ORIGIN OF RESOLUTION:

Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters

Southern Group of State Foresters

ISSUE OF CONCERN:

Establishment and Management of forests under USDA Conservation Programs

BACKGROUND:

Over the past several years, new guidelines for the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetland Reserve Program have been issued which discourage the planting of forest stands, and encourage the creation of forest edge habitat through the planting of thin, understocked stands of trees and shrubs. Many of these low-density plantings fail or perform poorly. This reflects poorly on the forestry profession and is a poor investment of public and private funds.

In addition, the Farm Services Agency of USDA adopted rules which required premature thinnings of stands planted under CRP. This rule would have forced landowners to make uneconomical, precommercial thinnings of stands planted under CRP, much earlier than their original contracts called for. The FSA adopted these rules at the urging of interest groups ostensibly interested in improving wildlife habitat, while the fact is the practices recommended will provide only marginally better habitat which would have developed after commercial thinnings as well. This problem was partially resolved through administrative action on the part of FSA, but not until after substantial pressure from the State Foresters. CRP is not implemented with enough flexibility to allow forest managers to make appropriate site-specific recommendations regarding which tree species are appropriate.

CRP requirements to thin established forest plantings to create openings is also an inflexible standard that is inappropriate in certain regions. This emphasis runs counter to the need to establish solid forest cover in the Midwest, Lake States, and Northeastern United States.

Establishment rates (i.e. - trees/acre) below basic reforestation rates fail or perform poorly at landowner and taxpayer expense. Thinning young established plantings below acceptable reforestation stocking levels produces poor wildlife benefits in an already edge-rich environment. Current CRP and WRP environmental benefits indexes and guidelines favor these practices over the establishment and maintenance of forests and forest habitats. There is not a shortage of forest edge habitat and there is a growing concern over loss of interior forests. These practices are unsound public and private investments.

RESOLUTION:

The membership directs the NASF Resource Management Committee, the Washington Office, and encourages the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry Staff to work with the USDA FSA and NRCS to change the environmental benefits index and practice guidelines for CRP and WRP practices which currently promote low stocking, edge habitat development, and off-site tree planting. These indices and guidelines should be adjusted to promote forest wildlife habitat no less than open wildlife habitat.

NASF and the UDSA Forest Service State and Private Forestry must have active representation during development of USDA policy affecting forest regeneration and forest conservation (including CRP, WRP, EQIP, WHIP, and FIP).

NASF ACTION:

( X ) Approved

DATE OF ACTION: 9/22/99