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Conservation Groups Reveal Consequences of Forest Plans
Plans announced last week have surprises hidden in fine printDULUTH — Three conservation groups reacted angrily today to the plans for Superior and Chippewa National Forests released last week by the US Forest Service. The groups spoke at a press conference at the Duluth Depot to decry the plans' lack of protections for old growth forests and roadless areas.
"These plans talk about forest health, but the devil is in the details," said Clyde Hanson of the Sierra Club National Forests Campaign. "This plan is all about abandoning Minnesota's natural heritage."
Possibly the greatest flaw in the plans is the potential loss of all of the remaining roadless areas outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Forest Service decided that none of these areas are "needed," despite figures in the plans showing that the wilderness area is already at or near capacity, while demand is growing by half a percent every year.
"Nothing's clearer in the plans than that number zero," said Will Hauser of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness.
Superior National Forest appears to be headed for significant loss of old, mature forests that harbor many of the state's rarest plant and animal species. For example, clear-cutting will reduce large patches of "interior" forests by half.
"Forest-wide, this loss will be devastating both to wildlife and to people who prefer old forests to recent logged clear-cuts on their public land," said Hanson. "And even where the plans say the Forest Service will 'strive' to protect wildlife habitat, new Bush administration regulations make meeting the goals optional."
Other details revealed from initial analysis of the plans:
- Up to 30% more logging will be allowed than occurred in recent years.
- Five animal species at risk of losing viable populations
- Loss of up to half of large patches of connected forests, including the corridor between the two sections of the BWCAW.
The public can appeal the plans until October, and conservation groups are considering their options. "We had a chance to protect these places to show our grandchildren what Minnesota's natural forests look like," said Kris Wegerson of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. "You can't give that up just because there's a timber lobbyist in charge in Washington."