Watching out for the Maine woods

I am responding to the allegations made by Jonathan Carter and the Natural Resources Council of Maine during his most recent failed referendum campaign. The truth is that the Legislature has taken many efforts to encourage and improve forestry in Maine, through regulations, changes in statutes, as well as promote positive private initiatives.

As the Senate chairman of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee for the last two years, I know we have been overseeing forest policy issues in Maine. Now that his misguided proposal has failed, the Legislature needs to stay on track – continuing the positive steps we have taken over the last few years.

Contrary to what you have been told by Carter, the news is very good indeed. It is important for the people of Maine to know of all the positive trends in the Maine woods.

In 1999, the 118th Legislature initiated a long-term plan to ensure that Maine’s forest values are protected for future generations. This comprehensive plan includes the following:

. Maine Forest Service sustainability benchmark: The Legislature charged the MFS with developing statewide forest sustainability benchmarks concerning water quality, timber sustainability, and several other important indicators of sustainability in our forests.

. Annual forest inventory: The Legislature directed the Maine Forest Service to conduct ongoing statewide inventories of Maine’s forests so we know just how many trees are in our woods – and the October 2000 report said there is no crisis in the Maine woods!

. Bi-annual State of the Forest Report: The Maine Forest Service is producing a comprehensive report every other year to the people of Maine on the condition of Maine’s forest.

. Comprehensive revisions to the Forest Practices Act: These created additional safeguards around the use of clear-cuts, including a requirement for scientific justifications for such harvesting.

. Legislative recognition of Independent, third-party forest certifications: This directed the creation of an annual report to the Maine Legislature on the progress of forest certifications in this state. Third-party audits that measure sustainability of timber, wildlife, water quality and many other things are under way or completed on 6.5 million acres of Maine’s forests

“Nothing indicates … there is a crisis in Maine’s forest,” was the recent announcement by the director of the Maine Forest Service, Tom Doak. Carter and NRCM’s cries of impending doom are not only inaccurate but are also counterproductive in our efforts to move forward in a positive direction.

The claims that the Legislature has done nothing can’t be further from the truth. For several years we have been working with responsible groups, such as the Maine Audubon, embarking on a process of responsible forestry reforms that address the public’s concerns.

It is upsetting to me that the forest products industry has had to spend significant financial re-sources to fight these continuing barrage of referendums when the money would be much better spent on investing in facilities, people and communities.

Carter is already collecting signatures for his next referendum attacking farmers and the forest products community. This time he is proposing a 10-year ban on all forestry pesticide applications regardless of infestations by gypsy moth or spruce budworm. You can only imagine the devastation this ban could cause to our forests.

What the public needs to know is that all commercial pesticide used in Maine, including for forestry purposes, can only be conducted under the direction of the Board of Pesticide Control.

Applicators must be trained and all use is strictly regulated. Maine has responsible controls on pesticide applications. What the Legislature needs to do is to take a closer look at responsible referendum reform.

John Nutting of Leeds, a Democrat representing Senate District 20, is a former Senate chairman of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee.