Ohio Chapter

NEWS RELEASE

Destructive Clearcutting Hurts Economy, Tourism, and Habitat

COLUMBUS-The Sierra Club launched a campaign today to end commercial logging in the Wayne National Forest, Ohio's only National Forest, in response to a required forest plan revision initiated by the US Forest Service. The Sierra Club is also calling on the Forest Service to establish at least one wilderness area, preserve old growth trees, protect endangered species, acquire more land to improve forest management, and restore damaged areas of the forest by eliminating unnecessary roads.

"There is no valid economic reason to allow logging in our forest" said Brian Pasko, Conservation Chairperson of the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club, "and there is every economic reason, as well as ecological reasons, to restore the forest, encourage recreation, and protect Ohio's natural heritage."

The Sierra Club cited a report issued by the US Forest Service that shows that visitors to the Wayne National Forest spend over $31 million annually in local communities and that the forest generates nearly $5 million each year in state and local taxes.

The US Forest Service is required to update the management plan for national forests every 10 to 15 years. The last management plan for the Wayne was completed in 1988. In order to update the plan, the Forest Service is holding a series of ten public hearings throughout the state. The fourth hearing is tonight, June 10, at 5 pm at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Dublin.

"When over 65% of Ohioan's believe that logging should be prohibited on the Wayne National Forest, the Forest Service must consider an end to commercial logging as a viable alternative," said Pasko. "The Forest Service is legally obligated to formally consider ending commercial logging as part of the forest plan revision."

In the current management plan, less than 10% of the forest is protected from extractive activities such as logging and drilling for oil and gas. Nearly 85% of the forest is subject to logging and 60% of the forest is managed using clearcutting, a practice in which the land is literally stripped bare of trees to maximize private profit.

"It's clear that the existing forest management plan will not protect our families or our future. Ending commercial logging will promote tourism and strengthen local economies." Pasko cited the booming economy that surrounds the Smokey Mountain National Park as an example of the economic benefits of halting destructive logging."

95% of Ohio's wood products already come from private lands, not the Wayne National Forest. The Wayne National Forest is made up of 232,000 acres spread across twelve counties in Southeast Ohio. The entire forest makes up a mere 1.2% of the state's land base. Ohio is 7th among states in population yet ranks 47th in public lands per capita.

The Sierra Club is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with 700,000 members nationwide and 18,000 in Ohio.

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