Some environmentalists, feds mend fences over forest management
December 3rd, 2007, 4:41 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Le Templar
Mark Rey
In the past two years, I have noticed an important change in attitude by environmentalists and conservationists toward protecting our national forests. Deep mistrust of President Bush’s interest in environmental protection had prompted many eco-friendly groups to oppose his forest restoration plans in almost knee-jerk fashion.
Recently, those groups have been more open to working with federal officials on developing plans to trim and to thin overgrown areas, rather than see these forests erupt with out-of-control wildfires that do far more harm to the environment than responsible logging ever could.
My impression was confirmed last week during a visit to the Tribune last week by Mark Rey, an undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture who oversees the Forest Service. Rey is well-known in environmental and forest management circles simply because he’s been on the job throughout President Bush’s time in office. He has become one of the administration’s leading spokesmen on national forest policies, frequently testifying before Congress.
Rey confirmed in our meeting that environmental groups have been less confrontational lately, at least in Arizona. This is partly because of forest science expert Wally Convington at Northern Arizona University, whose research have proven that forests which are actively logged, or at least cleared of small saplings, limit the spread of wildfires. Forests left untouched by human hands that never receive the “cleansing” treatment of natural brush fires are the areas that explode into raging infernos, destroying hundreds of thousands of acres.
Ironically, the previous collapse and disappearance of Arizona’s logging industry also has played a role. Rey said those areas of the country where logging still exists are far more likely to try to block every effort at forest restoration. These areas haven’t suffered the worst effects of wildfires (because logging has kept the forests in relatively better health) and so residents and local special-interest groups still haven’t made the connection between proper forest treatment and preventing disasters.
Rey pointed to the Lake Tahoe area, which suffered devastating blazes last year. Before, local officials fiercely fought logging, especially along streams and rivers that feed Lake Tahoe, out of fear that loggers would displace sand, dirt and other debris to muddy the lake’s clear waters.
Of course, the ash from the wildfires was far more destructive to Lake Tahoe’s beauty. So, Nevada and
Lake Tahoe officials now are fairly supportive of tree removal and reforestation efforts, Rey said.
I also asked Rey about the recent move to charge user fees to enter the national forests. Some Tribune readers have been upset that Arizona’s forests haven’t seen more improvements to recreational areas (campgrounds, boat docks, hiking trails, etc) since the federal government is bringing in more money.
Rey said it will take time for the user fee revenues to build up and fund enough improvements for the public to notice widespread changes. While user fees had been tested in some areas for several years, a nationwide user fee program has been in place only since 2006, he said.
Jim Payne, a spokesman for the Forest Service’s Southwest region, added those user fees stay with the specific national forest where they are collected. That’s why the Tonto National Forest was able to start construction this year on new boat docks and other amenities at the lakes along the Salt River, he said.
