By MICHAEL DiNUNZIO
A Press-Republican editorial Jan. 5, "Get our forests healthy again," provoked a collective groan from everyone who recognized it as a well-intentioned, but sadly misinformed, attempt to promote the health of state-owned forestlands in the Adirondack Park. Instead of achieving its purpose, the editorial served to confuse the public and played into the hands of those who would undermine more than a century of "forever wild" protection that has made New York's 3 million-acre Forest Preserve one of the great ecological treasures of the world.
What the editorial failed to mention is that, with minor exceptions, virtually all public forestlands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks are, by legal definition, part of the Forest Preserve. Consequently, they are protected by an 1894 provision of the State Constitution, now labeled Article XIV, which states that lands within the preserve shall "forever be kept as wild forest lands" and that the timber on them shall not be "sold, removed, or destroyed."
Thanks to the strict constitutional protection afforded the Forest Preserve, this unparalleled assemblage of mountains, lakes, rivers, wetland, and vast stretches of unbroken forest are recovering from the abusive practices of the past and are now home to some of our most threatened and vulnerable communities of plants and animals, many of which do not occur elsewhere in the State. New Yorkers are justly proud of this legacy of wild nature, and for generations they have soundly defeated attempts to undermine the protective language of the Constitution in any major way.
Unfortunately, the editorial also perpetuated some tired old myths, half-truths and self-serving arguments that are trotted out whenever economic times are tough, energy prices rise and the preserve looks like a good place to raid for "free" firewood, or maple sap, or to provide needed jobs.
What isn't mentioned, of course, is that rotting trees don't make good firewood, and prunings don't make good lumber. Profitable logging requires costly roads and equipment. Timber markets can easily be depressed by a flood of raw material from mature forests like those on the preserve.
More important, the preserve is a legacy held in trust for all time. It has grown, been kept safe and has been supported with tax payments by five generations of New Yorkers who set these lands aside for the many wilderness values they provide, not for exploitation or short-term gain by special-interest groups.
Most people today know enough about conservation science to realize that unmanaged wildlands do not "suffocate new growth, providing nothing for wildlife," as the editorial states. In fact, dead and dying trees and other vegetation are vitally important components of healthy, natural forests. They recycle precious nutrients and provide food and shelter for a multitude of microbes, insects, birds, and mammals.
They also help to purify surface waters, prevent floods and erosion and store carbon that otherwise would contribute to climate change. In contrast, many of the activities associated with forest management, such as road building, soil compaction and damage to young trees and ground cover, are incompatible with the wilderness values that the Forest Preserve was established to protect and perpetuate.
Does this mean that all Adirondack forests must be protected as "forever wild?" Certainly not.
In fact, fully one-half of the park is privately owned, and for the most part, is well managed for long-term timber production and a variety of other social and economic values.
In an effort to promote long-term stewardship of private Adirondack forests and to enhance the many public and private benefits they provide, Protect the Adirondacks! (PROTECT) works hand in hand with forestland owners and with local wood-using businesses to grow, harvest and market green-certified forest products under the auspices of the internationally acclaimed Forest Stewardship Council.
PROTECT currently has about 20,000 acres enrolled in this program, which supports local jobs, bolsters the regional economy, maintains native biodiversity and provides a host of other "ecosystem services" that help make the park such a special place to live, work and visit. As an added benefit, each acre of certified forestland stores about 1½ tons of carbon per year, which helps us all transition to a clean, green climate-friendly future.
Thanks to its unique mix of public and private ownerships, laws and its long history of stewardship, the Adirondack Park has become a world model of conservation on a regional scale. We now have the privilege and the duty to pass this great treasure on to our children and grandchildren as a sacred trust.
Michael DiNunzio is an ecologist with graduate degrees in botany and forestry. He is the author of the "Adirondack Wildguide," has over three decades of experience working in the Adirondack Park for governmental and environmental organizations and now serves as director of Special Projects with Protect the Adirondacks. www.protectadks.org
