Forests help to stabilize the climate, regulate the water cycle by absorbing and redistributing rainwater to every species living within its range, aid in proving clean water, provide habitats for life to flourish, and carbon sequestration in forests and wood products helps to offset sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance supports bills S1954/A4358 because they assist in providing active stewardship of our forest resources.
The following press release from the New Jersey Farm Bureau demonstrates that conservationists are in good company.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NJ FARM BUREAU
FORESTRY BILLS BY SEN. SMITH AND ASSEM. MCKEON HAVE STRONG SUPPORT AND MOVE THE STATE TOWARD ACTIVE STEWARDSHIP OF STATE FOREST RESOURCES
TRENTON, NJ (December 21, 2011) — By requiring the development of stewardship plans for state lands and then implementing them, the state will be taking major steps that will result in the long term sustainability of our forest resources. This is why groups like New Jersey Farm Bureau, The New Jersey Forestry Association, The New Jersey Society of American Foresters, New Jersey Tree Farm program, The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance and New Jersey Audubon along with noted professors and researchers on forestry, forest health and ecology (*see below) are working together in supporting this legislation (S-1954, A-4358).
Since the early 1980′s, the state of New Jersey has not actively managed its publicly-owned forest resources. With outbreaks in northern counties of Asian Longhorned Beetle and the emerging infestations of Southern Pine Beetle in Pinelands counties, it has become clear there needs to be more active management of the state’s forests. The proposed legislation accomplishes that through mandating the development of forest stewardship plans on public lands and by authorizing the Division of Parks and Forestry to work with the private sector to implement the plans. This public/private partnership of land management already exists in neighboring states to the betterment of their forest resources.
In developing stewardship plans in accordance with the legislation, the state must consider imperiled species and other wildlife including deer damage and reforestation goals, freshwater wetlands and streams, soils (including highly erodible soils and steep slopes), recreation and aesthetic considerations, exotic invasive plant species, forest fire fuel loads, historic resources, and carbon sequestration. The bill also requires that the state hold a public hearing on each of the plans before they are put out to bid for a contract to implement the plan. This will ensure that all interested parties would understand the goals, purposes and the work to be done on a given plan.
With these requirements and safeguards in place, the time is now to prevent further degradation of our state forest lands and start using the private sector as a partner in accomplishing the goals of sound, science-based stewardship of our public resources.
*
Steven W. Kallesser, CF
Douglas Tavella, SAF
Kris Hasbrouck, SAF
Heather J. Gracie-Petty, CF
Michael LaMana, CF, RCA, CTE
Charles J. Newlon, CF
Brian Widener, SAF
Robert R. Williams, SAF, RPF
New Jersey Farm Bureau
New Jersey Forestry Association
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance
New Jersey Tree Farm Program
James E. Applegate, Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources, Rutgers University)
Christian Bethmann (retired superintendent, NJ State Park Service)
Richard M. Conley, President, NJ Forestry Association
James C. Finley, Ph.D. (Professor of Forest Resources, Pennsylvania State University)
James R. Grace, Ph.D. (M.K. Goddard Professor of Forestry, Pennsylvania State University;
retired Director, PA Bureau of Forestry)
Frank Hennion, SAF (retired NJ Forest Service)
Jane E. Huffman, Ph.D. (Professor of Biology, East Stroudsburg University)
Michael Jacobsen, Ph.D. (Assoc. Professor of Forest Resources, Pennsylvania State University)
John Keator (retired superintendent, NJ State Park Service)
Roger R. Locandro, Ph.D. (Emeritus Professor/Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
Rutgers University)
Anthony P. Mauro, Sr., Chairman, NJ Outdoor Alliance
Douglas E. Roscoe, Ph.D. (wildlife pathologist)
Ronald Sheay, SAF (retired NJ Forest Service)
Dennis Slate, Ph.D. (wildlife ecology & management)
David L. Smart, Ph.D. (retired USDA NRCS State Resource Conservationist)
Kim C. Steiner, Ph.D. (Professor of Forest Biology, Pennsylvania State University)
Leonard Wolgast, Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Ecology & Mgt., Rutgers University)
Paul J. Barrett, CF, CTE
George J. Boesze, CF
William Brash, SAF, CTE
E. Joseph Bruschetta, SAF
Anthony Cangemi
Lynda Cangemi
Mary Grace Cangemi
Tracy R. Cate
Margaret Conroy
Don Donnelly, SAF
G. Michael Fee, SAF
Dennis Galway, CF, CTE
Duke Grimes, CF, CTE
Christina Harrigan, CF
Thomas J. Hirshblond
Lori Jenssen
West J. Kandle, III
Brian R. Kieffer
Gary Lovallo, CF, CTE
Mark Moore
Seth Partridge, SAF
John E. Perry, CF
Thomas Respet, Jr., SAF
Matthew J. Simons, CTE
Timothy J. Slavin, SAF
Richard Spielman
F. Lloyd Staats
Ken Taafe, CF
Eugene Ventimiglia
John P. Zylstra, CF
