to clearcut or not to clearcut- that is the question
Joe
coincides with subsidies available for private owners to clearcut- both
practices supposedly to enhance biodiversity and wildlife- just when the
state wants to increase biomass production. How convenient! We will soon see
far more clearcutting on private land if not state land (due to increasing
public resistance). I recently talked to a procurement forester from the
"far north" who said that up there in a few years there will be far less
lumber being sawn- partly because the forests up there are wasted- and
partly because the industry is learning how to make products from raw fiber,
along with the increased market for pulp and wood energy. The industry in
southern New England is on the ropes, dying fast- the ones that want to
survive will join this "sea change"- they'll high grade what they can
(sending logs north), clearcut the rest and claim it's all wonderful
ecoforestry. The entire forestry establishment at all levels are pushing
this change.
What would make far more sense would be to use the new demand for pulp and
wood energy to thin the forests intelligently based on great silviculture.
It would help if the forestry establishment discouraged clearcutting! Any
help given to the wood industry should be based on that industry thinning
the forests, not clearcutting them. Huge grants have been given to some
firms for biomass projects- firms with reputations for high grading! Go
figure.
Thinning the forests is far superior- resulting in removing low grade wood
while enhancing future high value timber- in the interest of the forest
owner, the profitability of the wood industry, creative work for licensed
foresters and a far better forest ecosystem.
I've uploaded my second video showing the difference between thinning
forests and massacring them. It's all a bit ironic- one would think that the
reality would be about private land being slaughtered while the state shows
how to do it correctly, conservatively, ecologically intelligent, without
damage to recreational and aesthetic values of OUR state forests- but alas.
These videos are in high definition, what's known as 720p. If they stop
frequently while trying to download- just click on the button in the lower
left corner which will pause it- but it will continue to download- then
click on the play button again. Also, in the lower right corner of the
window is a button to click for "full screen".
Go to: http://vimeo.com/2090043
(my first video is at: http://vimeo.com/1993866)
Joe