Mass Audubon promised to preserve wildlife. Then it made millions claiming it could cut down trees By Lisa Song and James Temple ProPublica and MIT Technology Review,Updated May 10, 2021, 3:31 p.m. Email to a Friend ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive This story was originally published by . The Massachusetts Audubon Society has long managed its land in western Massachusetts as crucial wildlife habitat. Nature lovers flock to these forests to enjoy bird-watching and quiet hikes, with the occasional bobcat or moose sighting. But in 2015, the conservation nonprofit presented Californiaâs top climate regulator with a startling scenario: It could heavily log 9,700 acres of its preserved forests over the next few years.