This document discusses threats facing Ohio's state forests and parks from logging, drilling, biomass removal, climate change, and lack of public support. It outlines opposition to laws allowing commercial logging and drilling on public lands. Conservation groups are working to educate the public and advocate for stronger protections of forests and parks. The document calls readers to support these efforts by getting involved in forest watchdog programs, advocating for transparency in logging bids, and visiting public lands.

1. Forests and
Retreat 2013 Public Lands
Committee

2. “The State of Ohio, containing about 40,000 square
miles, was once a magnificent hardwood forest. The
forest types, thanks to the records of early
surveyors, have been largely mapped. Yet it is
impossible to form an adequate picture, from any
surviving records, the appearance of that forest.
The state has its full share of memorials-
statues, libraries, institutions, some useful, some
not, some beautiful, many ugly. But somehow it never
occurred to anyone to set aside a square mile, much
less a township six miles square, of primeval vegetation
for future generations to see and enjoy. Yet this could
have been done for less than the cost of a single pile of
stone of dubious artistic and cultural merit.” p. 19

3. Ohio State Forests and parks
are challenged---
 Logging
 Drilling
 Biomass threats
 Climate Change
 A public that has limited connection to
nature
 Underfunding for important support of
public lands

4. But there are heroes
 Friends of state parks groups
http://www.friendsofstroudsrun.org/
 Conservation groups
http://www.appalachiaohioalliance.org/
 Advocates

6.  Mohican Advocates
http://www.mohicanadvocates.org/
 Businesses
that draw attention to validate
the economic import of forests and public
lands:

8. Touch the Earth Adventures
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/
travel/the-impulsive-traveler-a-winter-hike-
through-ohios-cantwell-
cliffs/2013/01/31/3f18856a-6646-11e2-
9e1b-07db1d2ccd5b_story.html

9. USFS study linking health to
trees
 http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/news/2013/01/t
ree-human-health.shtml

11. Forests
 Ohioranks 47th in public lands available
per capita
 Threepercent of all Ohioan lands are
state public lands. The remainder of lands
are private and therefore open to
development with limited oversight.

12. Historic Forests
 Forests were destroyed for
settlement, agriculture and charcoal to fuel
the iron ore industry and wood products
 Much of the forests of Ohio fueled the
Industrial Revolution
 10% of presettlement forests
remained in 1910

13. Ohio Forests
Less than .04 of 1 percent of old
growth forests remain in small
pockets around
the state.

14. Forests
 Priorto European Settlement 95% of Ohio
was forested.
 Ohio is now ~31% forested 70% of these
forests are in SE Ohio

17. Ohio Department of Natural
Resources
 State forests and parks are “managed” and
administrated by the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources. Division of Forestry oversees forest
management:
 http://www.ohiodnr.com/Default.aspx?alias=www
.ohiodnr.com/forestry
 The agency oversees various programs as
forests, parks, wildlife, as well as mineral resources:
http://www.ohiodnr.com/mineral/tabid/10352/Def
ault.aspx

18. Division of Forestry
 Bob Boyles, Chief of Forestry
 Northern District Greg Maxfield
 Southern District Nate Jester
http://ohiodnr.com/tabid/5158/Default.asp
x

19. Ohio State Forests

20. Drilling Legislation introduced
in 2011
 Sierra Club- Campaign
opposing, collaborative letter submitted to
lawmakers, governor
 Columbus Dispatch survey 70% of Ohioans did
not support
 Testimony house and senate, OEC lobby
Day, collaborative BFC, OEC. Legislators
passed against overwhelming public
opposition

21. HB 133 Drilling on public lands including
state parks, university lands
HB 133 allows for the creation of the Oil and
Gas Leasing Commission (the
“Commission”), which will oversee and
coordinate the leasing of land owned or
controlled by a state agency, state university or
college for the exploration, development, and
production of oil and gas.

22. The commission
 Thecommission has not been appointed.
Recently the governor’s energy advisor,
Craig Butler stated that they knew they
were behind and they are having a hard
time appointing people on the commission.

23. HB 133
 ODNR has been busy researching mineral
rights as has the many state agencies
where there is lands and mineral rights.
Example-universities

24. Sierra Club sued last year
 Forinformation regarding the
implementation of this law. The findings
indicated that ODNR is very cozy with
industry and that industry assisted in
writing the legislation

25.  A recent Dispatch analysis of state-held mineral rights
showed that Ohio could collect as much as $183
million in lease-signing bonuses. That’s if
the state leased mineral rights it holds in
14 state parks and forests near areas
where drilling is most active.”

26. Economic impacts to Ohio
 Many of these counties (32 Appalachian
by the Appalachian Regional
Commission) are in economic distress with
tourism highly important to the economy.
Over 50 million dollars estimated.
 Drilling
on public and private lands will
greatly impact the already stretched thin
economies of this region.

27. 2011 Budget Bill legislated
logging in parks
 The budget bill passed in 2011 by the
General Assembly gives OSP the
ability, for the first time ever, to
commercially log state park lands under
the guise of “implement[ing] sustainable
forestry practices.” As a result of this new
grant of authority, DOF has unveiled 5-
year management plans for four state
parks.

28. Opposition:
 http://www.protectohiosparks.org/
 http://ecowatch.org/2012/fracking-state-parks/
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1Xow6vVkG
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPC4CRiW1-w

29. Logging in State Forests
 The ODNR plans to increase logging to 50% of
new growth by next year. We have seen an
increase in logging bids this year, up by 1/3.
 The Sierra Club Forest and Public Lands
Committee is working on a campaign to
educate the public, involve their members in
contacting ODNR and evaluating whether
this violates their contract with the Forest
Stewardship Council.

31. What does a logging bid look
like?

32. The case not to log or drill
 Ohio state forests and parks are much
larger than private forests and therefore
provide one of the rarest habitat
types, un-fragmented, interior forest with
old growth characteristics, important for
the survival of a number of forest species
of birds and mammals

33. Wayne National Forest
 BLM bid out 3,300 acres in the Wayne
National Forest for hydraulic fracturing
September 2011.
 After protests and actions, Wayne National
Forest will implement The Review of New
Information (RONI). This was to assist the Forest
in making a decision whether the 2006 Forest
Plan needec to be amended or revised and
thereby impact further decisions on drilling on
Wayne land

34. Wayne National Forest
 Most letters of protest to BLM recorded
 Lettersopposing by Athens county
commissioners, city
council, mayor, president of Ohio
University, watershed groups and local
governments.
 Over 3,000 letters delivered to Ann Carey
Forest Supervisor agcarey@fs.fed.us

35. Wayne Opposition

36. Review of New Information
RONI
 August 28, 2012 conclusion that BLM
could lease parcels and that the 2006
Forest plan did not need to be amended.
Decision by Anne Carey Forest
Supervisor.

37. Our work 2012
 Develop Coalition to protect Ohio Parks with
Ohio Environmental Council, Buckeye
Forest, Mohican Advocates
 Press event state house
 Hikes in state parks
 Webpage
 Electronic page to email legislators
 Collaborate with groups on Wayne opposition
 Direct work on fracking

38. Work 2013
 New Chapter staff to assist in public land
protections to HB 133 incorporating the Beyond
Gas Campaign
 Collaborate with Buckeye Forest Council, Ohio
Environmental Council and Mohican Advocates
to continue the Coalition to Protect Ohio Parks.
 Goal to expand involvement to assist in protecting
parks and forest from fracking
 Develop outings to raise awareness
 Hikes on Forests and parks threatened
 Slow down logging campaign
 Develop Forest Watch Program

39. Be present in the state house
 Aware of the legislation that may impact
forests
 DOF budget cuts-impact?

40. What you can do to help
 Sign up for bids for logging parks. We have
requested transparency on this for over five years.
Greg.guess@dnr.state.oh.us
 Become a friend of a park or forest
 Spread the word. Write letters, talk to local
officials, state officials, anyone about this issue!

41. What you can do to help
Call/email Bob Boyles chief of DOF
 Bob.boyles@dnr.state.oh.us
 Call/email Glenn Cobb Chief of Parks
 Call/email/ write Director Zehringer

42. What you can do to help…
 Bringyour skills and enthusiasm to the
forest committee.

43. Go for a hike on public lands!