanwhile, while lagging far behind New York, in New England, more than 100 organizations and state, federal and municipal agencies have already designated more than 1 million acres of permanently protected wildlands.
Second, Orefice goes on to state, “In fact, this has been termed ‘The Illusion of Preservation’ by scientists.” This misstates the premise of the study by Mary M. Berlik, David B. Kittredge and David R. Foster of Harvard. It actually calls for a multi-pronged strategy that includes permanently protected wildlands and wise management of woodlands. Indeed, Strategy 3 of the report “Increase Protection of Forested Areas” seeks to “provide opportunities for natural ecological patterns and processes that are unimpeded by human influence.” What is more, the scientists referenced by Orefice went on to form the aforementioned WWF&C Initiative that calls for the permanent protection of at least 10% of New England as permanently protected wildlands.
As a complementary strategy to protecting actively managed forests and farmlands, there are many reasons to protect Wildlands. Allowing more forests to grow old, without intervention, is the lowest-cost option for increasing carbon storage and increasing overall biodiversity on the landscape. Wildlands also contribute to a resilient landscape — they offer quiet places for reflection, and they serve as baselines and reference points for foresters and land managers.
Today less than 1% of Connecticut is currently conserved as wildlands. Across all of New England, it’s just 3.3%. Realizing the goal of 10% of New England’s landscape as permanently protected wildland will require at least 2.7 million more acres being set aside from logging. Critically, we must achieve that goal while embracing the benefits that accrue from forest management and working together with the forestry industry.
The discourse surrounding forest management often finds itself entrenched in dichotomies between wildlands and woodlands. The optimal approach lies not in favoring one over the other, but rather in recognizing the intrinsic value of wildlands and the practical value of woodlands — and striving for a far better balance than exists today.
Jon Leibowitz is the executive director of Northeast Wilderness Trust.
The Journal occasionally will offer articles from CTMirror.org, a source of nonprofit journalism and a partner with The Lakeville Journal.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rock Steady Farm in Millerton opens its fields once again for the third annual Farm Fall Block Party, a vibrant, heart-forward gathering of queer and BIPOC farmers, neighbors, families, artists, and allies from across the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Co-hosted with Catalyst Collaborative Farm, The Watershed Center, WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village, and Seasoned Delicious Foods, this year’s party promises its biggest celebration yet. Part harvest festival, part community reunion, the gathering is a reflection of the region’s rich agricultural and cultural ecosystem.
Rooted in justice and joy, the event will feature over 25 local vendors and organizations, live performances, healing workshops, family-friendly activities (yes, there’s a bouncy castle), and abundant local food. And while the festivities are certainly reason enough to show up, organizers remind us the purpose runs deeper.
“This isn’t just a party. It’s a place to build the kind of relationships that keep our food system alive,” said Maggie Cheney, Rock Steady’s co-founder and worker-owner. “We’re creating space where farmers, growers, families, and community organizers can connect, celebrate, and support one another.”
Proceeds from the event support Rock Steady’s POLLINATE program for queer and trans BIPOC beginning farmers, as well as Catalyst Collaborative Farm’s food justice initiatives. With sliding-scale tickets from $5 to $250, the organizers aim to make the event accessible to all, including free entry for children under 12 and volunteer options for those who want to pitch in.
For those who’ve attended before, it’s a welcome return. For newcomers, it may just feel like coming home.
More info and tickets: rocksteadyfarm.com/farm-block-party
Waterlily (8”x12”) made by Marilyn Hock
It takes a lot of courage to share your art for the first time and Marilyn Hock is taking that leap with her debut exhibition at Sharon Town Hall on Sept. 12. A realist painter with a deep love for wildlife, florals, and landscapes, Hock has spent the past few years immersed in watercolor, teaching herself, failing forward, and returning again and again to the page. This 18-piece collection is a testament to courage, practice and a genuine love for the craft.
“I always start with the eyes,” said Hock of her animal portraits. “That’s where the soul lives.” This attentiveness runs through her work, each piece rendered with care, clarity, and a respect for the subtle variations of color and light in the natural world.
After painting in oils earlier in life, Hock returned to art when she retired from working as a paralegal with a goal: to learn watercolor. It wasn’t easy.
“Oils and watercolor are opposites,” she explained. “With oils, you build your darks first. In watercolor, if you do that, you’re in trouble.” She studied online, finding instructors whose approach clicked, and adapted to the delicacy of the medium.
“When I’m working, everything else falls away,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in life. While I’m painting, time disappears.”
Her studio, formerly a home office, is now her sanctuary and the pieces in this exhibition are the result of three years of that devoted studio work. While this is her first full public show, Hock previously tested the waters at a small fundraiser at Noble Horizons, where one of her pieces sold. That experience — and the consistent encouragement from her family, especially her husband — pushed her to pursue a full exhibition. With gentle encouragement from her husband and family, Hock reached out to the Town Hall’s curator, Zelina Blagden. “My husband kept saying, ‘You’re as good as all those other people out there, why not show your work?’” And so, here it is.
All paintings in the show are for sale, though Hock admits a few are priced high — not because of their size or complexity — but because she’s not quite ready to let them go. “There are a couple I’ve priced high because I’m not sure I want to part with them. But we’ll see,” she laughed. “It would be nice to support the habit a little bit.”
As for aspiring artists or anyone hesitating to begin something creative, Hock’s advice is simple: “Go for it. If it fails, toss it in the basket and start over.”
The exhibit will be on view at Sharon Town Hall through Oct. 31 with an opening reception on Sept. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Carissa Unite, general manager of Oblong Books in Millerton.
Carissa Unite of Millerton, began working at Oblong Books 16 years ago as a high schooler. She recently celebrated her eight-year anniversary as the general manager.
Unite’s journey at Oblong began even before she applied for her first position.An avid reader from a young age, she was a frequent customer at the store. During those years, Unite bonded with a former employee who encouraged her to apply for a position after connecting over their shared love of reading.
As a teenager, Unite enjoyed reading Ellen Hopkins, John Green and Ann Brashares. With the busyness of adulthood, she now favors the convenience of audio books. In the past year, however, she has made it a point to read more physical books.
With a preference for contemporary fiction, she raved about “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story, set in the 1980s, follows two women who become astronauts at a time when women were not widely accepted in the field. A beautiful love story emerges between the two characters. Unite described the writing as sensational and commended Reid’s ability to tackle complex themes without them being muddied.
Unite has developed a deep appreciated for classic literature. Her two favorites are “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. She was amazed by the philosophical nature of both words and the way their dialogue challenged her perspective.
In an effort to read beyond her preferred genre, she recommends the following:
“Some Desperate Glory,” by Emily Tesh, “Midnight Rooms,” by Donyae Coles and “Clear” by Carys Davies.
For Unite, the beauty of reading lies in its power to develop perspective, empathy, and compassion. Through books, readers learn that everyone is fighting different battles and no two stories are the same. She encourages people to choose kindness because you never know what someone else is facing.
Above all, reading brings Unite peace. If offers transcendence to another world, a pause from outside noise, and for Unite, it is where she feels most at home.
For anyone hesitant to being reading, Unite suggests: just do it! Read 10 pages a day and find the book that speaks to you. Any Oblong staff member would be happy to offer recommendations.
Oblong is located at 26 Main St., in Millerton and 6422 Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck.