Misguided environmentalists actually hurting wildlife here

by Don Mallicoat

published January 24, 2008 12:15 am

The front-page article, “Development puts 10 WNC bird species in danger” (AC-T, Dec. 10), was reporting on the 2007 Watch List published by The Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy including species such as the golden-winged warbler that require disturbance-dependent habitat for their survival. Development plays a role in the loss of habitat, but there is a larger culprit that needs to be addressed. First though, we need to connect the dots.

This Watch List is the third in a series of dots from the sponsoring organizations. The first dot was when the American Bird Conservancy issued a report in 2007 that named loss of early successional Eastern deciduous forest as we have in WNC as one of 20 Most Threatened Bird Habitats. Early successional habitat, or forest disturbance, is essential for the golden-winged warbler and others of the birds in danger.

Seeing a pattern

The second dot comes from the other sponsor of the Watch List, the National Audubon Society, which listed the ruffed grouse in its Top 20 Common Birds in Decline. Grouse numbers throughout their range are down 54 percent. What are the habitat needs of the ruffed grouse? They are birds of forest edges and need, you guessed it, early successional habitat. Am I the only one who sees a pattern to these dots?

It’s easy to blame rampant development and big corporations for loss of bird habitat. Yes, they are part of the problem with loss of habitat on private land. However, we have more than 1 million acres of national and state forest land in the region that should be able to compensate. We all enjoy the beauty of our mountain forests. So why isn’t there sufficient habitat there for these birds?

Here is where dot four comes in the form of a report commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and conducted by the highly regarded Pinchot Institute that certifies private forests for sustainability. The report was released in November and the most notable finding by the auditors was that the USFS is not cutting enough trees on our national forests. The audit states, “In all cases, harvests did not reach levels necessary to achieve a future condition reflecting their social, economic and ecological goals.”

So what does this last one have to do with bird habitat? Well, timber harvests are the primary tool of the USFS to establish early successional forest habitat. By most accounts, our national forests are about 1 percent early successional habitat when the goal is 10 percent. Closer to home, in a recent proposal to create wildlife habitat in the Shope Creek area of Pisgah National Forest northeast of Asheville, none of the forest in that area is currently early successional habitat. So how did our forests get in such a deplorable state for wildlife?

Not real conservationists

You can primarily thank environmental organizations, some locally headquartered, for that. Every time the Forest Service attempts to harvest hardwood timber from the national forests in the mountains, these groups, disguised as conservationists, use procedural appeals to stop the project. They recently appealed the Globe Project near Blowing Rock, where the USFS plans partial harvests on 1 percent of 11,000 acres. Their vocal protests were based on destroying the view from gated communities near Blowing Rock and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Is it too much to give 1 percent for wildlife habitat? Their misguided efforts depend on an uninformed populace to support their mantra, “Don’t cut the trees.”

Well guess what? You have to cut trees to establish early successional habitat for the golden-winged warbler, ruffed grouse, and other wildlife. Prescribed fire won’t do it, not in a hardwood forest.

Minnesota’s example

I had the opportunity to hunt in national forests in Minnesota this autumn. There are a lot of grouse. They also cut trees. These beautiful forests are a patchwork of diverse habitat. There is also varied recreational use. We routinely walked snowmobile, cross-country ski and hiking trails while hunting. The national forests in our mountains can similarly maintain their natural beauty while providing both wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.

The dots are connected. Whether you enjoy the golden beauty of the warbler or thunderous explosion of the ruffed grouse, it is time for real conservationists to listen to the professionals in the Forest Service and Pinchot Institute when it comes to providing a home for wildlife. Preserving a renewable resource like trees to maintain a human vista at the expense of a home for wildlife is a losing position for those who enjoy our forests.

Don Mallicoat is a regional director for the Ruffed Grouse Society and an avid outdoorsman. He can be reached at rgsdonm@outdrs.net.