Westford To Thin 20 Acres Of Martina Gage Forest

WESTFORD, MA – This summer the Westford Town Forest Committee will thin parts of the Martina Gage town forest on both sides of Gage Road near the Chelmsford line. Thinning will take place on approximately 20 acres of the 75-acre forest.

Gage, a prominent businesswoman and philanthropist who ran the Daniel Gage Ice Company in Lowell, donated the land to the town when she died in 1935.

The cutting plan identifies specific portions of the forest that will be thinned based on the species, age and general health of the trees. Individual trees have been marked for cutting as well.

Thinning is a technique that improves the viability of younger trees by removing past-maturity, degrading trees, according to the town. Thinning will eliminate unhealthy trees and open some of the canopy to allow sunlight to reach the floor. It is also expected to improve access to a portion of the trail between the Gage Forest and the 4H Fairgrounds to the north.

Much of the overall forest will not be touched to reduce impacts to the small pond and wetlands throughout the property.

Image via Shutterstock