Guest guest Posted September 11, 2006 Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Today for you 38 news items about mama's trees. Location, number and subject listed below. Condensed articles listed further below. --British Columbia: 1) Save Colwood and Metchosin Garry Oak ecosystems, 2) Biologist locked out of the last Spotted Owl forests, 3) Government's newest nightmare: 'Front Counter BC,' 4) Cariboo ranchers take back seat to logging, 5) Ecological reserve in Tsitika valley and Robson Bight, 6) Leading edge forest practices in Port Neville?--Washington: 7) Seattle's Urban forest, 8) Hydrology and vegetation along Columbia --Oregon: 9) Oregon Forest Resource Institute, 10) Old time S. Oregon forest rangers, 11) Logging Mt. Hood National Forest meets requirements for "green" certification? 12) Stop the Trapper Timber Sale--California: 13) Tallest trees found, 14) Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign, 15) EPIC's Forest Watch project--Montana: 16) Canada is a good example for logging practices? --Colorado: 17) Four-state initiative to stop the bark beetle--Minnesota: 18) Ruffed grouse supports loggers?--Indiana: 19) Old growth in Hoosier National Forest--Connecticut: 20) Hemlocks survive adelgid invasion --Virginia: 21) 500-Year Forest Foundation--Vermont: 22) 'Ways of the Woods' about forest culture--North Carolina: 23) Blowing Rock timber sale to be rewritten--Florida: 24) Large amount of phone calls about dead trees --USA: 25) Ski resorts as a template for privatization--Armenia: 26) Eco-summer camp educates about forests--Panama: 27) Time stands still in this village. Or does it?--Mexico: 28) History of Sierra Occidental and Chihuahua --Brazil: 29) Satellites cover 5 million square kilometres of the Amazon rainforest, 30) North American Acai business--China: 31) Largest papermaker to triple its destruction in China--Philippines: 32) Church and community groups want forest protection --Indonesia: 33) lacking in seriousness in handling illegal logging and forest fires, 34) 52,599 fires found in Sumatra--Solomon Islands: 35) Malaysian-Chinese logging interests are out of control--Malaysia: 36) Luxurious rainforest resorts fall to logging --New Zealand: 37) Landowners who plant forests will be able to sell carbon credits 38) Forest mostly converted to pasture, 39) Extraction of Douglas fir in Mangatu ForestBritish Columbia:1) Appropriately, eagles can be heard in the background as Ken Wu talks about the need to protect federal lands in Colwood and Metchosin. Standing a stone's throw from the Colwood Pacific Activity Centre at the base of a Douglas fir he estimates at 800 years old, Wu, Western Canada Wilderness Committee's campaign director, pauses repeatedly to listen to the eagles' calls. Those eagles are part of why WCWC is initiating a letter-writing campaign calling on the federal government to protect roughly 500 acres of forest lands in Colwood and Metchosin. " These incredible ancient trees are very rare. There's only a small smattering of them in the forests around Victoria and the best stands of them are essentially on these federal lands, and most of them are unprotected. " The lands include parts of the sprawling Royal Roads campus at Hatley Park, areas around Fort Rodd Hill and Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre and the Mary Hill area in Metchosin. Under the previous Liberal government, there was concern key portions might eventually be declared surplus and disposed out of public hands, potentially creating a gold mine for developers. Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Conservatives - elected to a minority government last winter - have said the lands will not be offloaded, but there's been no commitment on what, if any, the plan is. Wu says about 100 hectares of ancient coastal Douglas fir forest grow in Greater Victoria - about 12 per cent of the 800 hectares remaining on Vancouver island. " That's a very significant tract, " he said. Despite their ecological significance - they contain diverse sensitive habitats, rare Garry oak and arbutus groves and archeologically important locations - the lands are potentially threatened by urban sprawl and privatization, Wu said. http://www.saanichnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=28 & cat=43 & id=724176 & more= 2) A wildlife biologist said he's frustrated after being repeatedly and deliberately locked out of logging sites in the Anderson Valley, north of Hope. Andy Miller said he arrived to escort some journalists through some Cattermole logging sites, with a gate key he'd signed out from the licensee, only to find the lock had been changed. Again. He told The Progress he's convinced that Cattermole officials were aware he was trying to get into the area and that's why the key didn't work. Miller said it's unfortunate because he specifically wanted to showcase an example of " progressive " logging in the midst of spotted owl territory for the touring BBC crew. " They knew I wanted to get in there, because as a courtesy I always tell them my plans, " he added. Miller said he signed out a key from the Chilliwack office of Cattermole Timber last month, stating his intention to head up to the site over the weekend. The wildlife biologist alleged he's been locked either in or out of the area on three separate occasions, out of the 10 visits he's made. " The first time was a prank. The second time was annoying. But the third time, it's a pattern. " The situation became dire five years ago when he had his toddler with him and he had to spend seven hours digging out a road in order to leave the gated area. " It always seems to happen when there's a lot of controversy, " he said. The spotted owl topic is getting a lot of international attention now, as environmentalists pressure the federal environment minister to take action under SARA to save the endangered owl species from extirpation. http://www.theprogress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=39 & cat=23 & id=724939 & more= 3) FrontCounter BC is a single window service for clients of provincial natural resource ministries and agencies. At FrontCounter BC offices across the province, natural resource clients obtain all the information and authorizations they need to start or expand a business. Highly trained, efficient and friendly staff members guide clients through all regulated natural resource issues.Business clients can think of the staff at the counter as their direct link to B.C.'s natural resource ministries and agencies. http://www.frontcounterbc.gov.bc.ca/4) A " gap " in provincial legislation has left Cariboo ranchers feeling like they are taking a back seat to logging in the rush to harvest timber damaged by the mountain pine beetle, according to a report by the Forest Practices Board, the watchdog agency overseeing forest practices in B.C. The board report, released Thursday, is in response to a complaint by rancher Mike Gilson, who raises cattle southeast of Quesnel. Logging slash left by West Fraser Timber has affected access to the land for grazing cattle, the rancher said. Gilson has a provincially granted tenure to use the land; similarly, West Fraser has tenure over the timber resource. Although the province issued both tenures, the " gap, " according to the board, is that provincial legislation doesn't require range resources to be included in forest stewardship plans. Gilson complained that after loggers left, branches, whole logs and partial logs littered a landscape that had once been open forage land under a mature pine forest. Grasslands had disappeared, and the slash prevented cattle from accessing the land. Bruce MacNicol, chief forester for West Fraser's B.C. operations, said the company was not aware of the impact its logging was having on ranchers until the issue blew up earlier in the year, but has since started consultations in an attempt to reduce conflicts. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/sunrun/index.html5) As in all river valleys, the huge stands of timber in the valley bottoms have been highly prized by a number of logging companies, because they are most-easily accessible and often grow to monstrous proportions in the rich soil near the rivers. In the case of the Tsitika, the upper reaches of the river were closest to existing logging roads in Canadian Forest Products territory, which were extended down the valley as logging went forward. Logging in the lower reaches, including the estuary, was delayed until access roads could be completed by MacMillan Bloedel, which owned the Tree Farm License for this area. Logging would normally have continued as planned for the timber harvesters, except for the fact that the Tsitika emptied into Robson Bight, which over the preceding few years had been found to be a place of major importance to the resident orca population in the Johnstone Strait area. New research changed the relationship between humans and orcas very quickly at the end of the 70s, and that has continued to the present day as public awareness keeps growing. During the mid-70s, however, MacMillan Bloedel tried to log the lower reaches of the river and to build a log-sort and booming ground in the estuary. These were the times when the environmental movement was strong and growing, and it brought about the creation of an ecological reserve in both the lower Tsitika valley and Robson Bight. What a pleasure it was to hike up this pristine valley, and try to capture the feeling of true wilderness of a river that had more than just a thin buffer of trees on each side of it. The surrounding forest had a carpet of moss a foot deep, which was moist even in the heat of August when I did this painting. The tranquil pools and the salmon in the Bight were eagerly waiting for the fall rains to bring a renewal of energy and life to this lush valley. http://www.northislandgazette.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=21 & cat=43 & id=723398 & more= 6) Leading edge forest practices will be tested in the Port Neville area after a two-year agreement between the provincial government and the Tlowitsis Tribe. " We are looking to First Nations to help revitalize our coastal forest sector, " said Forest and Range Minister Rich Coleman. " This agreement will help the province and the Tlowitsis learn more about ecosystem-based management. " Under the agreement, the Tlowitsis may harvest up to 41,020 cubic metres of timber as part of a two-year Eco-system Based Management (EBM) pilot project using an adaptive management approach striving to balance healthy eco-systems with a vibrant economy and communities, they say. " As one of the 25 First Nations consulted on the Central Coast Land and Resource Management Plan, we support forest management practices that combine a bright economic future with our environmental and cultural values, " said Chief John W. Smith. " We went to government with a proposal to conduct our own EBM trial and they listened. " The pilot is the first to focus on second-growth stands, and explore the impacts of EBM on harvesting levels and operating costs. When the pilot project is done, the Tlowitsis will complete a report and share it with the provincial government. In addition, the Tlowitsis have secured a five-year, $850,000 forest and range agreement with the provincial government which provides access to 51,275 cubic metres of timber within the Strathcona Timber Supply Area. The tribe has 11 reserves, largely in the Johnstone Strait areas. http://www.coastalfirstnations.caWashington:7) Since the early 1970s, Seattle has lost more than half of its tree canopy as more businesses and people have moved into the city and smaller homes have given way to apartments and megahouses. Invasive ivy and blackberry bushes have smothered and killed native trees. Nickels is looking to reverse that trend, to keep Seattle from becoming " the city formerly known as emerald. " Today he is releasing the draft Urban Forest Management Plan for public comment. The strategy is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. " It's going to be a huge undertaking, " said Steve Nicholas, director of the city's Office of Sustainability and Environment. " You're going to see significant new investment. " The cost of all the new trees is estimated at more than $114 million, plus increased annual costs for maintenance. The mayor's goal is to expand the tree canopy from the current 18 percent to 30 percent over the next 30 years. Canopy is a measure of the land covered in trees, not a count of individual trees. Some of the increase will include more trees along city streets and in parks, but the majority of growth will need to come from residential lots and commercial properties. Existing trees will also need to be preserved. It's unclear to some if the goal is realistic. " I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, " said Larry Crites, a 20-year real estate agent with Lake and Co. But the fact is " there's not always a lot of room in people's yards for trees. " The privacy and beauty provided by trees can increase a home's value and make neighborhoods feel like a community, those in the real estate business say. But they also block views, drop leaves and shade out gardens and lawns. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/283982_trees06.html8) An analysis of the hydrological effects of vegetation changes in the Columbia River basin over the last century was performed using two land cover scenarios. The first was a reconstruction of historical land cover vegetation, c. 1900, as estimated by the federal Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP). The second was current land cover as estimated from remote sensing data for 1990. Simulations were performed using the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrological model, applied at one-quarter degree spatial resolution (approximately 500 km2 grid cell area) using hydrometeorological data for a 10 year period starting in 1979, and the 1900 and current vegetation scenarios. The model represents surface hydrological fluxes and state variables, including snow accumulation and ablation, evapotranspiration, soil moisture and runoff production. Simulated daily hydrographs of naturalized streamflow (reservoir effects removed) were aggregated to monthly totals and compared for nine selected sub-basins. The results show that, hydrologically, the most important vegetation-related change has been a general tendency towards decreased vegetation maturity in the forested areas of the basin. This general trend represents a balance between the effects of logging and fire suppression. In those areas where forest maturity has been reduced as a result of logging, wintertime maximum snow accumulations, and hence snow available for runoff during the spring melt season, have tended to increase, and evapotranspiration has decreased. The reverse has occurred in areas where fire suppression has tended to increase vegetation maturity, although the logging effect appears to dominate for most of the sub-basins evaluated. Hydrological Processes Volume 14, Issue 5, Pages 867 - 885Oregon:9) The Oregon Forest Resource Institute is an association of, by and for, timber interests. That may be changing --- possibly for the worse. Last summer, OFRI published a report titled Forest Tourism Baseline Economic Assessment (see excerpts below). The apparent object of the exercise was to determine how the recreation and tourism industries could extract greater profits from Oregon's public lands. They report came up with three options. Option One is to preserve the status quo. Option Two is to strive for " Increased Forest Visitation " while Option Three is to generate " Increased Spending Per Visitor. " It is quite bad enough that Federal land management agencies have partnered up with recreation and tourism industries to maximize the financial return that can be generated from converting a simple walk in the park into a commodity product. When the commodity products industry starts getting into the act, things can quickly move from bad to worse. I encourage you to read on and discover what the timber industry has put forth as options for possible futures for outdoor recreation in Oregon's great outdoors. http://www.oregonforests.org/media/pdf/ForestTourism_FINAL.pdf10) When Emil and Dorine Sabol came down from Oakridge to check out the Union Creek Ranger District in 1962, they arrived on a balmy mid-September day. " There was a nice early fall feeling in the air, " he recalled. " We looked at this area and saw it was heaven. " Emil, now 82 and living in Portland, took the job as the district ranger 44 years ago this month, serving for four years. For the first time in years, the couple, married 56 years, visited Union Creek on Wednesday. " I'm so glad we lived here when we did — we have wonderful memories, " Dorine said. Emil, who has a degree in forestry from Michigan State University, retired as assistant director of timber management for Region 6 after 38 years with the Forest Service. Prospect resident Paul Pearson, 84, who was the district engineer when Emil was the local ranger, was on hand to greet his old boss and friend Wednesday. So was Joel King, district ranger for the Prospect and Butte Falls ranger districts. The Union Creek district was merged into the Prospect district after Emil left the region. While Emil served as ranger, the district was producing roughly 125 million board feet of timber a year, making it one of the top timber producers in the West. That amount is more than twice what the entire Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest now harvests annually. It was during a national building boom when the agency was focusing on timber production, he noted. " We had a good relationship with the national park people, " he said. " I remember they referred to our cuttings as 'harvest areas' instead of 'clearcuts' or 'damned clearcuts.' They recognized what our mandate was. " However, he noted the district's proximity to the park helped guide forest management in both Union Creek and Prospect districts. " That highway from Prospect all the way to the park, nobody would have dreamed of doing anything but cutting danger trees and enhancing the look of the woods, " he said. " We felt a responsibility to have a good entrée into the national park. " http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0907/local/stories/oldranger.htm11) A mock assessment is about to begin to determine if logging on Mt. Hood National Forest meets requirements for "green" certification. Feedback is needed either by e-mail or by attending an upcoming open house Monday, September 18th. As part of a National Forest Certification Case Study, Mt. Hood National Forest is one of six forests in the nation that is being evaluated to determine if its logging program meets the standards of either the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Both companies are designed to assess managed stands, or tree plantations, and certify those that comply with certain measures of sustainability. This provides consumers with a choice when buying lumber. FSC was the first of its kind and has a truly independent governing board. On the other hand, SFI was created by the paper and timber industry and simply attempts to greenwash industrial logging practices. Regardless, certification by either company assumes that industrial logging is an appropriate use of Mt. Hood National Forest! Please join Bark in saying "NO" to certifying logging on Mt. Hood National Forest. Send your comments today to: Robert J. Hrubes, Ph.D. Senior Vice-President, Scientific Certification Systems rhrubesOr join other Barkers at the upcoming public hearing (for carpool info please call Bark at 503-331-0374): 7:30PM, September 18, 2006 Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor's Office 16400 Champion Way Sandy, Oregon 97055 (503) 668-1700 http://www.bark-out.org12) Despite Judge Pechman's recent ruling that the Bush administration's elimination of the the Survey and Manage Program is illegal, Willamette National Forest Supervisor Dallas Emch and District Ranger Mary Allison refuse to acknowledge the population of threatened red tree voles now known to inhabit the Trapper Timber Sale in the McKenzie River District. Last month volunteer climbers from NEST (Northwest Ecological Survey Team) documented 30 red tree vole nest trees in the Trapper sale. Some nest trees were subsequently climbed and confirmed by leading scientist Dr. Eric Forsman of Oregon State University, and James Swingle, a Master's student and author of a thesis on red tree vole habitat. Under the Plan each active nest tree would be surrounded by a ten acre buffer, but Forest Service officials have so far refused to modify this controversial Old Growth sale to protect an important food source for the Northern Spotted Owl. Please, take a moment to express your outrage to District Ranger MARY ALLISON, at the MCKENZIE RANGER DISTRICT of the Willamette National Forest, 541-822-3381, and demand that the " TRAPPER " logging sale be cancelled. And while you're at it, contact the logging company planning to cut " Trapper " -SENECA JONES TIMBER CO., owned by Eugene's very own billionaire AARON U. JONES-and ask them why they're willing to muddy Eugene's drinking water supply for a cheap buck. They can be reached at 689-1231. http://www.forestdefenders.orgCalifornia:13) So far, the group has found about 135 redwoods that reach higher than 350 feet, said team member Chris Atkins, the man credited with finding the Stratosphere Giant in August 2000 in nearby Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The tallest of the three new finds, a redwood named Hyperion, measures 378.1 feet. Next in line, Helios, stands at 376.3 feet; Icarus, the third, reaches 371.2 feet. Redwood experts say the discovery is a bit surprising considering that so much of the state's redwood forests have been logged. Although officials decline to pinpoint the exact locations of the tall trees, the stand found by Atkins and fellow amateur naturalist Michael Taylor were protected less than 30 years ago by an expansion of the national park's boundary. Atkins and Taylor discovered Helios and Icarus on July 1 and Hyperion on Aug. 25. They took initial measurements with hand-held lasers before returning with Steve Sillet, a Humboldt State University biologist known for his work on the ecosystems of ancient forest canopies, and Robert Van Pelt, a forest ecologist at the University of Washington. The foursome shot more measurements using a tripod-mounted laser fitted with a remote trigger designed to eliminate human-induced wobbles. Atkins said Hyperion soon will be measured again with a tripod laser or with a " tape drop " -- in which someone climbs the tree and drops a measuring tape to the ground -- before its record-breaking status is confirmed. Tape drops can't be conducted for at least two weeks because of National Park Service restrictions to protect the marbled murrelet, a small seabird that nests in old-growth redwoods. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/07/MNGQRL0TDV1.DTL 14) The Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign (Craig Thomas) is endorsing, pushing, and promoting establishing small wood-fed power generation industries in the national forests. Tomorrow, Warren Alford is making a presentation at the Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs in the Calabasas Big Tree State Park in California (Saturday, 9 September 2006) from 2:00 to 2:45 pm on Utilization of Alternative Wood Products to Improve the Economy of Small Communities. Ara Marderosian ara15) EPIC's Forest Watch project got off to a tremendous start this summer, with more than 130 volunteers joining us on our monthly hikes. Through this project, we are exploring some of the most beautiful--and most threatened--places in our National Forests, investigating timber sales and other land use activities that are targeting ancient forests and critical salmon streams. Our first hike explored old growth forests found in the Knob and Meteor timber sales, which total more than 1,300 acres in the Wild and Scenic Salmon River watershed. Over 30 people joined us for this 3-day adventure, with refreshing swimming, great food, and incredible views along the way. In June, we headed to an area next to the Pacific Crest Trail, where the Whittler timber sale is threatening old-growth forests and roadless lands that are proposed additions to the Russian Wilderness. A geologist, restoration worker, and former Forest Service biologist were among those attending this hike. Together we picked apart the phony fire-reduction arguments that the Forest Service used to justify the plan. In July, we explored the site of the proposed open pit gold mine in Canyon Creek, planned right near the most popular trail into the Trinity Alps Wilderness (see page 1). A growing number of citizens are expressing concern about this proposal, but we were still amazed when 70 people showed up for the trip! We examined areas that were mined in the past and have not recovered since, and discovered many huge, old trees that are slated for cutting in an area where a " test pit " for the project is planned. About 20 people joined EPIC's last hike of the season, which went up the Pacific Crest trail and into the site of the Horse Heli timber sale. Before hiking into the logging units, we were rewarded with views of the Siskiyou Wilderness, Marble and Trinity Mountains, and Mount Shasta. Our view also included the 1,680 acres targeted by the timber sale, and from this vantage point, it became clear how important these forests are to migrating wildlife species. Because Forest Watch has been so successful, we will likely continue this volunteer project again next year. http://www.wildcalifornia.org/publications/article-75Montana:16) An American think-tank is calling on the U.S. forestry service to adopt some of this province's policy tools to establish a more private property-like approach on U.S. public forest lands. The report, Lessons from British Columbia, by the Montana-based Property & Environment Research Centre, concludes that the different forms of timberland tenures in B.C. create more incentives for forest companies to act like owners, rather than simply as harvesters of the public forest. The result in B.C. is a more market-driven system that is closer to private-property ownership than what exists in the U.S., report editor Jane Shaw said in an interview Tuesday. The report is at odds with the decades-old U.S. political position that Canadian forestry policies are not market-based and confer a subsidy on lumber producers. The U.S. administration has imposed countervailing and anti-dumping duties on Canadian lumber imports as a result. B.C. forests minister Rich Coleman said Tuesday that the report points out that this province is doing some things right that the U.S. has failed to recognize in the lumber dispute. Study author Alison Berry states that on American public forestlands, about the same overall size as British Columbia's forestlands, various federal agencies bear all responsibility for management, resulting in a tangled web of bureaucracy. Gridlock is often a consequence. Although timber is auctioned off, the resulting revenues don't cover the costs of the bureaucracy, Berry states. " With only one-tenth the number of employees as the [u.S.] forest service, [b.C.] obtains more than twice the timber revenues, " Berry states. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=9db69898-f296-4dd3-a6fb-d275 ba6aa960Colorado:17) Calling the problem an epidemic, the Forest Service in Colorado Tuesday announced a four-state initiative to stop the bark beetle from wiping out forests. The states include Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. In Colorado, the counties targeted include Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Summit and Jefferson. " They are a significant threat to the economy, life and property of the counties hit the hardest, " said Mark Rey, U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary. The infestation has already affected nearly 2.8 percent of Colorado's forests. Rey joined a half-dozen state and local officials at the state Capitol to discuss the proposed Healthy Forest Partnership Act. The federal legislation would allow the U.S. departments of Agriculture and the Interior to team with private property owners, state, tribal and local governments to speed up projects needed to control pine beetles and enhance forests, rangeland and watershed restoration. " This legislation allows us to look at the whole system in our efforts to tackle this problem, " said Regional Forester Rick Cables. " Right now, it does no good for any of us to go it alone. " The public-private partnership touted Tuesday could bring millions in federal funding, Cables and others said. The epidemic has been a bane to ski areas and high country home owners because the dead timber increases fire danger. Also, forest officials fear the state's watersheds will suffer as groves of pine trees die off, causing soil erosion. Property owners, towns, counties and ski resorts have been shelling out tens of thousands of dollars to fight the beetles. The town of Winter Park and the Intrawest Corp., which operates the ski area on land leased by the Forest Service, spent roughly $800,000 last year to deal with the epidemic. Keystone ski resort and towns such as Frisco have spent more than $300,000. " It a problem that threatens our whole lifestyle in Summit and Eagle counties, " said Chuck Tolton, director of mountain operations for Keystone. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4970992,00.htmlMinnesota:18) Of all the natural wonders unique to Minnesota, the ruffed grouse rise above most others. The ruffed grouse is the state's most popular game bird, attracting hunters every fall from across the nation. This fall should be no exception. After nearly six years of declining populations — due to the cyclical nature of grouse populations — Minnesota's ruffed grouse appear to be on an upward trend. Department of Natural Resources grouse drumming surveys were up this spring, and bear hunters already in the woods in recent weeks report seeing healthy numbers of birds. The ruffed grouse season opens Saturday, in concert with the state's small-game season, and an upswing in grouse-hunter numbers is predicted for this fall. With the season approaching, it's easy to have an optimistic view of ruffed grouse, unless you're Rick Horton, the DNR's newly minted forest wildlife coordinator. Horton knows ruffed grouse, the vast bureaucracy that controls Minnesota's northern forests and how those two interests intersect. The northern forest is a patchwork of federal, state, county and private ownership, and all those groups have varying management philosophies. All, say Horton, have significant impacts on the future of ruffed grouse. Horton's gravest concerns lie with federal forest management. Northern ruffed grouse need young aspen forests in order to flourish. Aspen regeneration needs forest disturbance — through logging, forest fires or blow-downs. One grouse biologist famously said, " The best tree for ruffed grouse is one on the back of a logging truck. " http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/outdoors/15463415.htmIndiana:19) The Hoosier National Forest consists of three separate tracts totaling 196,000 acres that stretch from Bloomington south to the Ohio River. Open for hiking and other forms of outdoor recreation, the vast majority of the forest is second and even third growth. Like most of the rest of the woodlands of the eastern United States, the trees that the settlers encountered were cut down for building houses, for fuel and to clear the land for crops and pasture. But one 88-acre patch of original forest survived the frontiersmen's axes and the timber merchants' saws.The Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest, just a few minutes' drive from the town square in Paoli, includes massive oaks and walnuts that were saplings when Columbus' ships were crossing the Atlantic.The forest has been preserved because it was part of about 250 acres purchased by settler Joseph Cox in 1816. The term " tree hugger " may have originated with Cox, who set aside what was eventually to become this portion of the Hoosier National Forest simply because he loved trees. The trees are almost intimidating, as is any living thing this size. We're not used to plants with this much presence. When you consider that Native Americans lived among these woody beings, you can understand why they were animists, since it's not so far-fetched to imagine the limbs starting to move in arm-like fashion and eyes to spring from knotholes, like the talking trees in " The Wizard of Oz. " What is harder to imagine is how the pioneers worked up the courage to cut down trees like these. Some of them, perhaps, may have felt like murderers. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060910/FEATURES05/609100344/1010/FEATURES Connecticut:20) " We're starting to see recovery in a lot of the sites,'' Cheah said. " We may be turning the corner.'' " That's great news,'' said Adam Moore, executive director of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. " The hemlock is one of my favorite trees.'' Asked if this she was pleased with the news, Susan Branson, executive director of the Steep Rock Association in Washington said " Oh my Lord yes.'' The association, which owns 1,760 acres in Washington, has seen several large stands of hemlocks damaged by the adelgid, as well as other insects like the elongate hemlock scale and the hemlock looper. " These trees are under attack,'' Branson said. The woolly adelgid first showed up in Connecticut in 1986. Cheah said the first theory about its arrival -- that it was blown up here from the south by Hurricane Gloria in 1985 -- probably isn't true. The adelgid lives on the underside of hemlock branches, spinning a small white nest that looks like the end of a Q-tip. It damages the tree by feeding on its sap and by injecting a toxin in its saliva into the tree. Once adelgids infest a tree, they can kill it in about four years. Moore said hemlocks, one of the predominant conifers in the state's forests, are valuable forest trees for many reasons. They can grow on poor soil and in shade -- places that defeat other species -- creating cool, shady glens along hilly streambeds. Hemlock saplings can stay small for years until nature opens up a spot in the woods. Then, with sunlight, they grow rapidly. Moore also said mature hemlock trees are dense, with its lowest branches close to the ground. Because of that, he said, they provide many birds and beasts with good cover in winter. " They also grow next to hardwoods,'' he said. " If you're doing silvaculture and want to grow an oak that you can sell for lumber, you want it growing next to a hemlock. Hemlocks are so dense that they force oaks to grow tall and straight, reaching for the sky.'' http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1012823Virginia23) Ted Harris said his dream is to preserve patches of forestland across the state. A recent grant awarded to the 500-Year Forest Foundation marks one of the first steps to his long-term vision. The Lynchburg-based conservation organization is working to identify three privately owned forests dispersed across Virginia that have the potential to become old-growth forests. The group typically considers a forest old growth if trees are at least 150 years old. These forests usually have a mix of old and young trees, rich soil and diverse wildlife. "The real importance of this project is community," said Harris, president and treasurer of the conservation organization. "Around the state we'll have areas where biodiversity is kept alive to the fullest sense possible and over time I think people will come to appreciate that gem in their county." The organization recently received a $3,000 grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Virginia Environmental Endowment to carry out a pilot mapping study. The goal is to match forests that have the potential for old growth with land already protected under conservation easements. Harris said the group is looking for forests that cover at least 100 acres and support trees at least 70 years old. "I do believe that experience is the great educator," said Smith. "It does change people. It at least gives people the opportunity to understand what they're missing." The Lynchburg group, founded in 1997, has so far preserved three forests in Giles, Albemarle and Scott counties. The group recently received money to secure 236 acres for a state nature preserve in the Chestnut Ridge Forest in Giles County. Smith said working to create future ancient forests takes a long-term vision. He said the fruits of current acquisitions will likely be reaped by generations to come. "We do this because of the spirit of it," said Smith. "We do this because of the need for it. We don't do it because we get to experience the results in our lifetime. That's not the point. "We take the long-term view, and that's something that's in short supply in a lot of situations and circumstances these days." http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA%2FMGArticle%2FLNA_BasicArticle & c=M GArticle & cid=1149190469934 & path=!news!archiveVermont:22) Mike Wilson, senior program manager, says he is happy to have only a few visitors at a time at the traveling exhibit he spent years helping to create, because even these small numbers help bring attention to the remote Northeast Kingdom town of Brownington which is steeped in history and culture. Wilson said the purpose of the exhibit is to create opportunities offered by the shared forest-based culture. He also said the exhibit encourages people to look for opportunities to work with others to respond to the economy and the community. " The northern forest is one of America's most important and rapidly changing forest regions. It would be easy to let what is special about the region slip away as we work to address current challenges and build a vibrant future, " said Steve Blackmer, president of the Northern Forest Center. " Ways of the Woods will remind people that tradition and innovation not only can coexist, but also can thrive together- as they have for generations in the Northern Forest. " A $300,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant and additional matching funds funded " Ways of the Woods, " Wilson said. The idea is to build " long-term economy " using sustainable forest products and heritage- and nature-based tourism. The exhibit is in Brownington through today, and then moves on to the Bethel Harvest Festival on Sept. 16, then to Mexico, Maine, Sept. 18-20. It will be back in Berlin, N.H., Oct. 16-18 after touring Maine. http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060910/NEWS/609100379/1003/NEWS02 North Carolina:23) BLOWING ROCK - Federal officials say a new plan will be devised for a logging proposal near Blowing Rock that has drawn intense public opposition. Forestry officials got more than 1,200 comments from the public, with most against cutting trees on 231 acres in Pisgah National Forest. Opponents of the plan said the cutting would ruin views that attract tourists and destroy some ancient trees. District Ranger Joy Malone said officials " clearly heard the importance people place on the scenic views of the forest from around Blowing Rock. " Malone said she asked her staff to develop an alternate plan. http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/15456355.htm Florida:Arborists and tree services around the state said they are fielding a large amount of phone calls about dead trees. A forest pathologist with the Florida Division of Forestry said tree deaths are above normal across a good portion of the state this year. The majority of the victims are laurel and water oaks. Officials said the good news is it's not sudden oak death or oak wilt. Experts said it's actually a typical summer problem that's worse this year. They blame it on the hurricanes, high water and drought. http://www.local6.com/news/9794312/detail.htmlUSA:Ski-resorts represent an clear extreme commercialization, privatization (and yes) motorization of our National Forests. They also represent the shape of things to come. With ski-resorts, the lands are public, but the commercial improvements are not. Leases run 40 years and for that that period the mountain is, for all intends and purposes privatized. Without motorized lifts, downhill resorts could not function --- hence they are truly commercialized, privatized and motorized. For more than a decade the ski-industry has enjoyed a unique working arrangement with their public sector partners (the USFS), and visa-versa. To illustrate that point, here's a short quote from an extraordinary speech Under Secretary of Agriculture Jim Lyons gave in 1997: "These challenges do afford us opportunities to explore new ways of doing business. Opportunities to enhance partnerships with the private sector. Opportunities to market our recreation products. And make the Forest Service " BRAND NAME " stand for high quality outdoor recreation experiences, synonymous with our mission as an agency: Caring for the Land and Serving People, and equal--in the public's eye--to the kind of quality one comes to expect out of a Coleman stove, or an REI parka, or a day at Disneyworld, or a run down one of the ski trails at Sun Valley.... My vision of the future for national forest recreation is an ambitious, and perhaps, a less traditional one. And, if we're to get there, we'll need your help. A few months ago, Chief of the USFS Bosworth gave a very similar speech to a gathering of the National Ski Area Association. If you missed the Lyon's speech, you might read it now to better see the glidepath upon which the Forest Service has been sliding. And if you want to read for yourself the current USFS thinking, pasted below is a condensed version of Bosworth's recent presentation. http://www.wildwilderness.org/docs/lyons.htmArmenia:26) Twenty four children from six villages in an ecologically devastated region of Lori in north Armenia, heard how their communities' precious forests are disappearing at an alarming rate during an ecology camp in late August. Experts say some 30% of trees in Lori were illegally felled for heating and construction purposes during the last decade.'This region used to be very rich in forests, and it suffered most from people's barbarity. Youth today don't know how long it takes for a sapling to grow into a tree, have no idea about the environmental disaster they face in future,' said Marat Manukian, Lori ADP acting manager. Together with ten local and two Peace Corps volunteers they learned about water turnover of water, desertification, the provisions of Orhus Convention and the importance of preserving the environment. 'We believe these children will return to their villages and educate their peers. We hope to see more people like us, people who care for the environment and understand its importance for the development of our region', says Manya Melikjanyan, the president of Lore Eco-Club. The camp was held near the village of Gyulagarak, where members of Lore recently discovered massive, unauthorized woodcutting and raised a clamour among the international organizations and governmental bodies. As a result, the felling was stopped and the forest of relic pine-trees will be preserved. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/wvmeero/82c3d5ad813b0279eafe7c0e1e6d60fe.htm Panama:27) Time stands still in this village. Or does it? Parara Puru might be sheltered by the Panamanian rain forest, accessible only by dugout canoe from the Río Chagres, but the women who greet us as we climb the slope from the jetty wear cloth imported from Taiwan wrapped around their waists. As they lead us into the great hall—a massive open-air thatched structure—I notice tables crowded with intricate baskets and masks, carved wooden birds, and bracelets fashioned from local stones. These handmade wares are displayed solely for our group's browsing pleasure, in the hopes that we'll buy. And Antonito Sarco, this Emberá Indian community's frontman, might be clad in a colourful loincloth and wear beadwork around his neck, but he's relaying orders into a cellphone and speaking Spanish instead of his native Emberá dialect. So much for feeling like an explorer from a faraway land who happens upon indigenous peoples for the first time. The 129,000 hectares of Chagres National Park protect what is said to be the cleanest river in the Americas. Like many Canadians, I agree that the creation of national parks is a good thing. But now I'm confronted with real people who are in danger of losing a way of life because of it. The history of the Emberá Indians in this area stretches back well before any European explorer came prospecting for Panamanian gold in the 16th century—gold that the Emberá reportedly traded for glass beads. Is tourism really the answer? Won't canoe loads of tourists flashing cameras and greenbacks alter this culture until it becomes no more than a remnant of what those explorers encountered? http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=20232Mexico:28) At the University of Chihuahua in northern Mexico, an international conference was held in 1991 to debate the USA-controlled World Bank's plan to finance a pulp paper mill project which would destroy the last remaining old-growth forest of the Sierra Occidental. Facing an audience of trade officials, bureaucrats, scientists and environmentalists stood an elder of the Tarahumara tribe, in his hand a cheap pulp magazine. Gazing calmly at the bankers and industrialists, the Tarahumara spoke softly: " You are cutting the last of our trees to turn them into this. The forest is the life of my people. When you have cut our trees, we will die and you will read this. " A few miles from the University, Tarahumara women and children live in burrows dug into mounds of garbage at the city dump. At a remote village in the Sierra, a Tarahumara elder had told me, " My young men want to fight. I tell them no. We must be patient. " Politically correct public statements of " concern " notwithstanding, the State's actual volition was revealed to me by the request of a peace activist conference attendee for me to fly her to a remote village without filing a flight plan. She had just spoken at the conference to expose the timber mafia – government nexus in which corrupt bureaucrats seek bribes in exchange for logging permits in protected areas. Visibly shaken, she said " My life is in danger, I must get away quickly. " I dropped her off at the edge of a short, nasty little crosswind dirt strip on a ridge crest near Pino Gordo. I had come to Chihuahua as a volunteer pilot for an awareness campaign to fly opinion leaders for a first-hand look at clear-cut logging devastation, aimed at generating motivation to stop the World Bank. The Gulf War was on. The juxtaposition of these two American-financed operations crystallized in my mind as a kind of epiphany. I determined to leave my country forever, to remove myself entirely from its economic activity, to cease paying the taxes that finance its war-mongering greed. I could not then have foreseen how much further we would sink into barbarian depravity, thrust by lies into the pathological insanity of Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld State Terrorism. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/knaebel4.htmlBrazil:29) The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has placed a contract for a second year with DMC International Imaging to acquire high-resolution satellite images of the entire 5 million square kilometres of the Amazon rainforest. In 2005 DMC rapidly acquired images of the whole Amazon Basin in 6 weeks to provide Brazil with vital information for the annual programme to monitor deforestation and combat illegal logging. The programme is now repeated in 2006. Imagery is provided by the five-satellite international Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). The Earth Observation micro-satellites use wide area cameras to capture the high-resolution images. The latest satellite, built for China, was launched into the DMC on 27 October 2005. Dr. Joao Vianei Soares, Director of Earth Observation at INPE said, " The DMC has achieved a significant new step in remote sensing through coordination of five nations in space. The unique constellation of low cost micro-satellites enables rapid imaging of large areas at high resolution. This opens up many new possibilities in remote sensing, especially in cloudy areas, because of the ability to re-image an area almost daily if needed. " Paul Stephens, Marketing Director, DMCii said, " We are proud to supply DMC data to INPE for the important DETER programme monitoring the vital resources of the Amazon rainforest. The recent drought in Brazil highlights the need to collect good information to help understand changes in the environment and their consequences for both the local people and the global climate. " http://www.spacemart.com/reports/DMC_International_Imaging_Wins_2nd_Year_Contract_To_Monitor_ Amazonian_Rainforest_999.html30) SunOpta Inc. today provided an update on its North American Acai business. The Company expects to quadruple its sales of Acai in North America to approximately $4.0 million over the next 12 months. " The Acai frozen pulp is sold to food manufacturers as an ingredient in fruit juices, smoothie blends, and soy and dairy applications such assorbets. It has become the most sought after fruit from our base of customers because of its unique health benefits " says Joseph Stern, Executive Vice President of SunOpta's Fruit Group, who imports the Acai from Brazil. In addition, the Company announced that SunOpta's Canadian Food Distribution Group has signed an exclusive agreement to market the Belizza line of Acai and pomegranate sorbets, which are expected to add a further $1.0 million in revenue. Acai is harvested by hand and processed within 24 hours from the Amazon in Brazil and has the highest antioxidants of any fruit in the world and is an almost perfect blend of essential amino acids along with a high level of omega fatty acids and vitamins. Antioxidants are compounds that may help inhibit premature aging, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer disease by neutralizing free radicals. The Acai berries are harvested in a sustainable manner creating jobs in the Amazon and preserving the Rain Forest. A portion of the fruit price goes back tothe indigenous peoples in the Amazon to help support schools and provide books and other educational tools to children. http://www.welt.de/appl/newsticker2/index.php?channel=fin & module=smarthouse & id=428056 China:31) Stora Enso Oyj, the world's largest papermaker, plans to triple its forests in China as rising paper demand causes a shortage of raw material in the country. Stora aims to increase its pulp-wood forest to 160,000 hectares (395,360 acres) by 2010, said Kari Tuomela, president of the Helsinki-based company's forestry unit in China. Pulp, a mixture of wood and chemicals, is the raw material for paper used in offices, catalogues, books and glossy magazines. China is the world's fastest-growing paper market, leading Stora and rivals such as Oji Paper Co. to invest about $3 billion in high-speed papermaking machines there in the past year. That's helped boost pulp prices 21 percent in the period as China scours the world for wood fiber and waste paper to feed its mills. ``It makes a great deal of sense to be involved in the domestic fiber production,'' said Linus Larsson, Stockholm-based analyst at ABN Amro Holding NV. ``China is a large net importer of fiber.'' http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080 & sid=a8u.Q9yS6eKQ & refer=asiaPhilippines:DAVAO CITY -- Church and community groups in remote Cateel town in Davao Oriental want Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes to ban logging in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley provinces, citing unchecked activities of illegal loggers. A log ban was imposed nationwide in December 2005 following the floods that killed thousands of persons in Luzon. The ban, however, was lifted in March 2005 in three Mindanao regions, including Southeastern Mindanao. In a letter dated August 28, the town's town's Parish Pastoral Coordinating Council and the Cateel Multi-sectoral Alliance warned that illegal logging was being done alongside legal logging activities, with a reforestation project alleged to have been used as front for illegal logging. " Its existence (illegal logging) has bred anarchy, alienation, and ruin (sic) ecosystem due to indiscriminate, exploitative, and irresponsible utilization of natural resources, " said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by MindaNews. The groups claimed that the logging industry operating in the areas have also used the poor and marginal sectors as " fronts of illegal logging operations. " " They claim that the logging operations help the poor augment their income, but the truth is the poor are still poor despite that and their environment has deteriorated even more, " Arisola told MindaNews in a telephone interview. http://mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content & task=view & id=840 & Itemid=50 Indonesia:33) The government is still lacking in seriousness in handling illegal logging and forest fires, which had given a bad image to Indonesia.The remarks were made by a House member Yunus Yosfiah and an activist of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Rully Samanda, in a public discussion forum on " Saving Our Forests, Save Indonesia, " here on Wednesday. Quoting Yunus, the Indonesian news agency, Antara, reported that mismanagement of forests in Indonesia is mainly caused by ineffective and corrupt government officials. Yunus, a politician of the United Development Party (PPP), said government officials from highest to district level seemed to be lacking in seriousness in dealing with forest mafia. He also said that Political, Legal and Security Affairs Coordinating Minister Widodo AS has not taken a firm stand in solving the problems once and for all. In the meantime, Rully disclosed that illegal logging in Indonesia had reached 67 million cubic meters each year causing a total loss of about Rp4 trillion. Therefore, he added, forests had been one of the sectors responsible for worsening the country's economic, ecological and social sectors. According to him, these are certainly caused by the government's failure to respect the rights of the people to the forests and the wide gap between pulp supply and demand and the paper industry. Sharing Yunus' view, Rully said rampant corruption has been the main cause of forest destruction. Walhi said that a number of policies needed to be taken by the government, namely accepting the rights of the people, moratorium in the issuance of new permits and boosting the production capacity of the existing forests. Rully stressed that a moratorium in tree-felling should be declared in specific locations. " A moratorium should not be restricted to tree-felling only, but it is hoped the policy provide more time at least 10 years for normal rehabilitation, " he said. http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=21842534) YOGYAKARTA, Sept 7 9Bernama) -- A total of 52,599 hotspots were found in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi from June to August, an expert at the Forestry Ministry said Thursday. Koes Saparjadi said forest fires have affected at least eight provinces. They are North Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and South Sulawesi. " A total of 20,031 hotspots, the highest number, are found in West Kalimantan, " he said at the Sixth Workshop on Asian Forest Partnership (AFP) here, as quoted by Antara News Agency. The meeting was attended by representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Madagascar, the United States, Britain, European Union and Indonesia. The meeting discussed three main topics -- illegal logging, forest fires and reforestation. The participants also discussed forestry governance, law enforcement and capacity-building towards sustainable forestry management. Last month alone, a total of 43,780 hotspots damaged the country's forests. Between June and August, there were 8,480 forest fires in seven provinces. " The largest forest areas on fire were in Riau where a total of 3,904 hectares were affected, " Koes said, adding that about 60 per cent of the fires were not in forest areas but in plantations. http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=218591Solomon Islands:35) NO GOVERNMENT in Papua New Guinea or the Solomon Islands has yet managed to tame the Malaysian-Chinese logging interests accused by environmentalists, lending agencies and aid donors of ripping out native forests at an unsustainable rate. The easily accessible forests in the Solomons will be exhausted in about six years at the current rate of cutting, those in Papua New Guinea in 15 to 18 years. Loggers are accused of smuggling in bulldozers, slashing crude access roads, building a few substandard public facilities, and corrupting officials, local chiefs and politicians with their generosity. A recent estimate of the amount of profit hidden by transfer pricing was 250 million kina ($115 million). A judicial inquiry slammed the loggers and their political connections in the 1980s. Four years ago the PNG ombudsman recommended a stop to new concessions until more supervision was accepted, but the loggers remain essentially a law unto themselves. To limit transfer pricing, the Swiss cargo superintendency firm SGS was hired to monitor log exports. " But of course no one is checking at the other end, " said Mike Manning, an economist and, until recently, the Port Moresby representative of the corruption watchdog Transparency International. " It's reduced the crude under-reporting of volumes, but the other side, of misquoting prices, is much harder to verify. It's a very secretive industry, complicated by having a lot of species. But we are getting substantially less than the market price for our species. " In the Solomons, another economist, working within the Government, said the official export prices on which duty was calculated were years out of date. " On the occasions when they have tried to update it, the minister has reversed the decision, " he said. Governments that take on the loggers soon face no-confidence motions from well-funded oppositions. The Solomons Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, said the $SI100 million ($18 million) in taxes on logging was critical to government budgets. The five-year logging moratorium suggested by some advisers would need foreign aid donors to fill the gap, and local landowners would have to be placated. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/loggers-remain-a-law-unto-themselves/2006/09/08/1157222334291 ..htmlMalaysia:36) We can generate lots of hard cold cash from Belum-Temenggor by intensive tourism marketing. It's sustainable prosperity for the next, next, next generations. The proof? We already have hyper-luxurious rainforest resorts (where room rates can be in thousands of ringgit!) at Pangkor Laut, Langkawi's Datai and Terengganu's Tanjung Jara. So it's clear that we have a National Treasure. But what are we doing? We're chopping the Temenggor part down now, because Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali believes its RM35mil timber revenue is more important. He also says there are 9,000 jobs in that industry – never mind that those jobs will end once the logs are finished. And, never mind that our potential billion-ringgit Wonderful-est Wildest Safari will be still-born. Yet, in April, Tajol himself acknowledged that "a lack of holiday packages" was discouraging tourists from visiting Perak. http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2006/9/9/lifefocus/15359653 & sec=lifefocus New Zealand: 37) Landowners who plant permanent forests will be able to sell the Kyoto carbon credits they generate, as well as log some trees, under a new policy aimed at reducing erosion. Permanent forests established after October 2002 will be covered. Indigenous forests planted since 1990 will also be eligible, to allow for their longer growing time. The plan had been on the drawing board since 2002 but was shelved in 2005 when the Government decided to review its stance on climate change. Forestry Minister Jim Anderton and Climate Change Minister David Parker said yesterday they would press ahead now and allow " carbon farming " because it would be consistent with the likely outcome of the review. It would also give landowners time to plan new plantings next year. Under the Kyoto climate change protocol new plantings generate forest sink credits from the carbon trapped in the trees. These can be traded internationally. Mr Parker said climate change would bring more frequent and intense storms and there was a need for better protection of isolated and erosion-prone land. Other key changes from the 2002 plan include scrapping a 35-year ban on logging. Up to 20 per cent of the trees could be harvested if a continuous canopy were retained. That would allow owners some income from the forest to help cover costs such as local government rates. Clear-felling would not be permitted and would incur penalties. Owners of plantation forests for harvesting, who have been pressing for the rights to their carbon sink credits, are excluded. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3782734a7693,00.html38) There is little hint of the rich pasture that is about to follow as giant-sized machinery cuts a swathe through the remains of a Burnham forest. With dust billowing out its sides an 800hp grinder tears strips off stumps and surface mulchers make light work of heavy branches left over from harvested trees. This flotsam is being minced into tiny slivers the size of a $2 coin to provide an organic carpet that will be mixed into light soils. This hive of activity is at the Holmes block forest, in Burnham, which is owned by the Selwyn Plantation Board. Rows of 25-year-old trees are being replaced by grass and forage crops to feed lambs and young cattle for the meat markets. Dark squares in the patchwork quilt of the Canterbury Plains will soon be blurred into lookalike green pasture. Already gone is the forested wedge at the board's nearby Smiths block, which was marked on international aviation maps to help pilots get their bearings. About 3.5ha of forest is being converted daily. By the middle of next year, 2000ha of pines and a small amount of douglas fir will have disappeared. Much the same process is happening to nearly 3400ha between the Selwyn and Rakaia rivers, which was sold by the board after it retained harvesting rights for pines older than 20 years. This revenue has helped pay for the more than $5 million cost of stripping the trees and preparing the soil before it is remoulded into farmland. The plantation board, owned by the trading companies of Christchurch and Selwyn councils, is one of the largest forest owners in the region, but is getting out of trees in the Canterbury plains. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3783743a3600,00.html39) Unconventional methods for the extraction of Douglas fir in Mangatu Forest are proving successful for Ernslaw One. The forestry company is on a month-long logging project during which they hope to clear 15-20 hectares of forest using a Boeing helicopter from Columbia Helicopters in Tauranga. Ernslaw One's Matt Wakelin said although it was more expensive, conventional methods were not an option in this case. " We are working in patches of forest that have been left behind by other loggers, as they are simply inaccessible without the expensive construction of a road to bring trucks to the trees. " A helicopter to take the trees to the road is a bit more expensive for us but the slightly higher value of the Douglas fir product is enough to make it worthwhile. " Mr Wakelin said strong demand for Douglas fir had made this the perfect time to start the project. " There is limited option for domestic processing of these logs but the sawmill wants them now, " he said. The best logs are being taken to a sawmill in Wairoa while the seconds are to be exported to Korea. http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article.asp?aid=6350 & iid=505 & sud=27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.