Stop Clear-cutting in Michigan State Forests!!
Why in a time of Global warming and upheaval of our climate, when people throughout the World are screaming to save the rain forests, that our state forests are being subjected to the wholesale slaughter of thousands of acres of mature trees, leaving completely barren fields where there once was beautiful state land? Do not succumb to the belief that these resources are renewable like so many cornfields that get harvested every fall, or that creating huge empty fields filled with stumps and slash are improving hunting or wildlife populations. The habitat that is destroyed is long-lasting and everything is affected in the balance.
We the undersigned are presenting to you this petition to express our concerns about clear-cutting that has and is being done to our once beautiful State Forests and to let you know that we find this practice completely unacceptable and detrimental to the forests' huge value as sinks and reservoirs of atmospheric carbon and their value as recreational land. Through this petition we want the following to be done to address the destruction of our beloved forests:
- Eliminate clear-cutting of State Forests completely and replace with select cut only of no more than 20% reduction in tree population per parcel. After logging operations conclude these areas could not be re-harvested for 100 years.
- Provide no cutting Safe Zones around residences and private properties of 500 yards to help preserve property values. Cutting in these zones would require property owner permission.
- On lands that have been devastated by clear-cutting: There must be a plan in place and be executed within 5 years to replace lost forests. The replacement of these lost forests would be funded by whoever logged out these areas. These lands could not be logged again for 100 years.
- The focus of replanting must be to produce forests indicative of what is defined as Old-Growth Forest for the State of Michigan.
Thank you for taking the time to read this petition and consider our concerns.
