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terrain May/June 2022
Congressional mandate. But it's not carte blanche. A lot of environmental regulations are put on it." The larger trees that are vigorous should be left behind, Pohlman says, but observers like Stearns and Wallace say that's not what they see. Logging Projects in the Pipeline The Forest Service is currently managing five different logging projects, some still in bidding stages, and totaling about 8,900 acres. Pohlman says these will occur over the course of many years and could average 1,000 acres per year. The agency also oversees several thousand acres of prescribed burning annually. He says the timber cutting overall has "a small effect on the carbon sink. It's difficult to measure or quantify. Meanwhile, there's the benefit to habitat, diversity of species [if more oak trees are growing]. There's a whole equation to consider. To make a huge difference [for climate change], we probably need to look at areas that aren't forests now. We look at it as a pretty good carbon sink now, with some pretty good climate benefits." Still, that's not enough for Stearns and Wallace. The two have sued the Forest Service a couple of times, which gets expensive. Instead, they're taking a different path: a campaign to convert Shawnee National Forest into a national park. This will take, literally, an act of Congress, moving the management of Shawnee from the Forest Service, which is under the US Department of Agriculture, to the Department of the Interior. It's no easy feat, but the two remain optimistic. Wallace wants to see the Shawnee established not only as a national park but also as the nation's first climate preserve" that allows for uses such as hunting, trapping, dispersed camping, and a few other activities that recreationists currently enjoy in the Shawnee National Forest but that are not permitted in national parks. Parks deal only with preservation and recreation, but the Forest Service manages mining, oil and gas drilling, and logging. We need to protect the best mechanism we have for capturing carbon - our forests. We need them for carbon sequestration and carbon storage. Public land is the best way to do it," Wallace said. "We have very few national parks in this area. We need more."
Learn More About Logging in Shawnee National Forest
Watch the Film Trailer Get a sneak peek at Shawnee Showdown: Keep the Forest Standing at vimeo.com/619337732. Free Guided Tours Visit areas of Shawnee that have been logged in the past, and areas that are slated for logging soon. Contact Sam Stearns at bellsmithsprings@hotmail.com. Shawnee Forest Defense Stay up to date on the fight to protect Shawnee and sign a petition to stop future logging at shawneeforestdefense.info. Shawnee National Forest Headquarters For general information about Shawnee National Forest, call 618-253-7114 or visit fs.usda.gov/shawnee.
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Shawnee's famed Garden of the Gods is protected from logging. (TERRI WATERS)
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