Written Statement
September 10, 2003
Goods From The Woods
14125 Hwy C.
Licking, Mo. 6554
Sierra Nevada Framework 2
Discussion Points:
System sickness due to historical land uses,
Bio-diversity, health and restoration values
Relationship "Healthy Forest Agenda" and Quincy Library Group;
Background:
I work with pinyon pine nuts
harvested in Nevada, species p.monophylla, My company, Goods From The Woods,
has first hand familiarity with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest where
my pine nuts are harvested. Additionally, I have followed QLG for several
years and am familiar with the Oakridge studies on forest fuel biomass, together
with many reports prepared on underutilized woodlands. I familiar with land
management policies in the region and can discuss output-oriented science,
which is contributing to the derogation of National Forest Lands. Additionally,
I live in the Ozark Forest and work with special forest products from that
eco-system. Finally, having spent 7 years in the costal rain forests of Alaska,
I can see parallels between land use and forest health in each of these systems.
Discussion
The top of the forest systems
(trees) were indiscriminately extracted; the lands became ill. We developed
a restoration value based in timber, and lost the systems that support forest
health. Forests became unnatural and we have problems. Extraction and manipulation
of these environment have created an imbalance, which is giving rise to unhealthy
conditions.
While fire suppression may be a contributing factor to forest health, the
true key to forest health remains unaddressed. I have spent two years looking
for any major research addressing the relationship between bio-diversity
and wild fire. I have found none.. In last two years, I have yet to find
serious consideration of the role bio-diversity plays in wildfire.
From 1960 - the mid 70's, over 3,000,000 acres of pinyon
were deforested to create grazing land, under the auspices of "freeing ground
water" in the Southwest. It is important to note, these are trees requiring
150 - 200 years to reach seed bearing maturity and represent a major source
of food for the most of the creatures that reside or migrate through its
range. Twenty years later, 1998, Dr. David D. Breshears of Los Alamos Laboratories
wrote a paper on the value of pinyon shade and the role of shade in cooling
the earth. In short, it took a rocket scientist to write a dissertation on
an issue every third grader knows. Trees make shade and cool the earth. What
happens when they are removed in massive quanities?
With the pinyon
ranges there was an invasion by a highly flammable weed. This weed
dies out in early May, leaving an explosive, highly ignitable fuel source.
The cheatgrass, remnant of pinyon deforestation created a wild fire crises.
Yet, applied science fire scientist, looked only at the number of acres burning,
without giving much analysis thought beyond that.
Somewhere along the line, the QLG then creating
an industry, ordinated, outcome based solution "too many trees, too close
together” and “fire suppression fuels build up” rhetoric, evolving simultaneously
with our projected need for ethanol and bio-mass fuels. Oakridge
Laboratories began developing forest fuels set-asides to meet energy needs.
Our energy needs had meshed seamlessly into the National Fire Protection
Plan, and the Forest Health Crises. That is exactly the genesis of the Healthy
Forest Restoration, another industrialized application of our public lands,
stepped in poor, outcome based science, without any true attempt to address
the real crises in American Forests.
This ever evolving fire crises
was harkened in Nevada through the creation of massive "fuel reduction
plans", perpetuating the cheatgrass scenario, removing pinyon,
in the hopes of developing further grassland resources. The pinyon happens
to be a very fire resistant species of tree, something ignored in the applied
science justifying the "treatments". In reality, many elk were being imported
into the region, and more grass lands sought. Revenues in excess of $35,000
may be attributed to the local communities in a single trophy sized animal.
A BLM plan in Ely Nevada proposes to treat 860,000 acres
of pinyon (fuels reduction) without consideration of the age of the trees
or the production of pine nuts. Only about 2% of pinyon in Nevada are of
proper seed bearing age at any given time,. These mature seed bearing trees,
then cone and produce seed on a 5 year cycle. This huge landscape plan dismissed
pine nut production as a matter of climate and beyond its consideration.
Once again, the pinyon is major source of
food for all the system’s dependants, as well as migrating birds. Yet, "out-come
based" land use, drives policy and management.
I could continue at length discussing the failures created
by our short sighted solutions. Our pickers tell us, before the pinyon trees
were removed, the mountains made their own rain, and they did not have to
wait for rain from the oceans. Also, Native Americans pruned the lower branches
of the trees, removing the flash fuels from this highly fire resistant tree
species. Yet, this concept has never been explored in land planing for the
region. Rather, fire management funding has created an onslaught of pinyon
treatment plans, which are further perpetuating the crises.
Finally, there exists no commutative record of the land
treatments by land managers. I cannot image trying to restore a system, without
assessing the scope of what has been done to the land, and the complete role
of landscape alteration through extractive and industrialized uses, including
the cattle industry.
Summary
In as much, I can trace the current proposed"Health Forests"
policy/solution to the Sierra Nevada Framework plan, and the work of the
QLG, I respectfully ask that the no action alternative be chosen. First and
foremost, health requires balance in systems.
Our failure to restore bio divesity to the lands represents output-oriented
management. We are changing the Earth's ability to substation life, as we
lessen the life forms which it supports. If we are going to go forward with
caring for the land, we must look at our mistakes. We must restore systems,
rather than perpetuate industry oriented treatments. We need to advert future
crises, through understanding the shortcomings of applied science driven
by value added policy. We need to care for our bio-diversity as major
value, indeed it represents the ability to sustain life.
While I cite primarily from my experience with the pinyon,
these same factors exists in each forest system, where I have lived and worked.
It is time to truly reconsider the meaning of "Protect The Land and Serve
The People." The road to health is not a quick fix solution. Please chose
the no action alternative. In the event, I can provide further information,
please do not hesitate to call upon me. Thank you.
Thank you,
Penny Frazier
Goods From The Woods
14125 Hwy C
Licking MO. 65542
573-674-4567
www.pinenut.com
penny@pinenut.com
Faxed 801-517-1014
emailed:
snfpa@fs.fed.us
Wed, 10 Sep 2003 08:51:09 -0500