California: Mismanaged Arcata forest honored for “great” mangement

A month ago I took a walk in Arcata forest. It’d been 8 years since I
argued that their management plan was degrading the landscape. I never
cease to be amazed how people act like any management that doesn’t
clear-cut is good management. But truth is you can destroy a forest’s
ability to grow not by cutting every tree but by destroying it’s
soils. And the soil compaction rates that I’ve seen in this forest are
off the charts. I wholeheartedly supporteded black sheep Humboldt
State Forestry Professor Rudy Becking 8 years ago when he argued that
Arcata community forest suffered too much soil compaction due to
campers / recreation. Projected tree growth rates after the first
thinnings failed to meet projections because of this and it’s total insanity to
claim further thinnings of the forest will increase tree growth
rates.

So after 8 years of over thinning their “community” forest
there are huge areas of bare dead soil that nothing grows on. Of
course thru the eyes of the unlearned it’s an ideal way to
treat the land? Or is it? –Deane

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The Arcata Community Forest is being held up as a model to guide the
formation of similar efforts in other parts of the nation. The forest,
along with others in Swan Valley, Mont. and Randolph, N.H., is
featured in a manual meant to help communities begin or complete
projects to create publicly owned forests. The manual, “Acquiring and
Managing a Community-owned Forest: A Manual for Communities,” is a
publication of the nonprofit Communities Committee, which came out of
the Seventh American Forest Congress in 1996.

Such an effort requires
developing a community vision and mission for the forest, a commitment
to sharing costs and benefits, and the creation of a structure to
govern long-term management of the forest, according to a city of
Arcata press release. The manual includes step-by-step advice on
getting started, including issues related to the broader community,
financing acquisition and long-term management, stated the release.
“There is a tremendous interest around the country in establishing and
utilizing community forests in strategies for regional conservation
and community and economic development,” said Arcata Director of
Environmental Services Mark Andre. “We are please to be featured in
the manual.” http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_11361614

— Posted to http://forestpolicyresearch.com via gmail to posterous and
also to forestpolicyresearch@yahoogroups.com

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