NORTHEAST U.S. — Bill Moomaw, a Tufts emeritus professor and a distinguished visiting scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, pointed to climate-cooling effects and ecological recovery resulting from spontaneous forest regrowth in the U.S. Northeast. This regrowth followed the abandonment of farmland after 1850.

By 1850, deforestation in New England had reached approximately 80 percent, with some areas experiencing 90 to 100 percent deforestation. European colonists had previously cleared forests in New England and Virginia for agriculture and villages. The sovereign in England mandated the preservation of tall white pines in primary forests for royal ships' masts.

Around 1850, New England farmers began to abandon their farmland as the Ohio territories opened for settlement. Simultaneously, between 1850 and 1900, railroads in the Northeast contributed to deforestation by burning wood for fuel and using wooden ties. Forests in the Northeast were also cut down to harvest hemlock bark, which was used for tannin in leather tanning.

Massachusetts was an estimated more than 90 percent forested when Europeans arrived, and today it is 60 percent forested. The Northeast experiences less temperature rise from global warming compared to other regions due to its heavy forestation. Forests contribute to cooling surrounding areas by drawing water into trunks and evaporating it from leaves. Boston is estimated to be three or four degrees cooler than it would be without its forests.

Moomaw, who was a lead author of several Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, noted the historical perception of forests. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Moomaw quoted John Winthrop, saying, "We have been sent to a wilderness filled with savages and wild beasts."

During negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol, the United States argued that its forests should be considered as an offset for historic carbon emissions. Gifford Pinchot, the first head of the U.S. Forest Service, returned from Europe after 1900 after studying European forest management practices; he advocated for forests to be used as a resource wisely. John Muir, by contrast, advocated for forests to be protected as sacred.

Why It Matters

The historical land-use changes in the U.S. Northeast illustrate how large-scale ecological recovery can occur spontaneously, leading to measurable climatic benefits. The current forest cover in Massachusetts, for example, represents a return of pre-colonial forested conditions, which now contributes to regional cooling. This demonstrates the impact of natural processes on climate regulation.

The contrasting philosophies of forest management, as exemplified by Gifford Pinchot and John Muir, reflect differing views on environmental stewardship that continue to influence policy discussions regarding land use and climate change mitigation, such as the U.S. argument during Kyoto Protocol negotiations. Examining past deforestation and subsequent regrowth provides context for understanding the role of forests in global climate patterns.