CSE Pursues Sound Forestry Policy

Twenty-five CSE activists met with US Forest Service officials in Marion North Carolina recently to discuss concerns raised by several local CSE chapters. The Forest Service requested the meeting after receiving numerous letters and phone calls from CSE members when it became known that the Appalachian District of the Pisgah National Forest had only scheduled a very small quantity of timber to be offered in 2004 from the 161,000 acre forest.

The news of the Forest Service’s lack of support for the region’s forest products industries did not set well in the local communities given the recent staggering loss of manufacturing in the region, including furniture manufacturing that utilizes the valuable hardwoods coming from National Forest timber sales.

Paul Bradley, Appalachian District Ranger, gave a brief presentation on the history of the development of the National Forest System nationwide and locally. During questioning after the presentation, it became clear that some of the history had been left out – the part where Congress established the National Forest System through the Organic Act of 1897 and mandated the purposes of providing a continuous supply of timber for the country and watershed protection. An acknowledgment of the oversight was made and clarified.

Bradley was apologetic for the oversight of the slip in the timber program and vowed to build the program to a stable annual offering of timber.

Several activists expressed their concern over the loss of wildlife populations on the National Forests and the Forest Service representatives agreed that an active timber sale program was beneficial to wildlife by adding diversity to the forest and will improve the environment for all wildlife. They added that the timber sale program also contributed to improved forest health and recreation. The road systems built during timber harvesting also provided many benefits well beyond the life of the timber sale for recreation access, forest protection and wildlife habitat improvement projects they said.

One activist asked about environmentalist’s contentions that these timber sales on National Forests were below cost and appeared regularly in media accounts of these issues. The Forest Service employees explained that the cost is high for the elaborate environmental analysis required by laws and litigation from environmental groups during timber sale development. However, when all the costs versus economic and environmental benefits are analyzed on the timber sale program, the benefits far outweigh the costs. They also pointed out that 25 percent of the revenue from the timber sales goes to the county school system where the timber is harvested – another benefit to the communities that is often overlooked.

The Forest Service encouraged the activists to participate in the development of projects on the district by signing up for their mailing lists. That way they would get the information about upcoming activities and could provide input during the process. They explained that most of the input they receive is from the anti-management environmental groups who pound them with no management rhetoric. Everyone in the room signed up to get the information.

It is quite clear that these local CSE chapters have captured the attention of the US Forest Service and will be closely monitoring the developments to see how effective the Service is in contributing to the economic and environmental well-being of their communities.

It is also worth mentioning that we know the volume of concerns brought by this local effort have reached Washington DC and into the halls of the Department of Agriculture. Inquiries have been made which may explain the willingness of the Forest Service to meet with our activists. When we work together – great things can happen!

Steve Henson questioning Ranger Bradley

District Ranger Paul Bradley (Appalacian District) and 25 CSE Activists