More Trees Can Be Cut,
But It’s Not Likely

More timber will be allowed to be harvested from The Green Mountain National Forest under a correction to recently completed Forest Plan, the Forest said this week.

However, the increased allowance may not affect the amount actually cut from the National Forest. In recent years, very little wood has been cut from the forest, mostly due to appeals by environmental groups.

The change recently announced is an increase in the Average Annual Allowable Sale Quantity, or the maximum amount of timber the Forest provides. The change will figure in merchantable top wood, or the top portion of the tree that is a minimum of four inches in diameter.

"In the plan we did not include merchantable top wood even though we intended to do so," said Forest Supervisor Meg Mitchell. "It is a mistake and we should correct it.

"The change to the ASQ simply represents a correction to our calculations; we need to change the numbers in the plan to accurately portray the use of merchantable top wood for pulp, biomass and firewood purposes."

The Green Mountain National Forest Plan was issued in April of 2006. The mistake was discovered by the Forest Service during work on one of the four appeals to the plan.

The ASQ ceiling will be adjusted from the previous 16.4 to 19.7 million board feet per year. However, the Forest has recently been providing less than 5 million board feet per year, including 4.54 million in 2007.

Arseneault Pleased

Norm Arseneault of Granville hailed the change as "an important victory."

Arseneault is a retired top level U. S. Forest Service executive, and Granville includes a large chunk of the Green Mt. Forest. Arseneault also serves as the Vermont Traditions Coalition Project leader on Green Mt. National Forest issues.

"The appeal decision raises the timber cutting goal of the Forest Service, and increasing goals generally increases performance," he said. "Cutting more timber creates healthier forests, more abundant wildlife, more sustainable rural jobs, and more locally grown wood."

Timber cutting in the Green Mt. National Forest virtually stopped between 2000-05. By 2007, Forest Service cutting had increased to just under 5 million board feet per year. However, between 1961-88, timber sales were in the range of 10 million board feet to 19.7 million board feet per year.