I have read a number of articles, blog posts, op-eds, etc., declaring that timber harvesting is not the answer to the problem–timber harvesting is the problem. Well the old axiom about a picture holds, a picture is worth a thousand words. With that in mind, check out Tom Knudson’s article, Fire, climate and thinning over at the Sacramento Bee. He has two photos that contrast what enlightened forest stewardship (Collins Pine Company) produces versus the near zero-cut regime the Clinton Administration imposed on the USDA Forest Service reaps. Two pictures are worth two thousand words.
I noted here, that northern California saw nearly a million acres burned last summer. According to NIFC (National Interagency fire Center), this year we could see a repeat of last season–and with the Jesusita Fire going on in Santa Barbara right now–it’s looking likely. Northern California fires could again add millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Thinning and spacing using prudent forestry could lower the risk.
You see, without a change agent such as fire, shade tolerant trees begin crowding in under the forest canopy. This is not healthy. Fire normally clears these plants and keeps the ecotype in balance. Without disturbance, the forest gets unhealthier as conditions deteriorate. It’s not rocket science, forestry is much more complex.
Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares (just over an acre – ed.) with trees higher than 5 meters (just over 16 feet – ed.) and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use. Forests are determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of other predominant land uses. The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of 5 meters in situ. Areas under reforestation which have yet to reach a crown density of 10 percent or tree height of 5 m are included, as are temporarily unstocked areas, resulting from human intervention or natural causes, that are expected to regenerate. (Source: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO))
A group selection site on Boggs Mountain State Forest
Land at least 10 percent stocked by forest trees of any size, including land that formerly had such tree cover and that will be naturally or artificially regenerated. (Source Brad Smith, et. al.)
Synonyms:
forestland, timberland, woodland
Discussion:
Other sources say a forest is a tract of land covered with trees; these are not technical definitions. Using such definitions gives the impression that the practice clearcutting results in deforestation. I’ve written before about deforestation (Deforestation and Reforestation, What is Deforestation?, and Toilet Paper, Hummers, and Global Warming, oh my!) Logging does not equal deforestation. The FAO defines deforestation as “the conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of tree canopy cover below the 10% threshold … Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover. Such a loss can only be caused and maintained through a continued man-induced or natural perturbation.” (World Forest Resource Assessment in 2000, On Definitions Of Forest And Forest Change)
This is deforestation; the conversion to another land use.
Etymology:
Forest comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin forestis.
Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares (just over an acre – ed.) with trees higher than 5 meters (just over 16 feet – ed.) and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use. Forests are determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of other predominant land uses. The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of 5 meters in situ. Areas under reforestation which have yet to reach a crown density of 10 percent or tree height of 5 m are included, as are temporarily unstocked areas, resulting from human intervention or natural causes, that are expected to regenerate. (Source: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO))
A group selection site on Boggs Mountain State Forest
Land at least 10 percent stocked by forest trees of any size, including land that formerly had such tree cover and that will be naturally or artificially regenerated. (Source Brad Smith, et. al.)
Synonyms:
forestland, timberland, woodland
Discussion:
Other sources say a forest is a tract of land covered with trees; these are not technical definitions. Using such definitions gives the impression that the practice clearcutting results in deforestation. I’ve written before about deforestation (Deforestation and Reforestation, What is Deforestation?, and Toilet Paper, Hummers, and Global Warming, oh my!) Logging does not equal deforestation. The FAO defines deforestation as “the conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of tree canopy cover below the 10% threshold … Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover. Such a loss can only be caused and maintained through a continued man-induced or natural perturbation.” (World Forest Resource Assessment in 2000, On Definitions Of Forest And Forest Change)
This is deforestation; the conversion to another land use.
Etymology:
Forest comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin forestis.
Anthropogenic (caused by humans) deforestation is the conversion of land use from forest to another designation. Logging, commercial or otherwise, doesn’t equal deforestation. It is what the land becomes that is the issue. Often, the conversion is to an agricultural use, e.g., the conversion of Amazonian rainforest to soy, vineyards, or rangeland.
Deforestation, what is it?
As I’ve noted in “What is Deforestation?“, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines deforestation as the, “conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of tree canopy cover below the 10% threshold … Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover. Such a loss can only be caused and maintained through a continued man-induced or natural perturbation.” Source – On Definitions of Forest and Forest Change
This used to be oak woodland prior to its conversion to vineyard.
Hideous, isn’t it?
Our ecological footprint
Wherever we build settlements, grow food, hunt food, gather food, congregate or socialize; we change the area from what it was. Sometimes we change the place a little. Sometimes we change the place a great deal. With our current system, we change environments in places we don’t personally touch.
It’s a balancing act
Nature is dynamic. Nature requires change while also trying to maintain equilibrium. The question is always one of balance. I prefer forest but as a human being I also need to live, eat, procreate, and what I do will affect the earth. What we can do as humans is to gather data–facts–about the external costs of our choices. Gather facts from peer-reviewed journals, not blogs (especially those that do not list sources or their sources are biased), not environmental or industry (both skew facts to their own ends).
Northern California Again Poised to Add Millions of Tons of Carbon Dioxide to the Atmosphere Due to Wildfires
Northern California saw nearly a million acres burned last summer. This year may see a repeat of last season. That assessment comes the National Interagency Fire Center‘s (NIFC) Predictive Services, which, in its assessment, evaluated the condition of wildland fuels, weather forecasts, and climate and drought data.
Image courtesy of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
The Potential Is There, Ignitions Are The Unknown
“Whether or not we see that potential develop into another severe fire season in California depends on ignitions. Last year we had wide-spread lightning storms move through that area and ignite multiple fires… Overall, the areas with the greatest fire potential this summer are Arizona, New Mexico, California and north-central Washington.” – Rick Ochoa, fire weather program manager at NIFC
Washington, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona Have Above-Average Potential
In addition to California, north-central Washington is expected to see above normal potential or wildfire activity, based on persistent drought conditions. The Southwest, from Texas to Arizona, also is expected to see above normal fire potential until what is expected to be a robust monsoon season moderates conditions there beginning in early July.
The Rest of the West to See Lower Fire Threat
Elsewhere around the West, however, winter snowpacks and cooler early spring temperatures are expected to moderate conditions and keep the fire potential in the normal range for most other states. Although drought conditions are expected to persist in Nevada, the lack of moisture and subsequent lack of fine fuels are expected to result in a below normal fire potential. In Alaska, ample moisture over the winter, combined with a forecast for normal to below normal temperatures results in below normal potential for fire activity there as well.
Well, I have found something that tastes sorta, kinda, like instant coffee: Inka Naturalis, an instant beverage made from grain.
Rye, barley, beets, and chicory root are simply roasted,ground and combined to make Naturalis Inka the perfect substitute for coffee and a great tasting drink in its own right. The toasted beets lend a subtle sweetness that is naturally satisfying.
If toasted beets aren’t for you. Or you want to do it yourself and get rid of weeds at the same time, perhaps you’d like to toast some dandelion roots? Yes, you would? Really? Then Ruth D’Alessandro, the urban gardenerover at nuturenet.net, has the recipe here for you. According to the poster, the result turned out to be, “Not unlike coffee, actually…”
“Not unlike coffee.” That sounds like stuff I’ve had in fast food joints. Anyway, now I have a reason not to mow the lawn. I need those weeds for my ersatz coffee.
Barber chair. Photo credit: International Society of Arboriculture, International Society of Arboriculture, Bugwood.org
A tree that, while in the process of receiving the back cut, splits lengthwise and leaves a vertical piece of wood on top of the stump. The remaining piece sticking up in the air is reminiscent of a chair.
The splitting of the butt of the log during the latter part of the fall. The tree may remain attached to the stump, creating a danger zone, and resulting in a large deduction in the net volume in the log. (Source – Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Synonyms: tomb-stone
Each tree gives a lesson—not necessarily free of charge—in physics and magic. So many things can go wrong during a falling operation and the barber chair is just one of those events. I wasn’t able to find a definitve etymology of the term. It may be just the appearance of the end result. The term barber chair may be so named because (this is complete conjecture on my part) it takes “a little off the top,” like the timber faller’s head, perhaps.
A tree that, while in the process of receiving the back cut, splits lengthwise and leaves a vertical piece of wood on top of the stump. The remaining piece sticking up in the air is reminiscent of a chair.
The splitting of the butt of the log during the latter part of the fall. The tree may remain attached to the stump, creating a danger zone, and resulting in a large deduction in the net volume in the log. (Source – Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Synonyms: tomb-stone
Each tree gives a lesson—not necessarily free of charge—in physics and magic. So many things can go wrong during a falling operation and the barber chair is just one of those events. I wasn’t able to find a definitve etymology of the term. It may be just the appearance of the end result. The term barber chair may be so named because (this is complete conjecture on my part) it takes “a little off the top,” like the timber faller’s head, perhaps.
Sequoiadendron giganteum occurs naturally in scattered groves only in the western Sierra. The 327,769-acre GSNP is at the southern boundary of its distribution. (Nat'l Park Service image)
My wife and I are members of the Sierra Club. She, because she supported their agenda. Me, because I want to know what the arguments are going to be about. The other day, we found a mailer from the Sierra Club imploring us to write the President, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate Majority Leader to urge them to use their “power to finally bring real protection to the Giant Sequoia National Monument by transferring management from the United States Forest Service to the National Park Service.”
That’s what I like about the Sierra Club, they are for science except when they’re not. The Forest Service has a plan based upon the appointed science advisers. But, anything involving commercial harvesting scares some people. Harvesting especially scares those who want no timber cut commercially in the United States. Zero-cut is a bad idea for all the reasons I’ve already listed here.
Now, in these United States, petitioning the government for redress of wrongs is one of our rights as American citizens. I just don’t believe that the USDA Forest Service is the wrong place for the Giant Sequoia National Monument (GSNM). I was the assistant forest manager at Mountain Home State Forest, the GSNM’s neighbor. I bring this up, because MHSF has harvested timber for over 60 years and people looking for the GSNM think they’ve found it when they reached the border of the State Forest. So harvesting and old growth sequoia can exist together and even thrive. The two are not antithetical and may be more sympathetic than the Sierra Club and the Zero-Cut supporters and their ilk would have you believe.
Here’s what my petition says:
Dear ___________________________
I urge you to use your influence to keep the Giant Sequoia National Monument (GSNM) within the USDA Forest Service’s jurisdiction.
Groups interested in zero timber cut from public lands, including the Sierra Club, want your support to move the GSNM from the Forest Service to the Park Service, this is not only unnecessary it is counter-productive to GSNM’s articulated goals.
As you know, the Proclamation speaks of “restoring natural forest resilience” in the Monument. This goal requires tools: adaptive management. To meet this goal, GSNM’s vegetation mix has to be brought to a place where the vegetation has the ability to resist stressors (stability) and to recover from stresses once they occur (resilience), while best maintaining native biodiversity.
You are no doubt also aware that the shade-tolerant white fir has seeded under the old-growth giant sequoia groves during the past 100 years of aggressive fire suppression. Sequoia needs disturbance to regenerate and fire is a problematic tool due to Clean Air Laws. This leaves logging as the efficacious treatment to provide the needed bare mineral soil sequoia seedling require.
Logging around giant sequoia can be done without the adverse affects the Sierra Club claims. Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest (MHDSF) manages its land consistent with the recommendations in the GSNM’s management plan. This highlights the irony of the GSNM: most visitors don’t see any giant sequoia until they reach the State Forest’s boundary. MHDSF has incorporated logging its management since 1946.
Not allowing harvesting in GSNM will eventually require a name change to the White Fir National Monument.
________________________________
Signed
I will admit the White Fir Nat’l Monument comment is a little snarky, but it is true.
If you’d like to use my petition, it’s here. The Sierra Club’s full text and online petition may be found here.
You must enroll in and be on track to graduate from the Forestry or Rangeland Resource major with your choice of options: Rangeland Resource Science Options:
Deadline: Freshmen must apply to HSU by March 1 (sorry, I just learned of it), Transfers must apply by June 1, 2009. Contact Lisa Perry (email: Lisa.Perry@humboldt.edu) for more information. She says, “have them contact me, we can make deadline exceptions in some cases for these under-enrolled programs.”
My thanks to Lisa.
Thanks to GIS and Science blog for the tip; they have more information on what’s available.
Nullius in Verba 