The U-S Forest Service has released a draft of the new management plan for the White Mountain National Forest. The draft represents a big step forward in replacing the current plan, which dates back to 1986. The new plan will outline every allowable activity on the forest, from skiing to logging, for the next 15-years. N-H-P-R Correspondent Doug MacPherson reports.
See details, download documents, and find meeting dates about the new forest plan.
THE NEW PLAN MUST TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE FOREST, AND DECIDE WHAT, IF ANYTHING, HAS CHANGED – IN TERMS OF ITS BIOLOGY, ITS RESOURCES, AND THE WAY PEOPLE WANT TO USE IT. THE DRAFT PLAN OUTLINES FOUR ALTERNATIVES. ONE OF THOSE IS THE FOREST SERVICE’S RECOMMENDED OR “PREFERED” ALTERNATIVE. THE DRAFT DOCUMENT IS HUNDREDS OF PAGES LONG AND CLOSE TO 3 INCHES THICK. NO ONE KNOWS BETTER WHAT’S INSIDE THAN TOM WAGNER, FOREST SUPERVISOR OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST.
WAGNER NOTEST THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THE FOREST PLAN COVERS IS HOW WILL ITS 800-THOUSAND ACRES BE ALLOCATED. CITIES HAVE ZONING – FORESTS HAVE MANAGEMENT AREAS.
TAPE TOM WAGNER 132 And each of these management areas has specific direction based on the land that’s included in the management area. If I could give you an example, a wilderness area would be a management area that has specific direction, to implement the wilderness act. Tuckerman’s ravine is within a scenic or special area, and it has specific recommendations based on that. In the allocation area, we really looked at – how have the management areas that were used the last 15 years served the forest. And was there an overriding need to change those management areas. :33
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF INPUT FROM SCIENTISTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THE ANSWER THAT CAME BACK WAS: NOT MUCH.
TAPE TOM WAGNER 152 the preferred alternative maintains the overall mix. About 47% of the forest will continue in roaded landscapes that have things like developed campgrounds, scenic byways, where we practice forestry, where we do habitat manipulation. //// 157 the other 53% would be in management areas that are more unroaded, with a heavier emphasis on dispersed recreation and wilderness experiences. :26
THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE DOES IDENTIFY TWO NEW MANAGEMENT AREAS: ONE FOR THE ALPINE ZONE – THE DELICATE ECOSYSTEM THAT EXISTS MOSTLY ABOVE TREE LINE, AND ONE FOR THE APPALACIAN TRAIL, WHICH CURRENTLY INTERSECTS SEVERAL MANAGEMENT AREAS.
THE PLAN ALSO ADDRESSES RECREATIONAL USE OF THE FOREST. PERHAPS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ASPECT OF THE PREFFERED ALTERNTATIVE IN THIS REGARD, IS FOR A RECREATIONAL USE IT WOULDNOT ALLOW.
TAPE TOM WAGNER 185 in the draft we are proposing that the forest continue for the next 15 years without ATV’s. :05
SALES OF ALL-TERRAIN-VEHICLES HAVE SKYROCKETED IN RECENT YEARS.
MANY A-T-V USERS HAVE LOBBIED HARD FOR AN AREA SET ASIDE IN THE FOREST FOR THEIR USE. WAGNER SAYS THE FOREST SERVICE HAS LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ISSUE.
TAPE TOM WAGNER 176 and we looked at it from the white mountains standpoint. Was it consistent with the character of the forest, , and what the forest has been managed like over the last 75 years. Other concerns specific to the forest are our topography and our soils really don’t lend themselves to that type of use. And then we have such heavy recreation use already, the concern was, everywhere we looked to try to put a summer ATV trail, we knew we’d be initiating additional conflict with current users. :31
A-T-V OWNERS, WHO ARE BETTER ORGANIZED THAN EVER BEFORE, ARE BOUND TO PROTEST THAT CONCLUSION. AT THE SAME TIME, EVERY ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP THAT HAS PROVIDED INPUT ON THE PLAN IS EXPECTED TO SIDE WITH THE FOREST SERVICE’S DECISION NOT TO ALLOW THEM. IF THE DECISION STANDS, ONE NET RESULT WILL BE MORE PRESSURE ON THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE TO PROVIDE MORE TRAILS FOR A-T-V’S.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PLAN IS TIMBER MANAGEMENT. NATIONAL FORESTS WERE ORIGINALLY CREATED WITH THIS PURPOSE IN MIND. WAGNER SAYS TIMBER MANAGEMENT IS A CONTINUING NECESSITY, BECAUSE IT’S MANDATED BY CONGRESS, BECAUSE IT PROVIDES WILDLIFE HABITAT, AND BECAUSE THE PRODUCTS THE FOREST PROVIDES ARE IMPORTANT TO LOCAL ECONOMIES.
TAPE TOM WAGNER 238 and probably just as important, for the people that visit the forest, that they can see examples of good sustainable forestry, and recognize that wood products are still an important part of the things that we need to survive as a society. :15
BUT THE PREFERED ALTERNATIVE SETS A LOWER CEILING FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIMBER THAT CAN BE CUT. THE OLD CEILING WAS 35 MILLION BOARD FEET PER YEAR. THE FOREST SERVICE CALLS FOR 24-MILLION BOARD FEET -- A CEILING THAT’S SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN ACTUAL ANNUAL HARVEST IN RECENT YEARS.
WAGNER SAYS THE NATIONAL FOREST HAS AN ADDITIONAL REPSONSIBLITY TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY PRACTICES FOR INDUSTRY AND FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS.
TAPE TOM WAGNER 248 I had a woman at a meeting in Plymouth stand up in a public meeting and say, “You know, I have 80 acres of private land. And I can’t try some of the things that the forest service has been able to try over the last 50 years to improve the way we harvest trees. But I can certainly adapt once I see what works.” :17
ANOTHER KEY ISSUE IS WILDERNESS AREAS. A WILDERNESS AREA CAN ONLY BE DESIGNATED BY CONGRESS. IT’S LAND THAT REMAINS OPEN FOR HUNTING, TRAPPING, HIKING AND FISHING, BUT CLOSED TO ANY FORM OF MOTORIZED RECREATION, AND OFF-LIMITS TO TIMBER HARVESTING. ABOUT 15-PERCENT OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST IS CURRENTLY IN DESIGNATED WILDERNESS AREAS.
TAPE TOM WAGNER 342 the alternatives in the plan looked at anywhere from no additional wilderness to 100-thousand acres of additional wilderness. And the selected alternative, the preferred alternative, is recommending wilderness for 33,600 acres. :14
THE FOREST SERVICE PROPOSES TO CREATE ONE NEW WILDERNESS AREA, AND TO EXPAND AN EXISTING ONE.
GROUPS INCLUDING THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY AND THE APPALACIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB ARE APPLAUDING THAT IDEA – BUT THEY ALSO CALL FOR MORE NEW WILDERNESS AREAS AND MORE EXPANSIONS OF EXISTING AREAS.
OF COURSE, NO NEW WILDERNESS AREA IS LIKELY TO BE CREATED WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION. ITS FOUR MEMBERS WILL NO DOUBT CLOSELY MONITOR PUBLIC REACTION TO THE FOREST SERVICE’S RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE FOREST SERVICE IS INVTING WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE DRAFT PLAN FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. WAGNER EXPECTS THE FINAL PLAN WILL BE IN PLACE ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I’M DOUG MACPHERSON.
