Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 17, 2008 issue
Conservation Groups Vow To Continue Fight To Save Old-Growth Forest
Story by Sam Calhoun
The U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday, January 8, rejected an appeal by conservation groups to refrain from logging the Globe forest near Blowing Rock.
The groups said the rejection of their appeal was disappointing, although not unexpected, and vowed to continue their fight to permanently protect the forest as a national scenic area.
In November, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing Asheville-based groups Wild South, the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and the Western North Carolina Alliance, filed an administrative appeal of the agency's controversial decision to log 212 acres of the Pisgah National Forest.
"The agency's decision is a huge disappointment for us, as well as the citizens and leaders of Blowing Rock who have pleaded with the Forest Service for two years to save this remarkable forest," said Chris Joyell of Wild South, the lead appellant. "We are fully prepared to do whatever is necessary to prevent them from logging the Globe forest. We've got the complete support of the community—from local businesses and political leaders, as well as the public at large—to protect the Globe."
The U.S. Forest Service, in its decision, said it would work with the appellants to find a solution that will address their concerns and the community's concerns, and U.S. Forest Supervisor Marisue Hilliard has called for continued dialogue among the interested parties.
The conservation groups said Wednesday, January 9, that they intend to hold the agency to its word.
While affirming Grandfather District Ranger Joy Malone’s October 4, 2007, decision, in response to the administrative appeal filed by the SELC, Hilliard said in a letter to project appellants, “I am very much aware of the sincere concerns expressed by local governments and other constituents about potential project impacts of the Globe project, particularly the concerns about scenic values in the Blowing Rock area and concerns about old growth.”
Hilliard also outlined actions the U.S. Forest Service will take prior to and during implementation of the Globe project. The U.S. Forest Service will emphasize continued dialogue among the interested parties, including the Blowing Rock community. The U.S. Forest Service will also encourage a broader collaborative discussion about maintaining scenic values, reducing the risk of wildfire in the urban interface and exploring options for using stewardship contracts to accomplish forest management objectives in the Globe project area.
Also, the long-term forest plan direction for lands around Blowing Rock will be addressed collaboratively during forest plan revision, tentatively scheduled for initiation in 2010. Implementation of the Globe project will in no way preclude future allocation changes for this area, Hilliard wrote.
The U.S. Forest Service will also explore the use of stewardship contracts for the Globe project to allow for flexibility in timing of project implementation and accomplishing other forest restoration or fire preparedness objectives.
The Forest Service will look for opportunities to implement the project in stages. Staging will allow the U.S. Forest Service, Hilliard said, to collaboratively monitor the actual impacts of the project, ensuring that the on-the-ground impacts are the same or less than those estimated in the environmental assessment. If monitoring during the first phases of project implementation demonstrates that scenic impacts are greater than stated in the environmental assessment, the Forest Service would consider making changes for the remaining phases of the project. Currently, the Forest Service is not scheduled to begin implementation of the Globe project until 2009 at the earliest.
In addition, U.S. Forest Service botanical specialists will conduct additional surveys in Stand 33-11, a patch of old-growth trees, to ensure that forest plan standards are met.
"For two years, we have worked diligently with the Forest Service—including a field visit to inspect old-growth trees—in order to reach a balanced solution," said SELC Senior Attorney Doug Ruley, who is representing the conservation groups. "Unfortunately, the agency seems to be ignoring ecological evidence as to the special character of the Globe, and ignoring the public's strong opposition to logging there. We will take all available steps to protect the Globe, including going to court should that be necessary."
The Globe project, first proposed in 2006, generated considerable public interest. The U.S. Forest Service received more than 1,000 comments on the proposal since announcing the plans to log the Globe and made several changes in the project in response to public concerns. In late 2006, the Blowing Rock Town Council, the Boone Town Council and the Watauga County Board of Commissioners passed unanimous resolutions opposing the logging and calling for the creation of the Grandfather National Scenic Area to permanently protect the forest basin. The scaled-down project, proposed in 2007, is comprised of 17 partial harvest units averaging 11 acres in size, distributed across the 11,225-acre project area.
"We see this decision as a litmus test for the public process," said Joyell. "The community has expressed overwhelming opposition to the logging, which may damage Blowing Rock's economy and overall quality of life, yet at every turn the agency has dismissed their concerns and plowed ahead."
The groups' appeal focused primarily on the agency's plans to log old-growth forests within the Globe. Field surveys conducted by Wild South and the Southern Environmental Law Center revealed that many of the trees range from 100 years old to well over 300 years old. One chestnut oak was determined to be 328 years old.
Additional background information on the Globe Forest Management Project is available by clicking to
www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nepa/grandfather/globe/globe.htm.