[FLPERMACULTURE] Forest Watch: protect old growth in the Finger Lakes National Forest

[Michael Burns]

Begin forwarded message:

From: kathryn engel <wolftree_2001 at yahoo.com>
Date: February 20, 2007 3:22:15 PM EST


Hi All,

Thanks to all of you the Forest Service removed several 150-200 year
old white pine trees from a timber sale being conducted in one of the  
last
  remnant old forest areas in the Finger Lakes National Forest.  With  
that
  act, ancient trees again became a possibility in this landscape.

The white pines trees, symbols of peace and emblems of forest recovery,
are only the most dramatic aspect of a battle that we have been fighting
for the last ten years to save the oldest trees in the Forest along  
with their
plant and animal families.

Forest Watch has filed an Appeal with the Chief of the Forest Service
  citing insufficiencies in the new Forest Plan to protect the remaining
300-400 acres of native old forest in the Finger Lakes National Forest.

The Forest Service is in the final stages of drafting an Appeal  
Resolution
Agreement.

They are trying to dilute the terms of the agreement to the point of
insignificance.

They need be reminded that our voice represents a large, strong willed,
well informed community that expects them to respond to our values and
vision for the future.

Please send a message to the Forest Supervisor in Vermont:
  Meg Mitchell <mmitchell01 at fs.fed.us>
and copying the message to the District Ranger in Hector:
Michael C Liu <mliu at fs.fed.us.>

Forest Watch statement on Finger Lakes National Forest old forest areas:
The public impetus is to identify these old forest areas on the FLNF and
  assign them protected status. Our goal is to retain the oldest and  
least
disturbed examples of recovered native forest in the FLNF for their  
social
value as places of remembrance and for their ecological value as
reference areas for information about successional pathways in this
landscape and genetic banks for ecosystem restoration.

Please contact me, Kathy Engel, at <wolftree_2001 at yahoo.com>, if you
  want to volunteer as part of the Hobart College old forest survey  
in the
FLNF this spring and summer.  We need grassroots balance and
perspective on historical ecology, wildlife habitat, and native plant
communities. We really want to hold the knowledge here as well as see it
  dispersed in academia.


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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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