As Paul Catanzaro, Forest Resources Specialist for UMass Extension, put it, “If we had more people out there like Ed Klaus, our woods would be in much better shape.” And for good reason. Ed Klaus cuts plenty of trees but he does it with his eye to conservation and sustainability and he’s not afraid to share his philosophy of responsibility with others.

Ed has had a long time interest in land protection. Twenty years ago he read in the Leyden newsletter that the town was looking for conservation commissioners. He decided to volunteer for the position and put his interest to good use. Ed saw his post as Conservation Commissioner as a chance to have a real impact on land protection in his town, the town where he grew up working on farms and in woods that he now wanted to be sure remained intact and healthy.

Twenty years later and Ed continues to volunteer for the Leyden Conservation Commission, adding the Agriculture Commission--the goal of which is to uphold the by-laws of the “Right to Farm” community and to prevent development on farmland--to his roster of community involvement. Both of these volunteer activities have provided Ed with ways to effectively share his knowledge of conservation techniques with local landowners.

When Ed joined the Conservation Commission, he didn’t realize how great an effect it would end up having on his own life, if several years down the road. As a commissioner, Ed was contacted about a new program being started by the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension called the Coverts Project (now Keystone Project; http://masskeystone.net). The program, then in its infancy and continuing today, provides community leaders with intensive training on land conservation with the expectation that “cooperators” will then work to engage their community in conservation efforts, serve as a knowledgeable resource for landowners, and otherwise advocate for conservation. Ed’s interest in land protection was amplified by what he learned in the program. “I saw a lot on the family farm that just wasn’t good,” Ed recalls.“In the Coverts program I learned what other alternatives there are and also how to talk to landowners about their other options, how to find a better way.”

Ed took that knowledge and put it to use advising landowners on best management practices and what their different land use and protection options are. “After that,” he says, “it just snowballed.”

After working for 14 years in a machine shop, Ed saw that there was a demand for knowledgeable people in the logging business. He quit his job in 1999 and went into business for himself. Pine Shadow Farm (www.pineshadowfarm.com), “a friend of forest habitats of Western Massachusetts”, is Ed’s answer to the need for loggers interested in protecting and supporting wildlife, improving forest ecosystems, and harvesting sustainably. Pine Shadow Farm, a one-man operation (and occasionally one-woman, when Ed can convince his wife Rita to help out), works with a range of clients, from towns needing work on conservation lands to individual landowners.

While Ed started off as a more traditional logger, bidding on jobs and cutting trees, he has managed to find a niche for his business, which has a strong focus on timber stand improvement and wildlife habitat enhancement. On a recent job, Ed said that when he got started the forest was silent and by the time he had finished the job he had the company of songbirds, which had found the woods newly desirable. Ed has also been known to alter the plans of a job in order to avoid disturbing plants or wildlife he finds there. On one property, he discovered that a tree marked to be cut had a hawk’s nest and a pile of fledglings in residence high up in the branches. In the interest of protecting the family then and in future seasons, Ed chose not to cut the tree, convincing the landowners it was the right thing to do regardless of the lost income. “I just couldn’t take the chance of cutting it down,” he explains.

Happily, Ed reports that he has had no difficulty finding clients who are interested in sustainably managing their land. He says that through word of mouth people hear about his philosophy, which is enough to convince landowners that Ed will work their land responsibly. Some techniques he uses include felling trees and leaving them on the forest floor in order to provide protection for growing saplings and wood for decay, creating brush piles that provide habitat for small mammals or the occasional bear, and thinning the canopy to allow more sunlight to reach the woods floor, encouraging the growth of new trees. In all of his work, Ed’s focus is to increase the quality of the woods. Whether that is quality in terms of economic, recreational, or aesthetic value, management practices designed to improve one tend to improve all.

Ed’s focus on sustainability naturally applies to his own property as well. He has 10 acres of much-loved sugarbush that is in Chapter 61 and he is a member of the Massachusetts Woodlands Cooperative (www.masswoodlands.coop), which means his land is Forest Stewardship Council-certified.

Talking to Ed, it is clear that he has a high level of respect and appreciation for the land and wildlife. He understands that it is possible to work the land for income or recreation and do so in a way that only improves the woods and habitats. As a community resource, Ed is engaged and passionate about sharing his knowledge with landowners so that they have the tools they need to make good decisions about their land. Down to earth, boots on the ground conservation efforts like Ed’s make a real difference in our western Massachusetts woodlands.

The Griswold Conservation Area where Ed is working has a self-guided stewardship trail. Step 4 along the trail is this brush pile, created by Ed. Many forest species need brushy thicket like this to make their home. This type of habitat is on the decline thanks to development and the lack of good management. Species that may make their home here in the future include rose-breasted grosbeaks, blue-winged warblers, and many small mammals. A brush pile of this size could even make a cozy winter den for a black bear. This brush pile is particularly attractive to wildlife thanks to its location adjacent to a field. 

The Stewardship Trail highlights the stewardship activities being conducted by the Town of Greenfield in order to improve the quality of the woodland. Ed is working on thinning out competing trees so that more desirable trees can thrive (including trees that provide good wildlife habitat and food and/or that have high timber value), managing the woods to encourage the growth of mast producing saplings (that is, trees that produce fruits and nuts utilized by wildlife for food), and creating brushy wildlife habitat.