WARREN – Even though Allegheny National Forest officials have
met with the media, held several public presentations and has
available for public viewing their summary Draft Environmental
Impact Statement, many remain confused about some of the items held
in the preferred alternative C.

In an effort to clarify their intent, officials met with a
reporter Wednesday to explain areas of concern as expressed by
local organizations and groups.

Some of those groups expressed concern in the inability of the
forest service to accomplish what they set out to do in their
newest proposal as they were unsuccessful in certain areas of the
1986 forest plan.

Andrea Hille, assistant forest silviculturist, said “A big part
of this plan is taking a look at the current condition (of the
forest) and carrying it forth into the alternatives.”

Officials agree that changes on the forest have prevented some
of the proposals in the 1986 plan from coming to fruition.

One concern from groups interested in and affected by the plan
includes the results of their attempt at uneven-aged management of
areas as proposed in the 1986 plan which at that time was proposed
at less than one percent. In the preferred alternative C,
uneven-aged management of the forest will amount to 25 percent.

Uneven-aged management of forest areas involves working to
develop a stand of trees that differ in age by harvesting areas
after 20 or so years to allow seedlings to grow up through the
newly opened canopy with the help of sunlight.

Bob White, a forest silviculturist, explained that alternative C
would allow for more areas of uneven-aged management which would
help forest health in that it would allow for certain tree types
(that like sunlight) to develop seedlings.

While the seedlings grow, the forest service plans to address
the issue of fern and grass coverage that prevents sunlight from
getting to the seedlings that need the light.

White also described the four major forest types as Allegheny
Hardwoods that include black cherry, white ash and yellow poplar,
which are sun loving trees and the most economically valuable
woods; Upland Hardwoods that include red maple and black birch,
American beech and black cherry, which are the most common forest
type; Northern Hardwoods, which are American Beech, sugar maple,
yellow birch and hemlock that are shade tolerant seedlings, but
have serious forest health concerns; and Oak that include Northern
red, white, chestnut, black, and scarlet which are important for
wildlife.

Hille added that with uneven-aged forest management techniques,
the result will be different ages and a larger tree variety as
opposed to one specific type.

Also in alternative C, it is proposed that 60 percent of the
forest remain even-aged; in the 1986 plan, about 92 percent of the
forest was proposed to be left to even-aged management.

White explained that as a result of the turn of the century
clear-cutting, areas include trees that are all the same age.

“For a regeneration harvest, you take out larger trees to let
the sunlight into the forest floor and treat the fern and grasses,”
he said, “which will result in seedlings. Let them get established
and take out more, but leaving a new age class.”

He added they plan to work in one to three acre areas to get the
more species diversity.

Hille adds the proposal to conduct more uneven-aged areas was
not developed overnight.

“It took 20 years of learning through reading literature,
conducting research – taking a look at areas in New York, West
Virginia, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois. And looking at the trials
and studies conducted in the Eastern U.S.

“But those areas don’t always have the same problems in
interference with vegetation including the deer browsing which
makes it more difficult to use uneven-aged management,” she
added.

Officials explained they understand that many groups are
concerned because they have been unsuccessful (with uneven-aged
management goals) in the past, but they add the deer population is
already down, which will help, and they now have reforestation
treatments they can use, which they believe will help them obtain
their goals.