As has been reported, Wild Turkey Federation wildlife biologist Cully McCurdy says the economic study by Downstream Strategies (DS), which claimed an increase of 143 jobs after "National Monument" designation for the Cranberry Wilderness and surrounding areas in Monongahela National Forest in Pocahontas County (75,000 acres), was based on dated and questionable information from an historically unprecedented - and largely failed - BLM campaign to increase tourism during the Clinton Administration. McCurdy’s scientific opinion is that the DS study is subjective, biased, and "not the least bit accurate." DS founder Fritz Boettner’s response is that the study was prepared with the best data available.

During this year's regular legislative session, state lawmakers reacted to the recent chemical leak that affected the potable water supply for a large number of West Virginia residents. A law was passed to get out in front of similar, future crises. In crafting the law, forestry community representatives sought to avoid unintended consequences that might result from ambiguous language in the fast-moving legislation. In doing so, one Section of the bill was edited to avoid requirements for "individual" permits for entities that already were regulated under "general" stormwater permits, since the law that was evolving was focused upon aboveground chemical storage tanks. The subject Section is 22-31-9. Under the law, it is the burden of the permittee - or possible permittee - to understand and comply with laws and regulations that affect their sites and/or operations.

Congressman Raul Labrador (R-ID) introduced the Future Logging Careers Act (H.R. 4590) on May 7. Then, on May 14, Sens. Risch (R-ID) and Crapo (R-ID) introduced their "Youth Careers in Logging Act," the Senate companion bill. These bills would allow the 16 and 17-year-old children of mechanized timber harvesting business owners to learn and work on the family owned business, much like the exemption allowed for ranchers and farmers by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

The American Loggers Council (ALC) initiated this effort for loggers to be allowed to employ their older children, as ranchers and farmers have for decades. The impetus is to ensure the sustainability of family owned timber harvesting businesses and seek the support of other like-minded organizations that are concerned about the loss of logging infrastructure and our industry's ability to attract and retain youth in logging careers.

WVFA has counseled with ALC on this issue and signed onto a letter, with many others in the national forestry community, in support of perpetuating family logging traditions.

Risks & Liabilities of Owning and Managing Woodland & Rural Properties
May 21
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Best Western Conference Center
100 Lodgeville Road
Bridgeport, WV 26330
Sponsor: WV Chapter Association of Consulting Foresters with support from Practicing Foresters Institute Trust

The course has been awarded 6.5 CFEs, Category 1 for foresters by the Society of American Foresters.
This one-day seminar is designed to educate owners and managers of farm, woodland, and rural properties, as well as, foresters, surveyors, land agents and other professionals who provide services to rural landowners, of the liabilities and problems that can occur in the ownership and management of rural real estate. The presenters will be experienced in the issues being discussed, will provide examples of problems they have encountered, and will be available to answer questions from the audience. Continuing Education Credits will be available for the foresters, surveyors and landmen attending.

In our highly urbanized society, it is hard to accept that the greatest single activity in creating the rural landscape of the United States has been the removal of the original forest. This is also true for West Virginia. Forests were so common that no one bothered to write about them, let alone collect statistics; so the extent of the forest and the amount of clearing went unrecorded until census reports after 1850. Standing timber was an overabundant pollutant. Cleared land was worth much more than land with trees.

The West Virginia Forestry Association office will be closed on Monday, May 26 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. The office will reopen, as usual, on Tuesday, May 27.