New Vision for America's Forests

[steveyos]

A new President, a new Secretary of Agriculture, and a new Chief of the Forest Service and what do you get? A new vision for America's forests. Well, that's what Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack recently announced in a major speech in the Pacific Northwest. Vilsack believes that a comprehensive policy for America's public and private forests is needed to address climate change issues, roadless areas, conservation and management of these areas.
The Secretary cited the declining health of our forests and the fact that vast areas are susceptible to disease, forest fires, and poor watershed quality, as just a few of the problems. Secretary Vilsack called for a collaborative process, involving all types of stakeholders, to fashion a forest policy that would provide a combination of economic opportunity along with improved management techniques.
Back in the 1970's, I first became aware of serious policy differences over forest management when the spotted owl issue arose along with growing public opposition to clear cutting practices. In short order, timber harvesting in many of our national forests came to a halt causing countless mill communities to die one by one. Once thriving local economies based upon the forest products industry soon became economically depressed communities. Meanwhile, the lack of timber harvesting and forest thinning operations meant that dangerous levels of combustible undergrowth continued to build year after year until the spotted owl no longer had to worry about its habitat being disturbed by loggers, but rather destroyed by fierce forest fires.
Secretary Visack is right, comprehensive policy for the use of our national forests is desperately needed. As the Forest Service begins this review, we are going to be reminding Forest Service staff that OHV recreation can play an important and critical role in expanding the use of our national forests by contributing to the economic vitality of adjacent communities. As this process begins, we will have more to say about it in future newsletters.

Larry E. Smith
Executive Director
Americans for Responsible Recreational Access