HughK
New member
I received this today, and didn't know if others were aware of this.
Hugh.
***************
Friends,
Friends of Bigelow (FOB) needs your help to persuade the Department of Conservation to postpone a timber cutting operation on the north side of Little Bigelow Mountain that threatens the existence of 300 acres of late-successional (LS) forest. While representing less than one percent of the Preserve not in the Ecological Reserve, it is a stand of big old trees becoming rare to find these days in Maine.
Phone calls, emails, and letters to David Soucy, [email protected] (287-3821), Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL), are needed to halt this logging operation, scheduled to begin in mid-August 2005. Copies of letters and emails should also be sent to Commissioner of the Dept. of Conservation Pat McGowan, Deputy Commissioner Karen Tilberg, the Governor, and your own legislators. Contact information for these officials are listed at the end of this email.
Background
Several FOB members visited the proposed logging site in the Preserve this past winter and were impressed by the size and quality of the stand above the 1500' elevation contour. We observed many very large old trees (many 24 inches or greater in diameter). We went back to the area in spring to verify the stand using the LS Index developed by the ecologists at the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences.
"Scientists call these stands of big old trees "late-successional" forest. These forests have not been significantly changed by fire, blow downs or harvesting for many decades. Although no one yet knows how many big old forests still exist in northern Maine, the ones that remain are rapidly disappearing. Manomet scientists predict that these stands will be functionally eliminated from the working forest within 5 or 10 Years unless something is done to conserve them." (Guest newspaper column by Catherine B. Johnson, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine s big old trees: Going, goingŠ.?)
On May 24, 2005, Richard Fecteau, chairperson of FOB, wrote to the BPL Regional Manager requesting a copy of the timber prescription (plan) for the logging operation in the Preserve. It was pointed out that FOB was not seeking to end all logging in the Preserve, but was raising concerns about cutting stands of big trees in the Preserve. It was also suggested that this cutting should be discussed during the management planning process now underway. FOB informed BPL that it would review the timber prescription when received and seek professional advice about the late-successional stand in the harvest area. By phone, FOB received assurance that it would receive the timber prescription as soon as it was completed.
It wasn't until July 25 that FOB finally received BPL's prescription for the logging. At the same time, FOB was informed that bids from private contractors for the logging operation had already been received by BPL and that logging would be starting up in mid-August, thereby precluding any meaningful review by FOB.
ŠŠŠŠŠ
BPL is engaging in an end-run around FOB's concerns and the legitimate management planning process in order to cut and run before any effective opposition to its timber cutting can be organized. It is very ironic that the Department of "Conservation" is preparing to wipe out late-successional forest while the State bemoans the end of old growth forest in Maine. Given 50 more years of growing, this area on the north side of the Bigelow Preserve could be a model example of Maine's old growth forest right on public lands! It should be noted that a stand of maple, beech and birch identified by the Critical Areas Program in 1981 as "old growth" on the south side of Little Bigelow Mt. has already been cut by BPL.
Furthermore, this area may be a prime candidate for inclusion in the existing Ecological Reserve. Any logging operation in this area will require extensive road building. Road building, in and of itself, changes the character and value of the land for purposes other than monetary gain. The timber prescription is quick to note BPL's mandated objectives to "produce a sustained yield of products and services in accord with both prudent and fair business practices." What about BPL's mission to be a steward of the public lands and manage the public lands for values other than those that predominate on private lands and drive timbering decisions? FOB and other citizens and public groups have every right to question the way our public lands are being managed and the limited opportunity the public has for input into these decisions.
Please call and email to those listed below.
Ask BPL to bring the issue of logging in stands of big old trees in the Preserve to the management plan process. The only chance to halt the logging of late-successional forest in the Bigelow Preserve will come from public pressure to do so.
CONTACT:
David Soucy
Director, Bureau of Parks and Lands
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
[email protected]
287-3821
Patrick K. McGowan
Commissioner
Department of Conservation
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
[email protected]
287-4900
Karin Tilberg
Associate Commissioner
Department of Conservation
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
[email protected]
287-4900
John Baldacci
Governor, State of Maine
[email protected]
287-3531
Thank you for your concern and action.
FRIENDS OF BIGELOW
..............................
Hugh.
***************
Friends,
Friends of Bigelow (FOB) needs your help to persuade the Department of Conservation to postpone a timber cutting operation on the north side of Little Bigelow Mountain that threatens the existence of 300 acres of late-successional (LS) forest. While representing less than one percent of the Preserve not in the Ecological Reserve, it is a stand of big old trees becoming rare to find these days in Maine.
Phone calls, emails, and letters to David Soucy, [email protected] (287-3821), Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL), are needed to halt this logging operation, scheduled to begin in mid-August 2005. Copies of letters and emails should also be sent to Commissioner of the Dept. of Conservation Pat McGowan, Deputy Commissioner Karen Tilberg, the Governor, and your own legislators. Contact information for these officials are listed at the end of this email.
Background
Several FOB members visited the proposed logging site in the Preserve this past winter and were impressed by the size and quality of the stand above the 1500' elevation contour. We observed many very large old trees (many 24 inches or greater in diameter). We went back to the area in spring to verify the stand using the LS Index developed by the ecologists at the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences.
"Scientists call these stands of big old trees "late-successional" forest. These forests have not been significantly changed by fire, blow downs or harvesting for many decades. Although no one yet knows how many big old forests still exist in northern Maine, the ones that remain are rapidly disappearing. Manomet scientists predict that these stands will be functionally eliminated from the working forest within 5 or 10 Years unless something is done to conserve them." (Guest newspaper column by Catherine B. Johnson, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine s big old trees: Going, goingŠ.?)
On May 24, 2005, Richard Fecteau, chairperson of FOB, wrote to the BPL Regional Manager requesting a copy of the timber prescription (plan) for the logging operation in the Preserve. It was pointed out that FOB was not seeking to end all logging in the Preserve, but was raising concerns about cutting stands of big trees in the Preserve. It was also suggested that this cutting should be discussed during the management planning process now underway. FOB informed BPL that it would review the timber prescription when received and seek professional advice about the late-successional stand in the harvest area. By phone, FOB received assurance that it would receive the timber prescription as soon as it was completed.
It wasn't until July 25 that FOB finally received BPL's prescription for the logging. At the same time, FOB was informed that bids from private contractors for the logging operation had already been received by BPL and that logging would be starting up in mid-August, thereby precluding any meaningful review by FOB.
ŠŠŠŠŠ
BPL is engaging in an end-run around FOB's concerns and the legitimate management planning process in order to cut and run before any effective opposition to its timber cutting can be organized. It is very ironic that the Department of "Conservation" is preparing to wipe out late-successional forest while the State bemoans the end of old growth forest in Maine. Given 50 more years of growing, this area on the north side of the Bigelow Preserve could be a model example of Maine's old growth forest right on public lands! It should be noted that a stand of maple, beech and birch identified by the Critical Areas Program in 1981 as "old growth" on the south side of Little Bigelow Mt. has already been cut by BPL.
Furthermore, this area may be a prime candidate for inclusion in the existing Ecological Reserve. Any logging operation in this area will require extensive road building. Road building, in and of itself, changes the character and value of the land for purposes other than monetary gain. The timber prescription is quick to note BPL's mandated objectives to "produce a sustained yield of products and services in accord with both prudent and fair business practices." What about BPL's mission to be a steward of the public lands and manage the public lands for values other than those that predominate on private lands and drive timbering decisions? FOB and other citizens and public groups have every right to question the way our public lands are being managed and the limited opportunity the public has for input into these decisions.
Please call and email to those listed below.
Ask BPL to bring the issue of logging in stands of big old trees in the Preserve to the management plan process. The only chance to halt the logging of late-successional forest in the Bigelow Preserve will come from public pressure to do so.
CONTACT:
David Soucy
Director, Bureau of Parks and Lands
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
[email protected]
287-3821
Patrick K. McGowan
Commissioner
Department of Conservation
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
[email protected]
287-4900
Karin Tilberg
Associate Commissioner
Department of Conservation
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
[email protected]
287-4900
John Baldacci
Governor, State of Maine
[email protected]
287-3531
Thank you for your concern and action.
FRIENDS OF BIGELOW
..............................
