“This forest management plan was supposed to be a framework for long-term sustainability of our national forests and carbon storage but instead puts wildlife habitats and old-growth areas at an increased risk, catering to new roads that will increase water pollution and habitat fragmentation.”
“Gifford Pinchot himself pinned it many decades ago in declaring that he doubted that future foresters would truly understand the diverse ecosystems of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in their management decisions.”
“Right now, the U.S. Forest Service is drafting the next forest management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests … and, unfortunately, the current draft is inadequate in a few very important ways when it comes to protecting water quality.”
For the first time in 23 years, the U.S. Forest Service is revising its management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, and some participants in the long, drawn-out process say it could be going better.
“Unfortunately, the evaluation released by the Forest Service reduces the total acreage eligible for wilderness recommendation in the new forest plan by more than 80 percent. “
