Letter to the Editor: Deer Browsing
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Special Edition: Recreation News for forest resource professionals published by the Society of American Foresters July 2019 • Vol. 24, No. 7 Recreation: More than a Walk in the Woods his special edition on recreation features a pack-load of articles and Tessays on the topic, including a Q&A with Michiko Martin, the US Forest Service’s director of recreation, heritage, and volunteer resources, who talks about the agency’s efforts to maintain and perhaps improve its offerings of recreational oppor- tunities (page 4). That article is followed on page 5 by “Recreation as Shared Stew- ardship,” which is written by Martin and three of her colleagues. The essay by Steve Selin on this page, “Implementing Sus- tainable Recreation on the National Forest IN THIS ISSUE System: Aligning the Reality and Promise,” first appeared in 193 Million Acres: Toward Recreation Education a Healthier and More Resilient US Forest Ser- The recreation industry is expected to increase vice, a book published by SAF in 2018. in the next decade, both in terms of the num- For a look at how Weyerhaeuser, Fat-tire bicycling is a popular winter sport on the Superior National Forest’s Pincushion Recreation Area ber of people recreating and the jobs needed Port Blakely, and Hancock Natural Re- near Grand Marais, Minnesota. Photo: US Forest Service to meet demand. To learn how universities source Group are managing recreation servation Association Integrated Fire and Two commentaries round out the rec- are training the next generation of recreation professionals, Forestry Source associate editor on their lands, see page 6. “Training the Recreation Internship program is high- reation theme: “Wilderness Recreation: Andrea Watts talked with Steve Selin, a pro- Next Generation of Recreation Leaders” lighted on page 13. On page 14, read Misnomer or Intention?” by Cindy and fessor at the West Virginia University (WVU), examines educational programs at West about how mule teams helped build a David Chojnacky (page 10) and “Recre- and John Daigle, a professor at the University Virginia University and the University of boardwalk on the Ottawa National For- ation: No Walk in the Woods,” by Nancy of Maine (UM). Both of these universities offer Maine (page 12), and the Student Con- est in Michigan. Myers (page 15). SAF-accredited recreation programs. Page 12. Presidential Field Foresters Implementing Sustainable Recreation THE FUTURE OF SAF will honor one member from each of the 11 SAF voting districts with the Presidential SAF Field Forester Award at the 2019 SAF Nation- on the National Forest System: Aligning al Convention (www.safconvention.org), to be held October 30–November 3 in Louisville, the Reality and Promise Kentucky. The award recognizes foresters who Rebeca Rodriguez: have dedicated their professional careers to The esssay originally appeared in 193 Million Acres: Toward a Healthier and More the application of forestry on the ground using Resilient US Forest Service, published by SAF in 2018. The book, edited by Forestry Source sound, scientific methods and adaptive man- Finding a Path in agement strategies. Here are the 2019 awards editor Steve Wilent, is available in the SAF Store, eforester.org/store. winners. Page 17. sŝƐŝƚƐ;ŵŝůůŝŽŶƐͿƚŽŶĂƚŝŽŶĂůĨŽƌĞƐƚƐ Forestry SAF Chapter Resources Editor’s note: Continuing with our profiles of ϭϱϬ Several SAF initiatives over the past two years up-and-coming SAF members who will con- ϭϰϵ have endeavored to increase the diversity and tinue managing our nation’s natural resources inclusion (D&I) of our membership and the ϭϰϴ ϭϰϳ in the coming decades, this month we feature forestry and natural-resources profession. Rebeca Rodriguez. She is an undergraduate Building on a D&I session included at its ϭϰϲ 2018 annual meeting, Ohio SAF presented an ϭϰϱ at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) R.I.P. Uniformity (Respect, Identity, Privilege) ϭϰϰ and will graduate this summer with a bache- ϭϰϯ workshop at its winter annual meeting this sŝƐŝƚƐ lor’s degree in forestry with a concentration in year. Page 20. ϭϰϮ forest recreation management. In 2016, she ϭϰϭ joined SAF and was selected as an SAF Di- BC Curtailments ϭϰϬ versity Scholar in 2018 (for information on At this writing in mid-June, at least 20 mills in ϭϯϵ the scholarship, see tinyurl.com/yy7g4rvj). British Columbia have announced shutdowns She also served as the treasurer of SFA’s SAF or curtailments in the last two months, accord- student chapter for two years. ing to Random Lengths and other sources. For example, on June 11, Random Lengths report- In her own words, Rodriguez describes ed that “Canfor Corporation announced June her path toward a career in forestry and rec- From the US Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring Survey, National Summary Report, 2016. 10 it will be curtailing operations at all British reation. Columbia sawmills, except WynnWood.” For By Steven Selin By Rebeca Rodriguez more on this and other forest-products indus- keener” (Waugh 1918, 3). From his field try news, see page 24. ne hundred years ago, a For- investigation of current recreation condi- How she developed an appreciation for est Service landscape engineer tions, Waugh concluded that managing the outdoors DEPARTMENTS Onamed Frank Waugh authored a recreation should become a central pri- While I was growing up in Houston, Tex- report titled Recreation Uses on the National ority of national forest management. “The as, my parents never took my brother and 2 Letter to the Editor Forests. To prepare this report, Waugh em- moment that recreation is recognized as a me to any state parks or national parks; barked on a five-month field study, visit- legitimate forest utility the way is opened even going to the city park was a rare 10, 15 Commentary ing a number of national forests across the for a more intelligent administration of thing, because they didn’t feel comfortable 20 SAF Chapter Resources country where recreational development the National Forests. It seems obvious going to those places. Being Hispanic and was occurring. He knowingly observed that this utility must be fairly conserved not really knowing a lot of English, it was 22 Continuing Education Calendar that “Outdoor recreation is a necessity and developed in proportion to its value hard for my parents to go to one of these 22 Employment Ads of life, and as civilization becomes more intensive the public demand will grow SELIN Q Page 8 RODRIGUEZ Q Page 19 24 Forest Industry News EDITORS NOTEBOOK LETTER TO THE Published monthly by the Society of American For- EDITOR esters (SAF), The Forestry Source (ISSN 1084-5496) Recreation: The Trail to Forestry provides SAF members and other natural resource Deer Browse Impacts professionals with news regarding developments within the forestry profession as well as the activities In “New Visualization of Browse Impacts and policies of SAF. Points to Restoration Challenges in Decid- uous Forests of the Midwest and North- The opinions expressed in articles, commentaries, and letters do not necessarily reflect the policies or east” (The Forestry Source, January 2019), views of SAF. Will McWilliams suggests that browsing by white-tailed deer is both damaging to Publisher: Terry Baker, [email protected] Editor: Steve Wilent, (503) 622-3033, young forest habitat and has made “re- [email protected] storing broadleaf deciduous forests in the Associate Editor: Andrea Watts, [email protected] Midwest and Northeast … nearly impos- Editorial Offices and Advertising Sales sible in many areas.” His conclusions are 10100 Laureate Way, Bethesda, MD 20814 based in part on the US Forest Service’s Tel (301) 897-8720 • www.safnet.org browse impact assessment (McWilliams Correspondence: Address all editorial correspon- et al. 2018), which is undoubtedly the dence to the Editor at the above address. Advertising most-extensive browsing assessment inquiries should be directed to John R. Barnwell at conducted at such a large scale. As such, (301) 897-8720, ext. 300. McWilliams’s fieldwork and data set are Subscription rates: $61 for individuals in the US and important and admirable, but I found his From the US Forest Service photography archive: Camping at Woodward Forest Camp on Langdon Lake, Canada $116 in other countries); $116 for institutions Umatilla National Forest, Oregon, September 1956. Photo by Frank Flack. conclusions in this article unwarranted in the US ($173 in other countries). Subscriptions and ultimately misleading to forest prac- for members is included in annual dues. See tinyurl .com/m6xo2x9 for other rates and information. For in- By Steve Wilent titioners and the general public. formation regarding subscriptions, address changes, concerned—took me all across western McWilliams reports that about 60 per- and purchasing single editions, call 866-897-8720. ike most SAF members of my gen- North America. I kept camping gear in the cent of the 182 million acres of forestland Permission to reprint: Individuals, and nonprofit li- eration—I turned 60 last year—rec- back so I could strike out for a national across the study area was either moder- braries acting for them, are permitted to make fair reation instilled in me a love of the forest or state or county park on a whim, ately or heavily browsed, and thus, “areas use of the material in this publication; for example, L out-of-doors. Some of my earliest memories after school or work. On one memora- of concern.” But a closer look at the data copying an article for personal or classroom use. For republication, or systematic or multiple repro- are of playing outside, in the yard, at first, ble excursion to the King Range Nation- set reveals that, in four-fifths of a roughly duction of copyrighted material, permission must be and then in the field at the end of the road.