Ohio Chapter

NEWS RELEASE

Restoring America's Forests Shows Benefits of Restoring Ohio's Wayne National Forest

For a copy of the report, go to http://www.sierraclub.org/logging/report02

COLUMBUS - America's National Forests suffer from serious disrepair after decades of destructive logging, but a new report shows that solutions exist to bring silt-clogged trout streams back to life, stabilize landslide-prone hillsides, and create good jobs in forest communities. The report, released today by the Sierra Club, highlights the benefits, as well as the challenges, of restoring our nation's treasured forests.

"With forest restoration we can embark on the path of the future. Restoring our National Forests will leave a legacy of clean air and water, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and protection from flooding and catastrophic fires - a wild heritage that is worth more than can measured in two-by-fours and dollars," the report reads.

"This report will help Americans understand the importance of restoring our nation's forests, to protect communities and wildlife and to restore what's left of our wild forest heritage," said Marc Conte, Legislative Coordinator with the Sierra Club. "Instead of wasting taxpayer money on commercial logging of these forests, we should be restoring what remains of America's playground."

Restoring America's Forests is an in-depth look at the methods, costs, benefits, and politics of forest restoration projects. The report includes case studies from Redwood National Forest in California, the White River in Vermont, the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon and others.

In Ohio, the US Forest Service just began a process to update the management plan for the Wayne National Forest, the only national forest in Ohio. The Sierra Club is calling on the Forest Service to end commercial logging operations in the Wayne National Forest.

"Ohioans love the Wayne National Forest for the wonderful services it provides - clean drinking water, recreational and economic opportunities, and fish and wildlife habitat," said Conte. "It is imperative that we restore the health and wealth of goods and services our forests provide, for our families, for our future."

The report is designed to help policy makers, community leaders, land managers, and the public identify the opportunities, challenges and benefits of restoring our nation's forests. While many restoration projects actively engage the local communities in the health of their forests, some forest management officials promote intensive logging under the guise of restoration.

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