Join WNCA and others who love our public lands from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. July 10 at the Crowne Plaza Resort in downtown Asheville. The meeting is part of the ongoing Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Plan Revision and will focus on the areas outlined below.
In each section, we have also listed the concerns that WNCA’s Public Lands program staff would like to see addressed during each session.
We hope you’ll join us on July 10 and have your say about the future of these precious National Forests!
Wildlife Session (9-11:30 a.m.)
· The Forest Service has been narrowly focused on wildlife species that benefit from human disturbance, such as logging;
· A more inclusive consideration of wildlife and wildlife needs is needed to have a balanced plan;
· There are many rare species that prefer mature forest – these species are just as important as those that prefer young forests;
· Aquatic species need the same level of attention as terrestrial species;
· Of particular concern are species, like salamanders, that can’t move long distances.
Wild and Scenic River Session (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
· Wild and Scenic Designation protects the water quality and scenery of rivers and streams;
· Eligible Rivers, such as the Nolichucky, should be recommended for designation;
· Other streams, like Santeetlah Creek, that meet Wild and Scenic criteria should be added to the list of eligible streams;
Ecological Integrity Session (1 – 3:30 p.m.)
· Ecological integrity is a key component of the 2012 Forest Service Planning Rule;
· Ecological integrity is defined as “the ability of an ecological system to support and maintain a community of organisms that has species composition, diversity, and functional organization comparable to those of natural habitats within a region.” [The Nature Conservancy 2003];
· “Plans will include plan components to maintain or restore ecological integrity, so that ecosystems can resist change, are resilient under changing conditions, and are able to recover from disturbance.” [2012 Planning Rule];
· Providing for connectivity of natural habitats by preventing or reducing fragmentation caused by roads and development is an important concept of ecological integrity, as is protecting core forest areas, like roadless portions of our National Forest;
· Protecting riparian forests and wetlands and eliminating artificial barriers, like culverts and dams, is important to the ecological integrity of aquatic systems;
· The strongest tool for protecting ecological integrity in the Forest Service planning rule is requiring the Forest Service to define the Natural Range of Variation of ecosystems on each forest;
· The Natural Range of Variation describes the range of conditions expected from natural ecosystems and is a dynamic concept that allows ecosystem changes that are not artificial.
For more information, contact
Public Lands Biologist Josh Kelly at Josh@WNCA.org
You can also learn more about the Forest Plan Revision process and get further details about the July 10 meeting here.