Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 15, 1993 TAG: 9310150089
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Despite being small, it is not exempt from nature's processes. Microorganisms form, bugs move in, compounds break down, water molecules evaporate or seep into the ground.
There's a lot going on in a puddle, which is a tiny ecosystem.
Now take another ecosystem - the ocean. Thousands of complex interactions of geophysical and biological forces combine to create barrier reefs, blue whales and other natural wonders.
The Jefferson National Forest does not have to worry about managing a puddle or an ocean. But sometime in the next few years, the agency does have to figure out how to divide its 705,000 acres in Western Virginia into manageable ecosystems.
"It's an inexact science," says forest spokesman Dave Olson. "We in the Forest Service are going to have a lot of dialogue on this subject."
That dialogue began this week with two public seminars, in Marion and Roanoke. The focus on ecosystem management heralds a shift in public-land policy throughout the country to ensure that management practices, such as logging, don't impair the long-term health and productivity of the myriad resources found in a forest.
Olson gave two reasons for the shift.
Last year, the chief of the U.S. Forest Service directed all national forests to incorporate an ecosystem approach into their management plans. The Jefferson is revising its plan, as required every 10 years, with a projected completion date of 1995.
Also, the public is beginning to demand much more accountability for environmental impacts from the Forest Service and other agencies, he said.
The agency is looking at several classifications of ecosystems. One would be defined by geology, said Tom Collins, a geologist with the Jefferson forest. All the ridges could be one category, because they are underlain by sandstone and support similar types of trees and wildlife.
On a smaller scale, separate watersheds within the forest could be another classification.
But deciding what should be called an ecosystem is only the first step, said Jim Johnson of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.
"It doesn't mean we can map out an ecosystem on the ground and just walk away and leave it alone," he said. In some cases, the Forest Service may want to do that, designating an ecosystem as pristine wilderness. But the agency still must determine ways to provide for multiple uses - logging, recreation, wildlife habitat and watershed protection - without harming or depleting resources.
The lack of knowledge about how human activity affects ecological resources over long periods will be a significant hurdle, Johnson said.
There's another problem. Unlike previous units of forest management, ecosystems do not recognize administrative boundaries - or any other boundaries, Johnson said.
"When you get over onto private land, [planning for management] gets very, very messy." Activities on private land are minimally regulated but can have a serious impact on an ecosystem.
Johnson said he recently flew over Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. From 20,000 feet in the air, a dramatic demarcation appeared, a line miles long that divided the lush green of protected park land from the barrenness of private lands that had been clear-cut.
Johnson said that many landowners in Western Virginia want to protect resources on their property. Conservation easements and government subsidies for stewardship programs would help encourage private landowners to move toward ecosystem management on their lands, he said.
Jesse Overcash, wildlife biologist in the Blacksburg Ranger District, said more attention will have to be placed on non-game species, such as gold-winged warblers. Much of the forest's wildlife program now is targeted for deer and turkey.
Protecting the warbler and other native species helps maintain genetic diversity, which experts say is important to the planet's health.
The Jefferson National Forest will hold another seminar, on timber management, on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Inn Airport.
by CNB