PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Allegheny Defense Project releases report on future of national forest
by Andy Mulkerin Thursday, May. 29, 2003 at 12:33 PM
andybot@indypgh.org (email address validated)

The Allegheny Defense Project today released a report on the state of the Allegheny National Forest and recommendations for its future.

The Allegheny Defense Project has proposed a new vision for the Allegeny National Forest in Northwestern PA, issuing a white paper report today reccommending specific changes in land use in the only National Forest in Pennsylvania.

The report, called "Allegheny Wild! A Citizen's Alternative for the Allegheny National Forest," asserts that the role of the federal government in the forest has shifted away from conservation and toward resource extraction. The result, according to the ADP, is a loss of biodiversity and sustainability.

According to the ADP, over 90 percent of the ANF is open to logging, and among national forests, Allegheny has the highest rate of private gas and oil rights ownership. This is a result of a slow downward spiral that the Forest Service has descended since the original dedication of the first National Forests, which were to be kept free of logging, mining, and grazing.

The forest was created in 1923 under mandate of President Calvin Coolidge. It comprises wilderness lands in Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren counties and stands at over 500,000 acres, according to the Forest Service. It includes several waterways and fisheries and many trails.

It also hosts the Kane Experimental Forest, a research facility run by the Forest Sciences Laboratory.

In addition to recreation and research, though, the forest is host to a great deal of logging. Many hardwoods are abundant in the area, especially black cherry, which is valuable on the market. According to the Forest Service, in 2001, 13.7 million board feet of wood was sold from the forest.

There are also about 6,000 oil and gas wells working in the ANF right now, using about 5,000 acres of the forest.

The ANF is currently undergoing Forest Plan Revision, which means that the Forest Service is taking public comment. In August, public workshops will be held to discuss the direction of the forest.

The ADP is looking to mobilize citizens around their plan for the forest,as outlined in the "Allegheny Wild!" paper. The plan eliminates logging in the forest, as has been done in the Caribbean National Forest. It also phases out oil and gas well drilling over a course of 30 years. It recommends the allotment of 45,000 more acres of wilderness land in the forest.

The "Allegheny Wild!" report can be found at
http://www.alleghenydefense.org/alleghenywild/paper.htm

More information on the ANF can be found at
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/allegheny/

More information on the ADP can be found at
http://www.alleghenydefense.org

www.alleghenydefense.org

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