Chaz
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
- Messages
- 8,451
Protect Wilderness Trout Streams -
Stop the South Branch Kinzua Creek Project !
Deadline: November 26, 2007
The Forest Service is proposing to log nearly 2,900 acres in the South
Branch Kinzua Creek watershed. South Branch Kinzua Creek is a
state-designated "Wilderness Trout Stream." Wilderness Trout Stream
management "is based upon the provision of a wild trout fishing experience
in a remote, natural and unspoiled environment where man's disruptive
activities are minimized. Established in 1969, this option was designed
to protect and promote native (brook trout) fisheries, the ecological
requirements necessary for natural reproduction of trout and wilderness
aesthetics. The superior quality of these watersheds is considered an
important part of the overall angling experience on wilderness trout
streams. Therefore, all stream sections included in this program qualify
for the Exceptional Value (EV) special protected water use classification,
which represents the highest protection status provided by the Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP)."
The Forest Service mischaracterizes Pennsylvania's definition for
Wilderness Trout Stream management. For instance, the Forest Service
claims that all streams, including Wilderness Trout Streams, "should be
managed in a way that maintains and/or propagates fish species as well as
flora and fauna, which are indigenous to a cold-water habitat." This does
not accurately reflect the state's definition. Clearly, logging nearly
3,000 acres within this watershed is contrary to the principles of
Wilderness Trout Stream management as it fails to promote a "wild trout
fishing experience in a remote, natural and unspoiled environment where
man's disruptive activities are minimized." This project is also sure to
affect the "ecological requirements necessary for natural reproduction of
trout and wilderness aesthetics."
Over half of the logging is even-aged, where the Forest Service promotes
naturally rare but commercially valuable species such as black cherry to
the detriment of native forest diversity. In its promotion of
commercially valuable species, the Forest Service plans to spray nearly
1,000 acres of this Wilderness Trout Stream watershed with herbicides in
order to kill vegetation that competes with black cherry and other
valuable hardwoods. This is not forest management - it is industrial tree
farming.
Please contact the Forest Service and tell them to withdraw the South
Branch Kinzua Creek project.
Rob Fallon, District Ranger
Marienville Ranger District
Allegheny National Forest
HC 2 Box 130
Marienville, PA 16239
rfallon@fs.fed.us
***SAMPLE LETTER*** Please rewrite it
Dear Ranger Fallon,
I oppose road construction and commercial logging activities in the South
Branch Kinzua Creek watershed. South Branch Kinzua Creek is designated by
Pennsylvania as a Wilderness Trout Stream. As such, South Branch Kinzua
Creek is to be managed "based upon the provision of a wild trout fishing
experience in a remote, natural and unspoiled environment where man's
disruptive activities are minimized." Road construction, logging, and
herbicide spraying is contrary to the preservation and requirements of the
Wilderness Trout Stream designation.
There is no need to log 2,900 acres and spray herbicides on nearly 1,000
acres in order to manage this watershed. This kind of management reduces
native forest diversity by promoting the naturally rare black cherry over
all other forest uses and values. Additionally, road construction
activities contribute to erosion and sedimentation of streams and further
fragmentation of wildlife habitat and the Forest Service has failed to
analyze total maximum daily loadings in this Wilderness Trout Stream.
The Allegheny is being seriously degraded from road construction
activities associated with private oil and gas development. The Forest
Service must do two things. First, it needs to strictly regulate oil and
gas drilling, including preparing environmental assessments with
opportunities for public comment. Second, while the Forest Service
implements a new strategy to regulate oil and gas drilling, the Forest
Service must off-set these impacts by reducing its impact on the forest.
The first step would be to prohibit all new earth disturbance activities
until the Forest Service has a clear process on how to manage the oil and
gas situation. Quite simply, the Forest Service has no time for any other
management concerns as even it stated recently in the revised Forest Plan
that oil and gas drilling is the single greatest land use change
threatening the Allegheny National Forest.
Please withdraw the South Branch Kinzua Creek project and implement a
restoration strategy for the Allegheny National Forest as outlined by the
Allegheny Defense Project's Allegheny Wild! proposal.
Sincerely,
___________________________
--
Ryan Talbott
Forest Watch Coordinator
Allegheny Defense Project
311 Pitt Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15221
www.alleghenydefense.org
rtalbott@alleghenydefense.org
Dick Martin
Coordinator
www.PaForestCoalition.org
Stop the South Branch Kinzua Creek Project !
Deadline: November 26, 2007
The Forest Service is proposing to log nearly 2,900 acres in the South
Branch Kinzua Creek watershed. South Branch Kinzua Creek is a
state-designated "Wilderness Trout Stream." Wilderness Trout Stream
management "is based upon the provision of a wild trout fishing experience
in a remote, natural and unspoiled environment where man's disruptive
activities are minimized. Established in 1969, this option was designed
to protect and promote native (brook trout) fisheries, the ecological
requirements necessary for natural reproduction of trout and wilderness
aesthetics. The superior quality of these watersheds is considered an
important part of the overall angling experience on wilderness trout
streams. Therefore, all stream sections included in this program qualify
for the Exceptional Value (EV) special protected water use classification,
which represents the highest protection status provided by the Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP)."
The Forest Service mischaracterizes Pennsylvania's definition for
Wilderness Trout Stream management. For instance, the Forest Service
claims that all streams, including Wilderness Trout Streams, "should be
managed in a way that maintains and/or propagates fish species as well as
flora and fauna, which are indigenous to a cold-water habitat." This does
not accurately reflect the state's definition. Clearly, logging nearly
3,000 acres within this watershed is contrary to the principles of
Wilderness Trout Stream management as it fails to promote a "wild trout
fishing experience in a remote, natural and unspoiled environment where
man's disruptive activities are minimized." This project is also sure to
affect the "ecological requirements necessary for natural reproduction of
trout and wilderness aesthetics."
Over half of the logging is even-aged, where the Forest Service promotes
naturally rare but commercially valuable species such as black cherry to
the detriment of native forest diversity. In its promotion of
commercially valuable species, the Forest Service plans to spray nearly
1,000 acres of this Wilderness Trout Stream watershed with herbicides in
order to kill vegetation that competes with black cherry and other
valuable hardwoods. This is not forest management - it is industrial tree
farming.
Please contact the Forest Service and tell them to withdraw the South
Branch Kinzua Creek project.
Rob Fallon, District Ranger
Marienville Ranger District
Allegheny National Forest
HC 2 Box 130
Marienville, PA 16239
rfallon@fs.fed.us
***SAMPLE LETTER*** Please rewrite it
Dear Ranger Fallon,
I oppose road construction and commercial logging activities in the South
Branch Kinzua Creek watershed. South Branch Kinzua Creek is designated by
Pennsylvania as a Wilderness Trout Stream. As such, South Branch Kinzua
Creek is to be managed "based upon the provision of a wild trout fishing
experience in a remote, natural and unspoiled environment where man's
disruptive activities are minimized." Road construction, logging, and
herbicide spraying is contrary to the preservation and requirements of the
Wilderness Trout Stream designation.
There is no need to log 2,900 acres and spray herbicides on nearly 1,000
acres in order to manage this watershed. This kind of management reduces
native forest diversity by promoting the naturally rare black cherry over
all other forest uses and values. Additionally, road construction
activities contribute to erosion and sedimentation of streams and further
fragmentation of wildlife habitat and the Forest Service has failed to
analyze total maximum daily loadings in this Wilderness Trout Stream.
The Allegheny is being seriously degraded from road construction
activities associated with private oil and gas development. The Forest
Service must do two things. First, it needs to strictly regulate oil and
gas drilling, including preparing environmental assessments with
opportunities for public comment. Second, while the Forest Service
implements a new strategy to regulate oil and gas drilling, the Forest
Service must off-set these impacts by reducing its impact on the forest.
The first step would be to prohibit all new earth disturbance activities
until the Forest Service has a clear process on how to manage the oil and
gas situation. Quite simply, the Forest Service has no time for any other
management concerns as even it stated recently in the revised Forest Plan
that oil and gas drilling is the single greatest land use change
threatening the Allegheny National Forest.
Please withdraw the South Branch Kinzua Creek project and implement a
restoration strategy for the Allegheny National Forest as outlined by the
Allegheny Defense Project's Allegheny Wild! proposal.
Sincerely,
___________________________
--
Ryan Talbott
Forest Watch Coordinator
Allegheny Defense Project
311 Pitt Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15221
www.alleghenydefense.org
rtalbott@alleghenydefense.org
Dick Martin
Coordinator
www.PaForestCoalition.org
