Thursday, October 2, 2003

Q: How Many Foresters Does it Take to Pacify a Mob?

A: From the showing tonight, somewhere about a dozen.

About one dozen paid state employees and various contractors who are working
on the Mount Nimham model forest in Kent met a raucous crowd of more than 40
people at an "information" meeting set up by the by the NYS DEC after their
plan to log Mount Nimham was exposed to the public several months ago.

I have never been prouder of my neighbors than I was this night!

Some highlights:

Gil T said that he would not allow any clear cutting (DEC plans 16 acres
minimum) on the east slope of the mountain for it is widely believed that is
the location of a Wappinger Village.

Penny O spoke about eagles have returned to the mountain this year and how a
past logging operation caused massive amounts of stormwater to come flowing
off the mountain and damage her home. Would this happen again?

Ivana G said that no one should ever use herbicides (DEC Plans to spray
gallons of it)

Terry Intrary (County Legislator) complained that the process wasn't fair and
that there should have been more local involvement.

Martin B spoke about how it's okay to "manage" the edges of the forests,
removing the traces and impacts of man, but that the interiors should be left
alone.

Josh S was concerned about long range management plans and wondered who would
be there in the future to take care of today's messes?

Annmarie Baisley (Town Supervisor) complained bitterly that the town was never
involved with the process and wanted to know where DEC was with the
environmental impact statement. Bob Herberger, the ranking DEC employee,
mumbled something about something but offered nothing we could hear.

Les S was also concerned about notice given to the local community about this
project and said "I don't think anything we say here tonight will make a
difference."

Lou Tartaro (Town Councilman) wanted to make sure that the town would be
involved with SEQRA (Which DEC has already completed without us, saying the
logging of 87 acres and the construction of 3160 feet of highway will not have
a negative environmental impact.)

[see the Neg Dec here: Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3

Chris C mentioned that the secrecy around the project was bad and said "I
don't think it was inadvertent!"

Anne O, the only person speaking in favor of the project thought tree
harvesters were cute. (the machines, I don't know what she thinks about the
men)

James T, said he loved the mountain and didn't want to see any harm come to it
through a logging operation.

Dr. Marian Rose, (CWCWC) spoke eloquently about how science and research show
that old growth forests offer the best protection to watersheds. She said that
allowing the trees to grow old was both good and bad. Good, in that we prove
we *can* allow them to grow old and bad, because once they mature we only see
them in terms of value as board lumber.

Jim Baker (Kent Planning Board) asked pointedly about the SEQRA process and
what role the planning board would have. DEC employee Bob Herberger mumbled
something about something. He had a tape recorder so maybe he can fill us in.

Curtis W said, "we need forest products but we also need eagles!"

Fred Koontz (thanks for coming!) questioned the science behind the project and
asked that it be clarified.

George C, a relative of Hank Ketchum, one of the fire rangers on the mountain,
wondered if DEC was capable of doing a good job on this project based on
things he'd seen where they'd not done such a good job.

And you all know who I feel about it.

But there were others who did not speak, members of the community who, by
their presence showed either deep concern or outright anger at the way DEC has
run this project so far or, more importantly, that DEC believes Mount Nimham
needs to be "managed" at all. As one speaker said, "through recreation we're
already using Mount Nimham very nicely"

If anyone was keeping score it was:

And, as David W said at the end of the meeting, "we're gonna win this one!"
With all of your help *are* going to win this one.

The public comment period will be open until November 14th and I'll send solid
contact information along soon. (While the public comment period ends November
14th, the DEC said they'd hold a meeting in Kent in early December. What for?)

And, what's with all those paid employees?

Jeff Green
PlanPutnam