[FLPERMACULTURE] The Trees Are Saved: no old-growth cuts in Finger Lakes National Forest.

[Michael Burns]

Thank you: Mike DeMunn, Kathy Engel, Mike Lui, (plus others whom I neglect to
remember) and everyone who took the time to call, write, and pass on the
word...

The Trees Are Saved!

More information is found at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~owlgorge/savingoldgrowthwhitepinesinfingerlakesnationalforest/

On November 1, Finger Lakes National Forest District Ranger Mike Liu sent out
his decision regarding the old growth white pines that were marked for cutting
in the "Cotton Mill" timber sale. He decided to exclude the pines from the
sale; that is, they will not be cut.

This change of plans occurred because so many people contacted the National
Forest expressing their support for saving the pines; and because ecological
forester and old growth expert Mike DeMunn and members of Forest Watch met
with Mike Liu and other USFS staff on the site last week. Thank you, thank
you, thank you!!

Credit must also go to Mike Liu for listening to the public's concerns about
these trees and for considering alternative solutions to meeting their timber
management objectives.

Here is the entire wording of District Ranger Liu's decision.

Mike Liu, with Melissa Reichert and Diane Burbank
Cotton Mill Timber Sale
White Pine Decision

History:

The Cotton Mill Vegetative Management Project was first proposed in the winter
of 2003. The Forest Service attended meetings with the public and the Finger
Lakes Forest Watch Congress in April of 2004 and held two public field tours
in March and August of 2004.

No specific concerns were raised related to the white pines present in the
area during the public scoping and comment periods. A decision notice and
finding of no significant impact was signed in December of 2005 to thin 53
acres of oak and clearcut 11 acres of red pine. The decision also approved the
cutting of aspen on 0.6 acres to stimulate aspen re-growth and creation of a
small

0.25 acre group selection cut within a red pine plantation.

The decision was appealed by Forest Watch. However, an administrative review
by the Regional Office found the environmental analysis and public
participation to be adequate and consistent with Forest management objectives.
The original decision was consequently affirmed, allowing for implementation
of the project.

Two of the three oak thinning units have remnant white pines and twelve of
these were marked during the timber sale preparation process. The pines were
marked for harvest to reduce overall stand density to favor existing oaks and
benefit wildlife by maintaining mast production. The marked white pines are
about 18 inches in diameter and are second growth trees between 100-150 years
old (established post-settlement). While white pine are common on the Finger
Lakes

National Forest and surrounding region, larger pines greater than 100 years
old are less common.

Issue:

During the summer of 2006, the Forest Service and members from Forest Watch
met on site to discuss the timber sale and Mike DeMunn expressed his opinions
regarding the value of the white pines within the stands. His concern was
noted, but no decision or promise was made to specifically protect all the
white pine.

Once the stands had been marked for the timber sale, Mike DeMunn and others
expressed surprise at the marking of the twelve white pines and asked the
Forest Service to reconsider.

Mike DeMunn felt the Forest Service had made a commitment to not cut the white
pine and also raised concerns related to the value of these specific trees to
local residents who have enjoyed viewing them from Logan road and attached a
sense of place from them being there for so long.

He also expressed the spiritual value of older large white pines to Native
Americans, and the species and structural diversity these particular trees add
to the stand.

In addition, an e-mail of unknown origin was sent to several list serves
accusing the Forest Service of not fulfilling promises and preparing to cut
the few remaining white pines on the entire Finger Lakes National Forest.
Recipients were encouraged to write or call the Forest in protest. The Forest
received over 150 responses as a result of the e-mail.

As the district ranger, I personally visited the site on October 26, 2006 with
our Forest ecologist(Diane Burbank), Forest Planner (Melissa Reichert) along
with Mike DeMunn, Kathy Engle, and Susan Wiener from Forest Watch. The field
visit and discussion was recorded on video by an acquaintance of Mike DeMunn.

Cotton Mill Timber Sale
White Pine Decision

Following discussions with our Forest wildlife biologist, ecologist,
silviculturist, and timber preparation forester, I determine inclusion or
exclusion of the white pine from the timber sale will have no effect on the
analysis completed for the wildlife report. In addition, I determine that both
the overall management objectives and the protection of the twelve white pines
can be met if additional hardwoods are marked as replacements for the white
pines.

Decision:

It is my decision to protect the twelve white pines by removing them from the
Cotton Mill Timber Sale and to replace the associated basal area with other
hardwoods from within the same stands.

This will meet the desired stand density and achieve the identified management
objectives. It will also add species diversity and structure to the existing
stand while protecting the white pines

which hold special value to local individuals who have enjoyed seeing them in
the landscape and have developed a sense of place from their presence. This
decision also honors the spiritual values held by the Iroquois and other
Native American nations. My decision is site specific and limited to the
Cotton Mill timber sale. Because this decision does not result in any
substantive change from the original decision for the Cotton Mill Vegetative
Management Project, no additional public review or comment is necessary and
this administrative decision is not subject to appeal.

/s/ Michael C. Liu 31 October 2006


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Michael Burns
http://www.cayuta.org
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Earn your permaculture design certificate.
The Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
offers affordable local classes.
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org
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