WASHINGTON -- As homes and shopping malls proliferate, the United States loses about 6,000 acres of open space every day -- four acres per minute.
Now the Forest Service is developing a national strategy to protect and conserve open space. The plan, announced Thursday, will use partnerships with private landowners and state and local governments to identify areas most in need of protection, said Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell.
The Forest Service also will work with Congress to create tax breaks and other incentives to promote conservation and reduce development in ecologically sensitive areas, she said. The conservation plan takes effect immediately and does not require congressional approval.
The agency's vision stretches far beyond the 193 million acres of national forests, Kimbell said, noting that more than half of the nation's 800 million acres of forest land is privately owned.
"If people have an incentive to hold on to wildlands (rather than develop them), we as a society benefit from that," she said in an interview. "We all benefit from keeping wildlands wild."
Kimbell said she was "not looking to turn that world green on a map," but said private landowners, local governments and others look to the Forest Service for expertise to preserve forests and other wildlands.
"Our vision for the 21st century is an interconnected network of open space across the landscape -- one that supports healthy ecosystems, renewable resources and high quality of life for Americans," she said.
National forests and grasslands provide the largest single source of fresh water in the United States, habitat for a third of all federally listed threatened or endangered species and millions of recreation opportunities, Kimbell said. About 205 million visits are made annually to national forests.
Preserving open space is one of her top four goals, Kimbell said. The others are improving forest health to reduce the risk of wildfire, controlling invasive species and managing outdoor recreation.
The Forest Service calls those the "Four Threats" and devotes most of its resources to address them.
The agency predicts that more than 21 million acres of rural private lands near national forests and 44 million acres of private forest land will be developed by 2030.
"Growth and development in wildlands increases the risk of wildfire for people and property, affects the Forest Service's ability to manage the public lands ... and reduces the capacity of privately owned land to provide water, recreation and habitat," Kimbell said.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Rate this story
Reader Comments
Comments to this story.
Ester B wrote on Jan 28, 2008 9:01 AM:
The Forest Service has gated roads, obliterated roads, closed roads, ripped roads and changed the definition of roads. They do not log anymore. They want the taxpayer to pay for their inability to sustainably harvest timber or grass. Endangered Species? What about rural communities and their inhabitants. The Forest Service does nothing but enhance and preserve their bureaucracy.
Now they want to lock up and manage land. I don't see anyone looking to the Forest Service for their land management expertise. If you want to fence it off, let the weeds take over, watch the forest collapse then burn, and then have a professional presentation (plus your tax dollars are used to pay for the privilege) as to why they can't do anything then I recommend the Forest Service. If you want sustainable production of merchantable raw commodities to be turned into products that have value to the people of the United States, If you want healthy sustainable ecosystems that support all life and not just the elite, legislated recipients or species, If you want something besides a charred aftermath for your kids to look at you may want to look to someone else for management assistance. I would recommend the farmer, rancher or logger.
Chief Kimball better fix her own backyard and learn to manage her own lands before she thinks about sinking her hooks into the private land. Her other 3 goals are handled. Invasive species? It seems humans fit that criteria given the gates and laws to keep us out, Oh, You meant weeds? Yes you have a very good crop of weeds and laws to keep you from treating them. Study them for 5 years and let us know. Too Late! Managing outdoor recreation? You have done that. Close all roads and do not maintain any trails, then set fire to it. You have managed to kil off any recreation.
Improve Forest Health because of wildfire potential? What about rural communities? What about raw fiber and to provide raw materials for our country? What about doing the job you have been hired to do?
I would your goals are met. The goal to do nothing with land you currently manage and now you look over the fence at private land so you can do nothing with that too! And we get to pay for it.
Thanks a bunch "
Ester B wrote on Jan 28, 2008 9:18 AM:
The Forest Service has gated roads, obliterated roads, closed roads, ripped roads and changed the definition of roads. They do not log anymore. They want the taxpayer to pay for their inability to sustainably harvest timber or grass. Endangered Species? What about rural communities and their inhabitants. The Forest Service does nothing but enhance and preserve their bureaucracy.
Now they want to lock up and manage private land? I don't see anyone looking to the Forest Service for their land management expertise. If you want to fence it off, let the weeds take over, watch the forest collapse then burn, and then have a professional presentation as to why they can't do anything then I recommend the Forest Service (plus your tax dollars are used to pay for the privilege). If you want sustainable production of merchantable raw commodities to be turned into products that have value to the people of the United States, If you want healthy sustainable ecosystems that support all life and not just the elite, legislated recipients or species, If you want something besides a charred aftermath for your kids to look at you may want to look to someone else for management assistance. I would recommend the farmer, rancher or logger.
Chief Kimball better fix her own backyard and learn to manage her own lands before she thinks about sinking her hooks into the private land. Her other 3 goals are handled. Invasive species? It seems humans fit that criteria given the gates and laws to keep us out, Oh, You meant weeds? Yes, you have a very good crop of weeds and laws to keep you from treating them. Study them for 5 years and let us know. Too Late! Managing outdoor recreation? You have done that. Close all roads and do not maintain any trails, then set fire to it. You have managed to kil off any recreation.
Improve Forest Health because of wildfire potential? What about rural communities? What about raw fiber and to provide raw materials for our country? What about doing the job you have been hired to do?
I would say your goals are met. The goal to do nothing with land you currently manage and now you look over the fence at private land so you can do nothing with that too! And we get to pay for it.
Thanks a bunch "
Submit a Comment