FOREST PROTECTION ACTION ALERT!

Read Ohio's FSC Forest Certification Pre- Assessment report here.

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The Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Forestry manages 20 state forests covering more than 185,000 acres in 21counties, mostly in the Ohio’s un-glaciated south eastern region. The State Forests of Ohio are organized into 2 districts (north and south) with 11administrative field offices located throughout the state.

Functional activities within the Division are divided into four major program areas: land management, fire, law/recreation, infrastructure/facilities.  At present, the ODOF workforce exceeds 70 individuals involved in state forest management.

BFC Call To Action:

Buckeye Forest Council challenges DOF claims that prescribed burns are effective and necessary for oak regeneration. BFC challenges DOF claims that prescribed burns are necessary to prevent wildfires in Ohio's forests.  Late spring fires are not natural in native Ohio ecosystems. They are destructive to the native flora; they have been found to increase rather than control invasives in southern Ohio forests; and they add to air pollution and warming. Burning is a primitive tool that is inappropriate for management of Ohio's deciduous forests in the 21st century. Fire is an appropriate tool to manage prairies, some of which exist on State lands, yet DOF burns vast areas of forest that do not contain prairies, from ridgetops to stream valleys.

Therefore BFC calls for a moratorium on prescribed burns until a public commission representing the academic and environmental communities can evaluate DOF policy and assess the circumstances under which burning is appropriate on DOF-controlled land.

Additionally we are suggesting the following better ways to use governmental funding to maintain the health and recreational value of our public forests:

• Money allocated for prescribed burns could more effectively be used for removal of invasive species and trail maintenance.
• DOF should work through the Recovery Conservation Corps (RCC) partnership, where Ohio Department of Natural Resources has already identified maintenance, repair and improvement projects. The RCC will establish work crews of young Ohioans, ages 16-24, who will work throughout Ohio's natural lands.
• Use federal stimulus dollars to build a volunteer civilian conservation corps to remove invasive species and perform trail maintenance over the long term.