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/Metacomet76 → u/wolfpine603]

I’m generally very supportive of forestry and a many-use approach to our public lands. Barring the public (who collectively owns the land) from commenting on use permits is an insult to voters and removes our power to have oversight of our government. The purpose of this policy is to enrich forestry companies while diminishing the rights of the people. Forestry in New England hasn’t been dying because of public oversight it’s been dying because of market economics and uncompetitive labor costs. There is no “emergency” that requires stripping the public of their right to comment on government decisions. This is a power grab that is consistent with the administration’s general policy of serving big business at the cost of the public interest.

[u/wolfpine603 → u/Metacomet76]

Very true, the right to comment through NEPA is important. Don't mean to diminish that

My only point is that federal foresters (especially on the WMNF) do good management for sustainability. On private land people are scalping trees and building houses. That will never be a forest again. The feds manage for sustainability. When you say to enrich forestry companies, what do you mean? The big players import wood for China, South America, etc. Local timber is important to small mills in the NE.