American National Forests Generally O.K.
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.26.07
Photo credit: Josh Pyles
America's National Forests generally meet green-certification standards for sustainable management, says a new study, but balancing the myriad demands for logging, recreation, and conservation remains a challenge.
The two-year study, conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Pinchot Institute for Conservation, was commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service to help it decide whether it should throw in its hat with private timber companies seeking independent certification of sustainable management practices, says the Associated Press.
In its study of five national forests, including the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon, the institute gave the forests a passing grade for planning, community involvement, and its ability to identify threatened or endangered species. Room for improvement, however, was noted in various areas, including old-growth timber management and a backlog of road maintenance. ::AP
I wonder whether they addressed the carbon balance of the forests. Making the forest itself sustainable might be a lower bar than maximizing the carbon benefits it might provide.