A Webinar From Carolina Public Press Feb. 20, 2015

INSIDE THE NATIONAL FORESTS

Jack Igelman, Contributing Reporter

Photos: Mike Belleme/Carolina Public Press

! WNC’s two national forests (1.1 million acres)

! One plan covers both forests ! Covers 18 WNC counties ! Last plan revised and updated

in 1994

PISGAH-NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST PLAN REVISION

! National Parks = Preservation & Conservation ! National Forests = Multi-use

! Recreation (hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting, boating, camping, fishing, etc…)

! Cultural and historic resources ! Resource harvesting and extraction

! Timber ! Traditional resources ! Minerals ! Natural gas

! Rural economic development ! Water quality

NATIONAL FORESTS VS. NATIONAL PARKS

! 1905 USFS created ! 1911 Weeks Act ! 1916 Pisgah N.F. ! 1920 Nantahala N.F. ! 1976 National Forest

Management Act ! 1987 Pisgah-Nantahala Plan ! 1994 Plan amended ! 2012 Planning Rule

FOREST PLANNING HISTORY

!  Establishes forest-wide use goals and objectives & future desired conditions

!  Establishes forest-wide management requirements for resources (timber, wilderness, recreation, water, natural areas, etc…)

!  Establishes management areas ! Makes recommendations for wilderness, wild and scenic rivers

and other special areas !  Establishes monitoring and evaluation requirements !  National Environmental Policy Act requires an environmental

impact statement !  Requires public participation

WHAT’S A FOREST PLAN

2012 PLANNING RULE

! New guidelines directing revision process

! Emphasizes science, collaboration, and public involvement

! Three phases: ! Phase 1: Assessment (11/12 –

3/14) ! Phase 2: Planning (3/14 – 8/16) ! Phase 3: Monitoring

! 3 to 4 years ! Budget: $2 - $4 million ! Public engagement

WHO USES THE FOREST

Recreation

Hikers Scenic viewing Bicycling Fishing Hunting Backpacking Other

photo credit: Harrison Shull Data: National Visitor Use Monitoring Survey (07-08)

! 2,245 miles of roads (90%+ are closed to vehicles) ! 12.5 miles of road created from ‘01 to ‘11 ! Road uses:

! Search and rescue ! Wildfire ! Forest management ! Resource extraction

! A backlog of repairs (surface and culvert replacement)

ROADS

! Wilderness advocates !  None added to NC since 1984 ! Wilderness groups seek 80,000+ acres on

12 sites & 200,000+ acres of rec. areas

! Wildlife advocates !  Desire more timber management for early

successional habitat (ESH) !  Fewer designations to restrict management

!  Controversial management proposal of 700,000 acres (Nov. ‘14)

!  River and stream protection !  Energy infrastructure: wind, pipelines,

etc…

ENVIRONMENT

CHANGING RURAL ECONOMY

-80%

-60%

-40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Total Emp. For. & fish. rel.

Man. Arts, ent., recreation

% change in employment ‘01 – ‘11

Southwest High Country W. Piedmont

Source: Regional Economic Information System, Bureau of Economic Analysis

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Timber Travel & Tourism (private)

Agriculture Manufacturing

Southwest High Country Piedmont

% EMPLOYMENT BY SECTOR, 2011

!  What is the value of wilderness and other recreational resources?

!  County commissions against wilderness.

!  Does forest planning favor local interests versus national interests?

!  Is the process too short? Too long? Underfunded?

!  Challenge of managing a common resource; how do you assign confl icting property r ights; resources used to acquire them.

!  Implications for other forest plans !  Final P-N forest plan decision (Late

‘16) !  Energy infrastructure !  Proposals for new eligible wild and

scenic r ivers. !  Evaluation of the USFS

FINDING THE STORY

!  Plan revision is managed by National Forests of North Carolina supervisor’s office, Asheville !  Kristin Bail, Supervisor !  Stevin Westcott, Public affairs

!  Pisgah-Nantahala revision web site

!  Plan assessment document and supplemental reports

! WNC Vitality Index !  NC Dept. of Commerce !  U.S. Census

RESOURCES & DATA

!  FOR NORTH CAROLINA’S NATIONAL FORESTS: !  JACK IGELMAN

!  JACK@IGELMAN.COM !  828-216-0888

!  CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS FOREST LOOKOUTS SERIES http://www.carolinapublicpress.org/category/special-reports/forest-lookouts-wncs-national-forests

!  FOR TRAINING & EVENTS FROM CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS: !  ANGIE NEWSOME

!  ANEWSOME@CAROLINAPUBLICPRESS.ORG !  828-279-0949

CONTACT INFORMATION