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Massachusetts Ranked As One of the Most ‘Forested’ States

Author Jeff Gorra

Six days after Earth Day is Arbor Day. Wisevoter released their 2023 Most Forested States report to coincide with this time of year, and Massachusetts ranked quite high.

Forests in the United States cover approximately one-third of the country’s landmass. Wiservoter details how they provide “vital habitats for wildlife and essential ecosystem services like capturing and storing carbon, moderating water flows, reducing air pollution, and providing recreational opportunities for Americans to enjoy.”

A healthy forest is also a crucial factor in preserving the health of our air and clean water. Forestry is an essential business. “American forests directly employ over 900,000 people in a variety of jobs such as forest management, timber harvesting, tourism, recreation and more,” Wisevoter continues.

Massachusetts

To determine their rankings, Wisevoter surveyed the land of each state to compile what percentage of land is forested. Massachusetts finished 12th with 59.8% forest coverage.  To clarify this, coverage is defined as the percentage of forest land area. In addition, the Bay State has 2,984,000 forest land acres. Massachusetts has a .02% percentage of acres burned by wildfire.

Maine is the state that had the most forest coverage, with 88%. North Dakota was 50th, with only 1.8% forest coverage. At this point, you might be wondering how a larger state in mileage would outrank a smaller state like Hawaii. It’s because the measurements are based on the percentage of that state that is under forest coverage, as opposed to the actual square mileage or acres of forest.

MA - 12th most forest coverage state

What about the rest of New England?

New Hampshire was second with 88.1% forest coverage (and 0% burned acreage). Vermont was 4th at 76.7%. Connecticut ranked 14th with 56.9% coverage, and Rhode Island finished at 17th with 54.5%.

You may come across various areas that are considering the time in between Earth Day and Arbor Day  to be “Arbor Week.”

The city of Cambridge is hosting events all week in recognition. You can collect information about trees, volunteer to plant trees, or attend a neighborhood tree walk. With Massachusetts being one of the most forested states in coverage, it’s a great time to get outdoors and participate.

Two Of Massachusetts Coastal Towns Ranked in USA's Top 10

North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard. There certainly is no shortage of shoreline in the Bay State. Two Massachusetts towns were selected as a USA Today top 10 coastal town.

10 Best is USA Today‘s travel coverage series highlighting attractions, destinations, and food items around the county. They look for unique charm with homegrown flavors. Furthermore, they were looking for “waterfront charm.” Not only is Massachusetts the home to two of the selections, but it was also the only state in the Northeast to get the nod. According to the final rankings, these two towns are both in the top five!

So what are the towns?

Provincetown and Marblehead are each considered a Massachusetts top coastal town. The tip of Cape Cod and North Shore shipyard landmark. 10Best calls out Provincetown’s spread of galleries and museums as main attractions. In addition, Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary was listed as part of Marblehead’s nature-friendly environment.

Looking at the history of these two summer hot spots, it’s no surprise that their quaint appeal led them to landing on the top 10 coastal town list.

Provincetown is 17.5 miles of unique beachfront and harbor-side living. Often called P-Town, the year-round living population is roughly 3,600 people, while the seasonal population can reach as much as 60,000. Commercial Street is known for its Cabaret establishments, restaurants, and art shops.

Marblehead is about three hours north of Provincetown. You can actually take a boat back and forth. On a map it looks like these two destinations are staring at each other. Marblehead is about 19 square miles with a population of over 20,000. One of the main tourist attractions here are the numerous sailing options out of Marblehead harbor. Finally, it is infamous for its commercial fishing wharfs, thus there are also six yacht clubs spread throughout the area.

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Author Jeff Gorra
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