KANE — Recent comments made to The Era by Allegheny National Forest public affairs officer Ruth Sutton about a possible increase in timber offered on the forest leaves out several details, according to several local timber industry officials.

Sutton told The Era last week the estimated timber to be offered is projected to be at 36 million board feet in 2016, up from 31.6 million board feet, with a value of approximately $6 million in 2015. Sutton also noted while the average amount of board feet cut over the past several years averages between 33 to 35 million board feet, the Allegheny is not violating its 2007 Forest Plan, which set the allowable sale quantity at 54.1 million board feet.

To that end, Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group (AHUG) Executive Director Sue Swanson said Sutton failed to note the amount of sawtimber harvested on the ANF is far less than the amount of pulpwood being offered. Swanson said approximately 65 percent of the timber harvested on the forest is pulpwood, the lower grade wood used in making paper and particle board.

Swanson recalled in previous years, the amount of timber being cut on the Allegheny was about 70 to 80 percent sawtimber. Now, those numbers have almost reversed, she said.

According to Swanson, if more sawtimber were to be harvested, more money would be piped into school districts and townships in accordance with the 1908 Good Neighbor Compact. The compact calls for a 25 percent payment to be made by the federal government to the school districts and townships within the boundaries of the ANF. Swanson feels those municipalities may be somewhat shortchanged with a sawtimber harvest of only 35 percent on the forest.

“Sawtimber is much more valuable and it would produce a larger return,” Swanson said.

Allegheny Forest Alliance President Bob Kirchner believes there are a lot of well-intentioned people who work in the U.S. Forest Service who are trying to make the forest better. However, Kirchner pointed out that with dwindling timber money being received by the school districts and townships, “the proof is in the pudding” and the ANF has not been a very good neighbor.

Kirchner is somewhat frustrated with the way the forest is being managed. He said after three years of going through an extensive forest planning process, including all parties sitting at the table to find out what is good for the health of the forest and the municipalities on the ANF, there is no money to execute the plans.

Kirchner said the money left in the budget to implement the forest plan gets redirected to fight forest fires in the western part of the country, noting the amount of forest fires into and of itself is fed by a lack of timber management.

Allegheny Forest Alliance board member and former president Jack Hedlund believes Sutton did not address other issues in her statements. Hedlund said even though the Forest Service can adjust the allowable sale quantity to the resources received from the federal government, the Forest Service must still manage the forest in a responsible manner and “maintain a sustained yield.”

Hedlund recalled the ANF management “dragging their feet” in harvesting ash trees before an infestation of the emerald ash borer reached the forest. He said their inaction on harvesting the ash tree ahead of the infestation may cause the sprouts on the bordering private lands to become infected as well.

Hedlund noted the ANF has met and even exceeded forest plan goals in terms of environmental issues, but with less timber being cut on the forest on the whole, ironically the goals for creating and maintaining early structural habitats have been cut in half.

“An early structural habitat is created when (timber) harvesting occurs,” Hedlund said. “The lack of early structural habitat has imperiled the mourning warbler, the only indicator species identified in the forest plan that is in jeopardy because it required early structural habitat to exist.”

Hedlund acknowledged the Forest Service is devoting time to such projects as rehabbing roads, building trails, and restoring fish and stream habitat, but he stressed these projects are no replacement for the decreasing 25 percent payments given to the school districts and townships, and the call for greater timber management on the ANF.

“By and large, they have devoted their meager resources to activities other than timber management as the report indicates,” Hedlund said.