offering benefits to attend to make sure your logging point of view dominates public meeting

[Mike Ryan]

Bill VanDoren,

Surely you can appreciate the unsavoriness of DCR, the convener of the Forest Futures public process, $$ incentivizing professional loggers to come to the meetings to make sure their pro-logging viewpoint for continued private access to public forest lands dominates the public point of view?  

You don't think offering fiduciary inducements to those who profit from logging timber from public lands to turn up at the public meetings is wrong? 

Please give it some thought.

Mike

On Feb 3, 2010, at 7:26 AM, William VanDoren wrote:

Dave,

Why is it an outrage?  Foresters aren’t members of the public?  We lose the ability to comment on forest policy?

Bill

 

From: forest-futures-advisor...@googlegroups.com [mailto:forest-futures-advisor...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dave Gafney
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 7:14 AM
To: forest-futures-advisor...@googlegroups.com; forest-futures-techni...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Announcement on Forums and additional time and format

 

Bill,

 

The current effort by DCR to stack the public forums by offering continuing ed credits to licensed foresters to attend is an absolute outrage.

 

If this is not immediately reversed, then maybe it is time for many of us to abandon this process completely and denounce it as a sham that has been stacked from the beginning in favor of a special powerful economic interest.

 

Dave

----- Original Message -----

From: Bill Logue

To: forest-futures-techni...@googlegroups.com ; forest-futures-advisor...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 5:29 PM

Subject: Announcement on Forums and additional time and format

 

Please note all the dates were correct but one of the days of the week was off. Here is a corrected version for you to share with all.

 

Bill

_______________________________

 

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN LOCATION OF BOTH AMHERST FORUMS

TO AMHERST REGIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA

170 Chestnut Street

Amherst, MA 01002

 

To All Interested Members of the Public:

 

As you may be aware, on January 22, 2010, the DCR Forest Futures Visioning Process Technical Steering Committee (TSC) released their draft recommendations to the general public for review and comment.  You may review the full text of the TSC’s recommendations by clicking here. 

 

As was previously announced, DCR is sponsoring a series of five (5) public forums across the Commonwealth to give citizens an opportunity to provide feedback on the TSC’s draft recommendations.  These forums were designed and will be facilitated by the MA Office of Dispute Resolution & Public Collaboration (MODR).  After the announcement of the public forums, MODR received requests from some stakeholders to offer an alternative public forum format.  In an effort to be responsive to those requests, MODR is adding an additional public forum on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst, MA 01002 .  At this forum, citizens will be invited to sign-up on a first-come, first-served basis.  The first 35 citizens to sign-up will be allotted two minutes to present their feedback on the draft recommendations orally to the TSC and to other members of the general public in attendance.  Additional citizens may be heard if time allows. 

 

The format for the five (5) original public forums is as follows:

·        Welcome & Introductions

·        Brief Overview of  DCR Forest Futures Visioning Process

·        Presentation of TSC Draft Recommendations

·        Question & Answer Period with TSC Members

·        Facilitated Table Discussions on Draft Recommendations. Public will be given opportunity to discuss substance of recommendations and to provide feedback.  Comments, suggestions, concerns, etc. will be captured by scribes stationed at each table and will be forwarded directly to the TSC.  All feedback will also posted on the DCR website for public viewing.  Members of the public will also be given index cards and can also provide individual written comments should they choose to do so.

 

Below is the revised public forum schedule:

 

Thursday, February 4, 2010

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Westborough Public Library

55 West Main Street, Westborough

(Snow date: Tuesday, February 16)

 

Saturday, February 6, 2010

10 a.m.– Noon

North Adams Public Library

74 Church Street, North Adams

(Snow date: Saturday, February 13)

 

Saturday, February 6, 2010

2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Berkshire Community College – Melville Hall Room 201

1350 West Street, Pittsfield

(Snow date: Saturday, February 13)

 

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 – NEW LOCATION!

5 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.

*Amherst Regional Middle School - Cafeteria

170 Chestnut Street

Amherst, MA 01002

 

**Tuesday, February 9, 2010 – NEW LOCATION!

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Amherst Regional Middle School – Cafeteria

170 Chestnut Street

Amherst, MA 01002

 

Thursday, February 11, 2010

5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Taunton Public Library

12 Pleasant Street, Taunton

(Snow date: Thursday, February 18)

 

 

The public is also encouraged to provide input on the draft recommendations via email to MODRD...@umb.edu and/or by completing an online survey.

*Location has been changed to accommodate a greater number of interested citizens.

**Additional forum was added to accommodate requests for an alternative forum format.

 

 

 

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[Mike Ryan]

Bill,

Some of us non-loggers will be taking days off too, and have been throughout the Forest Futures process.

Perhaps DCR can provide us too with 'benefits' to boost our careers for time served?

Mike

On Feb 3, 2010, at 8:19 AM, Dicken Crane wrote:

Bill

I think the continuing ed credits should be extended to licensed timber harvesters as well. They will be taking a day off from work to attend. 

Dicken 

[William VanDoren]

Mike,

 

I’m not sure I understand the first sentence of your message, but what are the “fiduciary inducements” you’re talking about.  There are plenty of other free continuing education opportunities for foresters to attend.  Besides,  in the licensing policy, the section pertaining would likely be:

 

“Category V is defined as self-improvement in forestry and forestry-related subjects.  Included is participation in or attendance at meetings not qualifying for category I or II such as those conducted by state boards of forestry or forestry licensing committees.  Also included is self improvement  through reading appropriate technical publications or viewing audiovisual presentations on technical forestry subjects.  Credit accrues at the rate of 1 hour for each hour of an activity.  A maximum of 4 of the CFE credits may be in this category.”

 

Again, self-improvement – I think it’s fairly important for foresters to hear what people’s concerns are about forestry.

 

Loggers don’t get private access to public forest lands, there’s a bidding process, and timber harvesting isn’t conducted on state lands solely for economic benefit – there are a whole host of other reasons why harvesting is done.  I would, however, argue that contributing positively to a working rural landscape is important.

 

Bill

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[Joseph Zorzin]

Actually, most loggers start work very early and quit by mid afternoon- I think Dicken knows that quite well- so any logger who wants to attend can do his day's work and still go to the meetings which are mostly late afternoon and evenings.

 

Joe

[Joseph Zorzin]

 

----- Original Message -----

From: William VanDoren

To: forestfutur...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 9:48 AM

Subject: RE: offering benefits to attend to make sure your logging point of view dominates public meeting

Mike,

 

I’m not sure I understand the first sentence of your message, but what are the “fiduciary inducements” you’re talking about.  There are plenty of other free continuing education opportunities for foresters to attend. 

 

 

That being the case, what great need is there for credits for these events?

 

You're missing the point- though these events seem as "educational" as any other forestry events, these events are politically charged as the other events foresters go to are not- so for a state forester to send emails to hundreds of foresters informing them of the event- could be seen as a bit devious- given the fact that the state foresters' jobs and careers are at stake.

 

Actually, there not really all that educational anybody can read the report online- and going to offer comments can be done online too- there isn't really going to be all that much discussion or debate, probably none- so what's to be learned?

 

It appears that the DCR has changed its mind, though- as we saw a message from Bill Logue earlier today as follows: "I understand that an email has been sent, or will shortly be sent, correcting the announcement that the forums will be eligible for continuing education credits. "

 

 

 Besides,  in the licensing policy, the section pertaining would likely be:

 

“Category V is defined as self-improvement in forestry and forestry-related subjects.  Included is participation in or attendance at meetings not qualifying for category I or II such as those conducted by state boards of forestry or forestry licensing committees.  Also included is self improvement  through reading appropriate technical publications or viewing audiovisual presentations on technical forestry subjects.  Credit accrues at the rate of 1 hour for each hour of an activity.  A maximum of 4 of the CFE credits may be in this category.”

 

Again, self-improvement – I think it’s fairly important for foresters to hear what people’s concerns are about forestry.

 

Loggers don’t get private access to public forest lands, there’s a bidding process, and timber harvesting isn’t conducted on state lands solely for economic benefit – there are a whole host of other reasons why harvesting is done.

 

Such as justifying the jobs of state foresters? Nice jobs too.