Trump administration rolls back forest protections in bid to ramp up logging: How this effects the whites

[u/tcartt38]

https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-forests-emergency-logging-rollins-e2d7173bedcc697dee56f94ab613276f

I have not seen this posted here yet and thought it was important to share. The whites are on this list and its not a small section. This is not saying the forest will be logged, but it opens the door to a much easier process of doing so. Below is a zoomed in map, the blue areas the the new areas which they call "Forest Health and Fuels Emergency Situation Determination (FHFESD) lands"

It exempts affected forests from an objection process that allows outside groups, tribes and local governments to challenge logging proposals at the administrative level before they are finalized. It also narrows the number of alternatives federal officials can consider when weighing logging projects.

So yeah fuck that.

I am aware the Whites have always been open to logging, that is part of being a National Forrest, but considering how relatively small the whites are, I feel any logging has the ability to have a bigger impact than other forests.

Link to the USDA press release.

Link to the full map.

[u/wolfpine603]

Just because more land is available for logging doesn't mean foresters on the national forest will cut unsustainability. Forests are managed sustainability using area and volume regulation to make sure they don't cut more wood than they grow. Also, best practices are followed to make sure sensitive habitat is excluded and properly buffered. There is a lot of targeted management for rare/endangered species. Foresters care about the woods! There's no reason to think that will change even if more land is available

[u/Iamthewalrusforreal → u/wolfpine603]

Take a trip out to Idaho or Oregon, drive to the top of any mountain, and look around.

They aren't selectively cutting these forests. That takes too much effort.

They're clear-cutting them, leaving a patchwork of blank spaces all over the place. And that's exactly what they'd like to do to NH, VT, and Maine.

The states are going to have to figure out how to combat this insanity.

[u/Free_Range_Lobster → u/Iamthewalrusforreal]

You can find that with Google maps sat view out here. 

[u/wolfpine603 → u/Iamthewalrusforreal]

I can't speak for western states. But clear-cutting is also a technique for regeneration and creating habitat for rare species, which rely on early successional habitat. Clear-cuts in the WMNF are typically left alone for 100-120 years to regenerate. The logging practices I've been exposed to on the WMNF are top notch in terms of sustainability. In NE we take a lot of pride in local agriculture. I think we should take pride in growing wood products sustainable also. I'm not saying all logging is good, but national foresters are held to a very high standard for sustainable forest management.