IMBA-SORBA is requesting we all provide our  comments during the public comment period regarding the U.S. Forest Services's plan for timber production, Wilderness designations and management prescriptions in North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. Management prescriptions describe the areas of National Forest land available for various uses, including forest habitat, backcountry, wilderness areas, rivers and recreation areas. Any lands put under a Wilderness designation would become off-limits to bicycle use.
 


Please send your comments in support of the IMBA-SORBA position to [email protected] 

Comments should be sent no later than January 5, 2015.


The IMBA-SORBA position is as follows: 

1. IMBA-SORBA does not support USFS timber production in areas of the forest with heavy recreational use, including the Pisgah District—particularly in the Davidson River and South Mills River areas. Timber production in these areas could negatively impact the backcountry mountain biking experience.
 
2. IMBA-SORBA does not support the proposed Wilderness designation in the Pisgah and Grandfather Districts for Daniel Ridge, Laurel Mountain, Cedar Rock Mountain, South Mills River, Woods Mountain and Jarrett areas. These areas have a high concentration of trails and are heavily used for recreation, including mountain biking.
 
3. IMBA-SORBA requests that the USFS include the above-mentioned areas in a new National Recreation Area, which would provide the land maximum protection while still allowing mountain biking.
 
4. IMBA-SORBA also supports a National Recreation Area designation in the Grandfather District that would include Harper’s Creek, Lost Cove, Woods Mountain and Jarret Creek.
 
5. IMBA-SORBA supports some of the Wilderness proposals in areas where there is no mountain biking, and is working with conservation groups and other forest stakeholders to identify such areas.
 
Please send your comments in support of the IMBA-SORBA position to [email protected] 
Comments should be sent no later than January 5, 2015.

Done. Greedy Bastards. Its absolutely criminal to sell our natural heritage to the highest bidder to be raped and ruined. These forests belong to the people. People speak up!

Done.  Thank you for posting this.

RobP wrote on 12/19/14 at 2:34pm:


This is true. Kind of a weird relationship too. Most of the trails and roads we use here wouldnt be there if it werent for past logging operations. However, much of this logging was completed long before recreation and tourism became a source of revenue for the towns and counties in WNC. Im not 100% opposed to logging and from an econimic, environmental, and conservation aspect logging can be used in a positive way to manage forests. Im just staunchly opposed to the run and gun destruction of the forests for profit. I think that we have something special in the Southern Appalachians and we need to manage it in a conscientious way. 

You can have select cut logging, Wilderness, and Nat'l Rec Areas (mtn biking) all at the same time. 

Copy and paste?


The Davidson River and Daniel Ridge, Laurel Mountain, Cedar Rock Mountain, South Mills River, Woods Mountain and Jarrett areas have served as exceptional recreation resources to many user groups including myself- as a mountain biker, hiker and tourist.

We fully support the IMBA-SORBA position as it relates to the designation of the aforementioned areas.

having ridden some trails in Germany earlier this year it would be great to see how they selectively manage the forest used here. they literally tag and cut only the most mature trees and stack and haul them off with one of the coolest Unimog truck I've ever seen.  you could barely tell they were there

Gravitythief76 wrote on 12/19/14 at 9:07pm:



You are mixing bad economics with bad facts.
1)  Very few of the Pisgah trees are 300 years old. 100 maybe (still worth preserving, but still)
2)  If the tree is to be cut down the best thing for "Merica' is to sell it to the highest bidder.

RobP wrote on 12/19/14 at 9:40pm:


What makes it worse is that I once worked for the forest service doing forest health monitoring. I did multiple inventories in pisgah. I know what trees are there and exactly how old they are....oh and I occasionally use paper   

Here's another cut and paste. 

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am providing my comments regarding the Forest Service’s proposal for timber production, Wilderness designations and management prescriptions in North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. 

I am a recreational user of these forests. It is vitally important to me that the current recreational use of these forests is not materially curtailed or degraded. I hope and recommend that the Service adopts a reasonable management plan for the forests that makes sense for all users.

I fully support the following IMBA-SORBA recommended plan for these forests:
1. IMBA-SORBA does not support USFS timber production in areas of the forest with heavy recreational use, including the Pisgah District—particularly in the Davidson River and South Mills River areas. Timber production in these areas could negatively impact the backcountry mountain biking experience.
2. IMBA-SORBA does not support the proposed Wilderness designation in the Pisgah and Grandfather Districts for Daniel Ridge, Laurel Mountain, Cedar Rock Mountain, South Mills River, Woods Mountain and Jarrett areas. These areas have a high concentration of trails and are heavily used for recreation, including mountain biking.
3. IMBA-SORBA requests that the USFS include the above-mentioned areas in a new National Recreation Area, which would provide the land maximum protection while still allowing mountain biking.
4. IMBA-SORBA also supports a National Recreation Area designation in the Grandfather District that would include Harper’s Creek, Lost Cove, Woods Mountain and Jarret Creek.
5. IMBA-SORBA supports some of the Wilderness proposals in areas where there is no mountain biking, and is working with conservation groups and other forest stakeholders to identify such areas.

Sincerely,