Welcome to the Forest Watch Action Center!

See photos documenting the impacts of logging and oil and gas drilling on the Allegheny National Forest

On Earth Day 2004, then Secretary of Agriculture Anne Veneman visited the Allegheny National Forest to promote the Bush administration's forest policies. The Forest Service prepared a "Fact Sheet" to handout to participants for Secretary Veneman's visit. As you can see from the fact sheet, the Forest Service has a very distorted view of what makes the Allegheny National Forest special. The Forest Service claims the Allegheny National Forest "is defined by three unique features:

a well-developed trail system for Off Highway Vehicle recreation; world class stands of sustainable hardwoods for saw timber; and relatively intensive oil and gas extraction."

The Allegheny Defense Project has a different view of what defines the Allegheny National Forest. ADP believes the Allegheny National Forest should be managed to protect water quality, sustain viable populations of wildlife species, and provide opportunities for quality recreation opportunities that do not severely impact soil quality and other forest users. ADP's Forest Watch Program is the means through which we can make these changes.

Forest watch is the practice of on the ground monitoring of agencies, companies, and individuals responsible for resource extraction and damage on public lands. The Allegheny Defense Project has had an active Forest Watch Program in the Allegheny National Forest and surrounding region since 1994.

ADP's Forest Watch Program can be viewed through our three campaigns: Industrial Extraction, Recreation, and Wild Forests and Rivers.

Industrial Extraction Campaign

The Allegheny National Forest is one of the most mis-managed national forests in the United States. The Forest Service manages much of the Allegheny for the primary purpose of promoting the commercially valuable, but naturally rare, black cherry tree. Black cherry is an "early successional" species that would not exist in the proportions it currently does without intensive management, which includes clearcutting, herbicides, fertilizing, and fencing. (more coming soon!)

Recreation Campaign

The Allegheny National Forest is the largest block of public forest land in western Pennsylvania. As such, a wide array of recreation opportunities should be emphasized to attract outdoor recreation enthusiasts while protecting soil and water resources. Unfortunately, the Forest Service's singular agenda of turning the Allegheny into a destination for ATV's ignores these other recreation opportunities in exchange for increased noise, erosion and sedimentation. The Forest Service's policy on oil and gas drilling has resulted in thousands of acres of the Allegheny being lost to roads and wells.

In fact, the Forest Service stated as recently as March 2007:

"those seeking a more remote and less developed recreation experience could be displaced to other State or National Forests where remote, semi-primitive settings and experiences are more readily available." (LRMP FEIS 3-327, 2007)

It is unacceptable for the Forest Service to simply tell visitors to go somewhere else if they want a remote and less developed recreation experience. This is Pennsylvania's only national forest. The Forest Service's policy on recreation is not in concert with federal law or with Governor Rendell's Pennsylvania Wilds Initiative.

Wild Forests and Rivers Campaign

The Allegheny National Forest was designated by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923 for the express purpose of protecting the headwaters of the Allegheny River watershed. Unfortunately, decades of clearcutting and oil and gas drilling have left a large human footprint on the forests and rivers in the Allegheny National Forest. The Wild Forests and Rivers Campaign aims to restore the Allegheny's original purpose of watershed protection. (more coming soon!)

Visit this web page often to track Forest Management activities in the Allegheny National Forest. If you're interested in getting involved and helping out please sign up today as an ADP volunteer.