Groton, Maine Forest Management in Violation of State Law
12/12/96
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 12:45:36 -0500 (EST)
To: grnmt@sover.net
From: grnmt@sover.net (Mathew Jacobson)
Subject: Info on Groton Plan
Groton State Forest Managment Plan is in Violation of State Law and
Regulation
The 26,170 acre Groton State forest is the second largest contiguous state
land holding. The forest belongs to the citizens of the State of Vermont,
and is managed in trust for them by the Vermont Department of Forests,
Parks, and Recreation.
According to the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation:
* The major impression and value of the forest, is its sense of
wilderness, a feeling of quiet remoteness.
* (the forest) supports a wide variety of wildlife including bear,
moose, deer, grouse, mink, beaver, otter, fisher, loons, herons, and many
other species.
* Recreation [is] the primary purpose of the Groton State Forest.
Despite the abundance of wildlife species, the "primary purpose"
and importance of recreation, and the fact that the "major value" of the
forest is, "its sense of wilderness", the soon to be finalized Draft
Management Plan for the Groton State Forest:
* calls for over 65% of the forest to be managed primarily for
habitat alteration through timber extraction;
* calls for only 5% of the land base to emphasize recreation, and;
* defers considering biological diversity and ecosystem management as
factors in the management of the forest until the next century.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation is
required by law and regulation to manage state lands for the benefit, and
according to the will of the citizens of Vermont. The Draft Management
Plan proposed by the Department has failed to do this, and is contrary to
state statute, the State Constitution, the Mission of the Department of
Forests, Parks, and Recreation, and The Purpose and Objectives of Land
Management by the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation.
The Draft Plan for the Forest also makes no economic sense.
Logging on state lands runs at a deficit. Nearly four times as many jobs
are created in Vermont by forest-based recreation than by wood-based
extraction and manufacturing combined, and the State of Vermont generates
fifty-four times more revenues from forest visitor expenditures than from
timber receipts, according to a study commissioned by the Natural Resource
Commissioners of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. Does it make
sense to incur this loss of public funds, jobs, and resources to support
one industry - at a time when Vermont is scrambling to balance its budget
and fund essential programs like heating assistance and school budgets?
Conservationists are not alone in their concerns over public land
mangement in Vermont. A group of foresters with nearly two decades of
experience in Vermont each recently expressed similar concerns before the
Forest Resources Advisory Committe.
According their testimony, one of the main problems leading to what
they call a "total lack of sound forest policy in Vermont" is "an
unwillingness to have an open and effective dialogue on public land
management and acquisition." It is imperative that the Department f
Forests, Parks and Recreation manage this important public resources for
the benefit of the public at large.
The Groton State Forest Management Plan: Reccomendations
The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation manages the Groton State
Forest in trust for the citizens of Vermont. The Department is required by
state law and regulation to maanage these lands according to the needs and
desires of the public at large.
The Draft Plan's call for the management of the Groton State Forest
primarily for timber extraction fails to respond to the needs and desires
of Vermonters.
The failure to consider the needs, desires, and interests of the
people of Vermont is particularly striking given the fact that an intensive
study on the subject was conducted by the Agency of Natural Resources,
which oversees the department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, and was
published by the Agency five years ago.
In 1991, a 16-member Public Advisory Committee, appointed by the
Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources released a report entitled,
"environment: 1991" in which they selected the 20 most serious
environmental problems for study; reviewed the research and risk estimates
prepared by three Technical Work Groups of state employees; Conducted an
extensive public outreach effort; and ranked the problems in order of risk.
Habitat alteration was ranked as the biggest threat to the quality
of life enjoyed by Vermonters:
The Alteration of Vermont's Ecosystems is the biggest threat to the quality
of life enjoyed by Vermonters. The destruction of natural systems and loss
of biodiversity degrade the beauty of Vermont, reduce recreational
opportunities, and permanently deprive future generations of some of the
states most cherished natural assets.
According to the recommendations of the report:
* The primary goal of Vermont's environmental policy should be to
reduce risks to ecosystems, human health, and Vermonters' quality of
life...
* Vermont's environmental policy should place particular emphasis on
maintaining or enhancing the state's biodiversity and the integrity of its
ecological communities.
Five years later, the Department of Forest Parks and Recreation has defied
these recommendations by designating 65% of the Groton State Forest
primarily for habitat alteration through logging, and deferring
biodiversity and ecosystem management as "a factor in developing the
implementation schedule" until the year 2000.
Public Demands
To comply with the requirements of Vermont state law and regulations, The
Agency of Natural Resources and the Department of Forests, Parks and
Recreation must:
* Develop and implement management plans for the Groton and other
State Forests that incorporate the needs and interests of the citizen's of
Vermont as inventoried by the Agency in The Strategy for Vermont's Third
Century and described in Environment 1991.
* Incorporate and be guided by extensive and inclusive public input
as mandated by Vermont law and policy.
* Inventory current wildlife populations and habitat requirements
and conduct an analysis of the effects of proposed habitat alteration on
the species and ecosystem processes of the forest.
* Incorporate biological diversity and ecosystem processes as factors
in the management of state lands immediately, as recommended by the Agency
and mandated by the citizens of Vermont, instead of waiting until the next
century.
* Assure continued wildlife habitat, watershed protection, outdoor
recreation opportunity, research, and demonstration supporting the
states forest industry and related economy.
* Get a handle on how much the logging program on our public lands
cost taxpayers, and consider the economic interests of Vermonters before
proceeding with finalizing and implementing these plans.
In addition, the State Legislature of Vermont must pass legislation to
ensure that all management of public lands in the state of Vermont be
responsive to the needs and the will of Vermonters, for whom that land is
held in trust.
Mathew Jacobson
Green Mountain Forest Watch
48 Elliot St *Brattleboro, VT 05301 * (802) 257-4878 * (FAX) 257-8529
VISIT THE Green Mountain Forest Watch HOMEPAGE
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