Notebook: State forest audit gets high marks, raises suspicion
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Pennsylvania's state forests have been recertified as "well managed," a distinction awarded by a New York City-based company that offers independent, third-party certification of sustainable forest-management practices. The audit of state forestland was conducted during the summer of 2008.
The report specifically praised the Bureau of Forestry for maintaining a strong conservation ethic, inviting public involvement in management policies and resolving conflicts among often-diverse user groups. The evaluation team recommended increased use of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Deer Management Assistance Program, (DMAP), which is designed to help landowners manage deer on their properties by permitting hunters to shoot them outside of deer seasons.
Some hunters, however, suspect that achieving "forest certification," and top prices for European sale of Pennsylvania timber, is the underlying motivation behind the Game Commission's deer management program, which has intentionally reduced the number of browsing white-tailed deer in some areas.
One group, Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, posted the following on its Web site:
"We have all heard the complaining from the timber industry regarding the alleged adverse affects that deer have on the forests, and on the timber industry," writes USP board chariman Bill Miller. "It has not been acid rain, poor harvest management, or other causes. [The] culprit has always been the deer. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has certainly been a cheerleader for this industry group. This was always a bit difficult to accept as a single cause of mediocre forests in Pennsylvania. Now, after reading a new brochure from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture entitled 'Pennsylvania Hardwoods for the World,' I suggest that the claims against the deer herd should be discarded."
The site excerpts statistics touting the quality of Pennsylvania hardwood.
In a DCNR press release, State Forester Daniel Devlin said the positive certification is evidence of the "long-term health and sustainability" of the state forests.
"Just as recycled products have become common in the marketplace, many environmentally conscious timber consumers look for 'green' wood grown in certified forests," Devlin said. "That makes this certification especially good news when you consider that our quality hardwoods help support the state's $5 billion forest products industry that employs almost 100,000 people."
Devlin said the Bureau of Forestry plans to "take a close look at all of the improvement areas noted by the certification team [and] formulate ways to address them through our management plans, guidelines and procedures."
The full state forest evaluation report is posted at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/certification.aspx. The State Forest Resource Management Plan can be found at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.
A spokesman for Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania could not be immediately reached by phone.
The Board of Game Commissioners meets April 20-21 in Harrisburg to hear public comments and finalize proposed 2009-10 hunting and furtaking seasons and bag limits. At the meeting, the board also will set antlerless deer license allocations for the counties.
First Published March 29, 2009 12:00 am
