A local not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the health of the Finger Lakes is encouraging residents to sign a petition urging them to protect the Finger Lakes National Forest from potential increased timber logging.
Despite a local Forest Ranger saying no logging is currently planned at the forest that lies on a ridge between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes in Schuyler and Seneca Counties, Seneca Lake Guardian is encouraging residents to sign the petition that will be sent to Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with Governor Kathy Hochul.
The Trump administration seeks to reach a goal of increasing United States timber production by 25%. According to an Executive Order from the White House, “the United States has an abundance of timber resources that are more than adequate to meet our domestic timber production needs, but heavy-handed Federal policies have prevented full utilization of these resources and made us reliant on foreign producers. Our inability to fully exploit our domestic timber supply has impeded the creation of jobs and prosperity, contributed to wildfire disasters, degraded fish and wildlife habitats, increased the cost of construction and energy, and threatened our economic security. These onerous Federal policies have forced our Nation to rely upon imported lumber, thus exporting jobs and prosperity and compromising our self-reliance. It is vital that we reverse these policies and increase domestic timber production to protect our national and economic security.”
Seneca Lake Guardian said it has heard from residents who have expressed apprehension, arguing that a federally mandated increase in logging of the FLNF could lead to habitat degradation, water quality issues due to increased runoff for both Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, and increased wildfire risks. The petition states, “We recognize that responsible forestry should be a part of the forest land management, but it is clear that with this executive order, that is not the protocol that would be implemented.”
The petition requests that federal and state decision-makers address the following issues:
1.) Request that a Public Meeting be held that includes FLNF Rangers, local experienced loggers, and concerned constituents to discuss the potential for and applicability of increased logging in the FLNF, the impacts, and how to protect it.
2.) Request that the Federal Executive Order be amended to exempt the FLNF from increased logging by the federal government.
3.) Immediately do whatever is within their power to support the reinstatement of FLNF employees.
“We treasure our National Forest for all the benefits it provides to New York State. But this order ignores these values and opens the door for our highly valued forest to be plundered, for nothing more than corporate gain,” said Yvonne Taylor, Vice President, Seneca Lake Guardian. “In the long run, not only would this harm the forest we love, but would also worsen the effects of climate change, while also destroying critical wildlife habitat. We urge everyone who cares about this forest to ask our decision makers for its protection,” Taylor added.
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