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Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Environment - Indianapolis water and sewer in headlines again today; more on state forests

As was the case yesterday (see this ILB entry), today's Indianapolis Star has front-page stories today on Indianapolis' water and swer systems.

"Water system under state, federal scrutiny: It's unclear whether the investigations are connected; results of water sample tests are expected this week," is the headline to this story.

"Sewer rate proposal response is mixed: Mayor says plan will improve public health" is the headline to this story.

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has an editorial today titled "Indiana’s tree tradeoffs." Some quotes:

Gov. Mitch Daniels’ plan to increase tree harvesting in Indiana’s public forests by five times the current rate has some environmental benefits, as well as some pretty attractive economic benefits. It is even getting surprising support from environmental interests. But there are concerns about the plan that the Department of Natural Resources needs to address.

Some trees – oak, hickory, cherry, walnut – need a lot of sunlight to grow. When tree canopies become too congested, those types of trees are not able to thrive. Meanwhile, other tree species, like maple and beech, proliferate. DNR officials are increasing the harvesting to balance the old and new growth in Indiana’s forests. If the diversity in trees is limited, so is the habitat for wildlife. * * *

The Nature Conservancy supports the efforts to balance timber production with biodiversity protection. The increased harvesting could reduce spread of tree diseases and insect infestation, but only if the harvesting is done right. The group also has concerns about preventing invasive species – like the emerald ash borer – and urban forestry issues. They want the DNR to seek dual certification of its harvesting plan by a third party. That is, they want the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative to have a look at the plans before the trees get chopped.

“So many of the details are still unknown. It’s difficult to see what this would look like over the long term,” Shuey said.

[Dan Ernst, assistant state forester,] says the DNR is still researching the issue of seeking certification of tree-harvesting plans by a third party. “What’s important is biodiversity across the landscape and biodiversity over time,” Ernst says.

As with almost all environmental issues, appropriate forest management is a delicate balance. And whether that delicate balance will be achieved remains uncertain. State forestry leaders are wise to consider the suggestions from conservation groups about the harvesting plan.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 4, 2005 08:28 AM
Posted to Environment