New federal plan could open parts of western NC forests to logging
AND THE WRAL APP ON YOUR TV OR
STREAMING DEVICE. NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND KNOWN
FOR THAT REASON. A PART OF THE
ROLLING VIEWS. THESE TREES ARE
PART OF THE NANA HALA AND
PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST AND
BETWEEN THEM.
>> THEY COVER MORE THAN A
MILLION ACRES IN 18 COUNTIES IN
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. THE
NEXT FEW DAYS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WILL ANNOUNCE ITS
LATEST MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE
FOREST. WRO CAPITOL BUREAU
CHIEF LAURA LESLIE REPORTS TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF OLD
GROWTH FOREST COULD BE OPEN
FOR LOG.
>> IDENTIFY AS I FEEL CALM.
YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN
THAT LOGGING IS ALLOWED AND
NATIONAL FOREST. BUT AS PART OF
THE REASON THEY WERE CREATED
MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO, I'M
LIKE NATIONAL PARKS WHICH ARE
PROTECTED UNDER THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL FORESTS ARE UNDER THE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
ONE OF THE STATUTORY PURPOSES
FOR HAVING NATIONAL FOREST.
THIS GOES BACK TO THE VERY
BEGINNING.
>> PUBLIC PLANS AND THE IN THE
U.S. IT IS FOR TIMBER HARVEST.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN
A PART OF NATIONAL FOREST
MANAGEMENT SINCE THE BEGINNING.
SAM EVANS IS AN ATTORNEY AT THE
SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
CENTER. ONE OF THE MANY GROUPS
WHO OBJECTED TO A U.S. FOREST
SERVICE PROPOSAL TO ALLOW MORE
LOGGING IN THE OLD GROWTH AREAS
OF THE NET. A LEFTIST OF
FOREST.
>> IT'S PART OF THE LATEST FOR
US PLANT, WHICH IS A BLUEPRINT
FOR HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
INTENDS TO MANAGE IT. SO THIS
>> BESIDES THE NEXT 3 WHERE
THE LOGGING WILL OCCUR, HOW
MUCH WILL OCCUR AND WHAT PLACES
WILL BE PROTECTED? WILL HARLAN
WITH THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY SAYS NAT A LEFTIST?
THE IS THE MOST POPULAR
NATIONAL FOREST IN THE COUNTRY.
>> HE SAYS HIS GROUP DOESN'T
OPPOSE ALL LOGGING, BUT THE
LATEST PLAN WOULD PUT 45,000
ACRES OF OLD GROWTH FOREST AT
RISK, INCLUDING SOME OF THE
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY IS MOST
FAMOUS VEST AS LIKE CRAGGY
SCENIC OVERLOOK THOUSANDS OF
MILES OF HIKING AND BIKING
TRAILS ARE ATTRACTING MILLIONS
OF VISITORS.
>> WATERFALL WONDERLAND, SAND
RARE SPECIES. THIS IS A GLOBAL
BIODIVERSITY. HOTSPOT. SO WHEN
YOU PUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS
TOGETHER, THIS FOR US IS FAR
MORE VALUABLE STANDING THEN CUT
DOWN. HOWEVER, IT'S ALSO
VALUABLE TO THE TIMBER INDUSTRY
IN WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA.
>> JOHN HATCHER WITH THE NC
FORESTRY ASSOCIATION SAYS IN
THE PAST THE FOREST SUPPORTED
LOGGING JOBS. BUT IN RECENT
DECADES, NATIONAL FOREST
MANAGERS HAVE ALLOWED FEWER
TREES TO BE CUT. A LOT OF
BUSINESSES.
>> A
LOT OF INDUSTRIES THAT GO OUT
OF BUSINESS DUE TO THAT LACK OF
HARVESTING THE NATIONAL FOR
HATTERAS AS THE NET TO HELP HIS
THE FOREST CAN EASILY SUPPORT
A BALANCE OF RECREATION
CONSERVATION AND TIMBER
HARVESTING.
>> HE SAYS MANAGE LOGGING CAN
ALSO HELP LOWER THE RISK OF
DISEASE AND CATASTROPHIC
WILDFIRE. THIS IS NOT A RIGHT
TO SERVE.
>> JUST HARVESTING TIMBER FOR
THE SAKE OF DRIVING A CROSSING
AND LATE IN THE LANDSCAPE.
VERY BEST THAT FURTHER FROM
THE TRUTH. MAYBE IT SHOULD BE A
GOOD PART OF SYSTEM.
LAURA LESLIE WRAL, NEWS,
RALEIGH.
>> THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE
DECLINED SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR
AN INTERVIEW. THIS PLAN HAS
BEEN DELAYED SEVERAL YEARS DUE
TO THE PANDEMIC AND THE RECORD
NUMBER OF PUBLIC OBJECTIONS TO
THE DRAFT PROPOSAL. THE FINAL