The final plan is an epic fail. It has already received widespread public, political, and community opposition. the final plan sentences the forest to decades of conflict, litigation, and community resistance.
Fortunately, the solution is simple: prioritize conservation and recreation in the country’s most popular national forest. Specifically, here are 10 specific ways to amend the plan:
• Protect all 101,000 acres of the most important recreation and conservation areas.
• Protect all remaining old-growth forests.
• Protect all of the Craggy National Scenic Area.
• Prohibit logging on steep slopes.
• Prohibit logging in the Appalachian Trail viewshed and other major trail corridors and viewsheds.
• Prohibit logging within 100 feet of all waterways, including ephemeral streams.
• Include the carbon and climate benefits of mature forests and old growth forests in all decisions.
• Protect all of the State Natural Heritage Areas.
• Include species-specific plans and robust, enforceable protections for their habitat.