Sierra Club Talking Points

Wayne National Forest 
Land and Resource Management Plan Revision Process

What the Sierra Club is seeking:

• End commercial logging in the Wayne National Forest
• Increase the number and size of adequate wilderness natural forest areas
• Preserve old growth areas
• Preserve critical habitat for endangered and threatened species
• Increase land acquisition
• Moratorium on future road building and elimination of unnecessary roads

Commercial Logging is not needed in Ohio and against the status quo

• Forest products account for well under 1% of Ohio's gross state product;
• 95% of the state's wood and paper products are harvested from private lands;
• Less than 4% of the nation's timber supply is derived from national forests.
• Commercial logging activities in the Wayne ended 8 years ago
• More than 60% of Ohioans favor an end to commercial logging in the Wayne National Forest

Designate wilderness areas in the Wayne

• Wilderness areas give a scientific baseline by which to judge management practices
• Wilderness areas provide recreational opportunities not currently available
• Wilderness areas are biological reserves that protect species.
• Wilderness areas preserve part of Ohio's natural heritage

Create old growth areas in the Wayne

• All pre-settlement forests have been cut
• Existing second growth forests are not old enough to be considered old growth
• Existing forest stands have been managed for age, not for old growth characteristics
• The Forest Service must research and establish old growth characteristics for Ohio

Increase land and mineral rights acquisition

• Ohio ranks 7th among states in population and 47th in public lands per capita.
• Wayne National Forest lands are too fragmented to make them effective preserves for endangered species
• Wayne National Forest lands do not protect major watersheds in the forests
• The Wayne National Forest incorporates very few mineral rights making the forest vulnerable to exploitation, more fragmentation and destruction.

• Less than 10% of the forest is protected from extractive activities
• Nearly 85% of the forest is subject to timber harvest
• 60% of the forest is managed using clearcutting

About the Wayne National Forest

• Composed of 232,000 fragmented acres
• Spread across 12 counties in Southeast Ohio.
• Current federal land holdings make up only 28% of the area originally designated as the boundary area for the Wayne.
• The entire forest makes up a mere 1.2% of the state's land base.
• Ohio ranks 7th among states in population and 47th in public lands per capita.

For more information:

• Ohio Chapter Forest Committee: Marc Conte, 614-461-0734, marc.conte@sierraclub.org
• Ohio Forest Web Page: http://ohio.sierraclub.org/forests/wayne

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