April 23, 2003 Contra Costa Times
Forest chief calls policy debate filled with diversions

By Mike Taugher
CONTRA COSTA TIMES


SAN FRANCISCO - The Bush administration's top forester said Tuesday
that many of the issues environmentalists raise are mere distractions
to the real problems facing 192 million acres of national forests.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Club, U.S. Forest Service chief Dale
Bosworth said rather than worrying about grazing, logging and
endangered species, more attention should be focused on fires, weeds
and off-road vehicles.

The Earth Day speech was the first time Bosworth outlined his case
that forest policy debate is filled with "great diversions," while
"great issues" receive insufficient attention.

But Bosworth, a former Concord resident, said it would not be the
last.

"I'm going to be talking about it a lot," Bosworth said. "This is as
good a place as any to start, and this is as good a day as any to
start - Earth Day."

Environmentalists were critical, saying that despite Bosworth's
statements, the Bush administration has continually sought to roll
back environmental protections throughout national forests.

They said this was particularly true in California, where
modifications of the Sierra Nevada Framework are likely to lead to
more tree-cutting to reduce fire danger.

"How do we tell what the agency is up to, by what they say on Earth
Day or what they're doing the rest of the year?" asked Warren Alford,
a spokesman for the Sierra Club.

Bosworth criticized environmentalists' actions and news coverage of
forest policies, saying they put too much emphasis on problems that
have been essentially solved.

Nationally, logging is down to about 2 billion board-feet a year,
one-sixth the volume of 20 years ago, while the forest service
eliminates 14 miles of forest roads for every mile of road that is
built, Bosworth said.

Yet high-profile controversies continue over plans to cut trees and
over the Bush administration's reluctance to support a Clinton-era
national roadless policy that would prevent road construction in
millions of acres of national forest.

For all the controversy, especially in the interior West, over cattle
grazing on public lands, Bosworth said further reductions could put
ranchers out of business, which in turn would lead them to subdivide
private land abutting national forests. He said that 85 percent of
grazed forest land is in "good condition" or is improving.

More attention should be paid to preserving private ranches around
forests, reducing fire danger, policing off-road vehicles and beating
back invasive species, including weeds, exotic forest diseases and
non-native animals that displace native species, he said.

All this, said some environmentalists, is just Bush administration
spin.

"It's fairly bold for this administration to come out on Earth Day and
talk about protecting national forests," said Daniel Smuts, a
spokesman for the Wilderness Society. "I think if anyone is trying to
divert public attention away from the health and protection of our
national forests, it is the forest service."

Comment from poster: In my book, Dale is right on the money, at least
from a forest management point of view. I also hope he will continue
to talk about forestry issues in the public eye and come out from
under Mark Rey's thumb. The Chief of the Forest Service should be out
in the public, defending good management. I'm still puzzled at why the
Bush Administration still wants to repeal the Roadless Policy. All
that fighting over wanting foresters to have "more flexibility" in
"managing" our designated Roadless Areas? Their protection is a
"non-issue" and they weren't in danger under the previous policy. To
me, Clinton used it as a political ploy, since it didn't outright ban
logging and mining.

"Larry Harrell" wrote in message
om...
April 23, 2003 Contra Costa Times
Forest chief calls policy debate filled with diversions

By Mike Taugher
CONTRA COSTA TIMES


SAN FRANCISCO - The Bush administration's top forester said Tuesday
that many of the issues environmentalists raise are mere distractions
to the real problems facing 192 million acres of national forests.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Club, U.S. Forest Service chief Dale
Bosworth said rather than worrying about grazing,

Yuh, cows on in the forest service are real nice- prettier than them ugly
moose and bufalo


logging and

Nothing like a good clearcut to open up a vista!


endangered species,

Yuh, who needs'em??

more attention should be focused on fires, weeds


Yuh, weeds like pot- plant it all over the federal lands, I say. G

and off-road vehicles.

How about a shotgun season on off-road vehicles?



The Earth Day speech was the first time Bosworth outlined his case
that forest policy debate is filled with "great diversions,"

Real smart- rather than discuss those issues, just call them diversions.
Well, whadayuh expect from a government led by a certified idiot, The Shrub.



while
"great issues" receive insufficient attention.

But Bosworth, a former Concord resident, said it would not be the
last.

"I'm going to be talking about it a lot," Bosworth said. "This is as
good a place as any to start, and this is as good a day as any to
start - Earth Day."

Environmentalists were critical, saying that despite Bosworth's
statements, the Bush administration has continually sought to roll
back environmental protections throughout national forests.

Bring in them cows and snowmobiles!


They said this was particularly true in California, where
modifications of the Sierra Nevada Framework are likely to lead to
more tree-cutting to reduce fire danger.

As long as its the correct trees to cut, based on something almost unknown
in much of the forestry world- SILVICULTURE.


"How do we tell what the agency is up to, by what they say on Earth
Day or what they're doing the rest of the year?" asked Warren Alford,
a spokesman for the Sierra Club.

Bosworth criticized environmentalists' actions and news coverage of
forest policies, saying they put too much emphasis on problems that
have been essentially solved.


Perhaps he could attempt to prove this.


Nationally, logging is down to about 2 billion board-feet a year,
one-sixth the volume of 20 years ago, while the forest service
eliminates 14 miles of forest roads for every mile of road that is
built, Bosworth said.

Yet high-profile controversies continue over plans to cut trees and
over the Bush administration's reluctance to support a Clinton-era
national roadless policy that would prevent road construction in
millions of acres of national forest.

For all the controversy, especially in the interior West, over cattle
grazing on public lands, Bosworth said further reductions could put
ranchers out of business, which in turn would lead them to subdivide
private land abutting national forests. He said that 85 percent of
grazed forest land is in "good condition" or is improving.

I remember hiking in the Wind River Range in Wyoming- climbed up on a spurr
and looked out over a vast vista- then climed down into a nearby wooded area
only to see dozens of fat, stupid cows dropping their turds all over the
forest and tearing up the ground- like no wild animal would do.




More attention should be paid to preserving private ranches around
forests, reducing fire danger, policing off-road vehicles and beating
back invasive species, including weeds, exotic forest diseases and
non-native animals that displace native species, he said.

All this, said some environmentalists, is just Bush administration
spin.

"It's fairly bold for this administration to come out on Earth Day and
talk about protecting national forests," said Daniel Smuts, a
spokesman for the Wilderness Society. "I think if anyone is trying to
divert public attention away from the health and protection of our
national forests, it is the forest service."

Comment from poster: In my book, Dale is right on the money, at least
from a forest management point of view.

I don't think so. The USFS overall has done a lousy job. There is no reason
they couldn't do brilliant forest mgt. while protecting endangered species,
keeping cows off the forest, keeping off road vehicles on the roads- WHILE
making a profit- AND- if they had half a brain, they'd be ahead of the
enviros on ALL issues.


I also hope he will continue
to talk about forestry issues in the public eye and come out from
under Mark Rey's thumb. The Chief of the Forest Service should be out
in the public, defending good management.

Meanwhile, the USFS is behind the "service forestry" folks in the states-
the people who condone logging without real foresters. It's USFS money that
keeps those state flunkies in business.


I'm still puzzled at why the
Bush Administration still wants to repeal the Roadless Policy. All
that fighting over wanting foresters to have "more flexibility" in
"managing" our designated Roadless Areas? Their protection is a
"non-issue" and they weren't in danger under the previous policy. To
me, Clinton used it as a political ploy, since it didn't outright ban
logging and mining.

"Joe Zorzin" wrote in message ...
"Larry Harrell" wrote in message
om...

snip

more tree-cutting to reduce fire danger.

As long as its the correct trees to cut, based on something almost unknown
in much of the forestry world- SILVICULTURE.


Personally, I love to ask the forester in charge as to what what the
Unit's prescription is. I politely wait for them to present their
complex description then, calmly pronouce " Oh? So, it's marker's
choice, eh?" Knowing full well that I will slightly alter the marking
prescription to meet the actual on-the-ground conditions. Yep, I do
think that's still called silviculture, in my book. Those of you who
have marked trees to be cut know instinctively how to proceed. You've
developed your own "style" and "vision" of what that particular piece
of ground SHOULD look like to you after the work is done. That "feel"
is gained through experience and learning. Unfortunately, in today's
forestry world, sometimes your view differs from someone else's
(higher than you). In Joe's case, the client sometimes might want
something different than you (the one with the paintgun). That has
happened to me, as well. In the case of a project I worked on under
the Clinton Northwest Forest Plan. To me, it was too heavy-handed.
Cutting healthy trees up to 59" dbh is unacceptable to me.


"How do we tell what the agency is up to, by what they say on Earth
Day or what they're doing the rest of the year?" asked Warren Alford,
a spokesman for the Sierra Club.

Bosworth criticized environmentalists' actions and news coverage of
forest policies, saying they put too much emphasis on problems that
have been essentially solved.


Perhaps he could attempt to prove this.


Nationally, logging is down to about 2 billion board-feet a year,
one-sixth the volume of 20 years ago, while the forest service
eliminates 14 miles of forest roads for every mile of road that is
built, Bosworth said.

Yet high-profile controversies continue over plans to cut trees and
over the Bush administration's reluctance to support a Clinton-era
national roadless policy that would prevent road construction in
millions of acres of national forest.

For all the controversy, especially in the interior West, over cattle
grazing on public lands, Bosworth said further reductions could put
ranchers out of business, which in turn would lead them to subdivide
private land abutting national forests. He said that 85 percent of
grazed forest land is in "good condition" or is improving.

I remember hiking in the Wind River Range in Wyoming- climbed up on a spurr
and looked out over a vast vista- then climed down into a nearby wooded area
only to see dozens of fat, stupid cows dropping their turds all over the
forest and tearing up the ground- like no wild animal would do.



Saw them from the air last year. Still-frozen lakes in June. A part of
Wyoming that many Americans don't know exists.

I share your criticism of the grazing program. ALL sensitive areas
need to be off limits to cows. Especially wilderness areas. Totally
uncompatible activities. Hell, I'd be willing to pay extra to have a
good hamburger, knowing that the cow didn't damage our environment in
ways I strongly dislike.



Comment from poster: In my book, Dale is right on the money, at least
from a forest management point of view.

I don't think so. The USFS overall has done a lousy job. There is no reason
they couldn't do brilliant forest mgt. while protecting endangered species,
keeping cows off the forest, keeping off road vehicles on the roads- WHILE
making a profit- AND- if they had half a brain, they'd be ahead of the
enviros on ALL issues.


The Clinton-Era thinning sales I worked on while on the Eldorado
matches your criteria, Joe. Average cut tree diameter--- 13" 5.5
million board feet
No trees over 29" dbh cut. A very worthwhile project, which still left
a fully stocked stand of healthy larger trees.


I also hope he will continue
to talk about forestry issues in the public eye and come out from
under Mark Rey's thumb. The Chief of the Forest Service should be out
in the public, defending good management.

Meanwhile, the USFS is behind the "service forestry" folks in the states-
the people who condone logging without real foresters. It's USFS money that
keeps those state flunkies in business.


I support your push against bad forestry, bad silviculture and bad
practices. I'd also support anybody against bad politics G Both
parties.

Larry

(Larry Harrell) writes:

I share your criticism of the grazing program. ALL sensitive areas
need to be off limits to cows. Especially wilderness areas. Totally
uncompatible activities. Hell, I'd be willing to pay extra to have a
good hamburger, knowing that the cow didn't damage our environment in
ways I strongly dislike.

Now you are thinking like a tree farmer. There is no doubt that cattle
suppress tree reproduction, and if you want to maximize tree growth you
will sharply limit grazing. However, if your goal is wildlife habitat,
for the unsung bugs, amphibians and rodents as well as larger animals,
then grazing has a vital place in wilderness management. Cattle maintain
ecologies that were once maintained by mountain buffalo or mastodon, both
of which are unfortunately extinct today.

The Nature Conservancy pastures over 50,000 head of sheep and cattle in
Oregon alone, as well as conducting commercial logging operations, in
order to maintain habitat for some pretty humble endangered species. If
you let wilderness go all to trees, you will wipe out a lot of plants and
critters nobody has ever heard of.

--
http://home.teleport.com/~larryc