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December 28, 2003
Prescribed Fire Project Approved
UPDATE - The appeal deadline for the Prescribed Fire Project is February 10, 2004.
The Forest Service has approved the Prescribed Fire Project (otherwise known as Cut and Burn) for the Allegheny National Forest. District Ranger John Schultz signed the Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) selecting Alternative 2, the most impactive alternative.
Of course there is the possibility of significant impact, particularly considering if this so called experiment produces their desired results. If so, a completely unnatural disturbance regime could be adopted, much like the clearcut/herbicide regime for black cherry. Only this would be clearcut and burn for oak.
Here is a description of Alt. 2 from the Environmental Assessment:
Under this alternative, the administrative study would be implemented on five areas totaling 78 acres that examines the effects of prescribed fire on enhancing oak establishment. Approximately half of each area would be burned, with the other half used as a control to study the response to burning. This activity would be repeated two to three timbes in each area within a span of five years, depending on the seedling establishment. Under this alternative, a fence would be built to minimize deer browsing in one of the strudy areas. To promote and monitor seedling growth, reforestation practices such as site preparation and stocking surveys would occur as well. Once oak seedlings have become established, nearly all of the overstory would be removed from both the control and burned portion of each stand, allowing full sunlight conditions to reach the established seedlings and creating a single age class.
The key here is that last sentence. Where on the Allegheny Plateau does clearcutting and burning mimic nature? Forests in this area are not meant to have a single age class. The bottom line here is, of course, the bottom line. This project is completely designed to promote valuable oak trees for logging projects.
The appeal deadline is February 10, 2004
Posted by Ryan at December 28, 2003 06:31 PM
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