THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701240008
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 41 lines
The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is concerned about the proliferation of an array of mind-boggling local ordinances that are restricting environmental forestry practices and the harvest of wood products across the state.
Because 48 Virginia localities have an ever-growing number of varying local ordinances that greatly hinder forest-management practices, we are in strong support of Senate Bill 592, the Private Forest Land Conservation bill. Getting this legislation passed during the 1997 General Assembly will be one of our top priorities. The bill, if enacted, would allow hard-working families from Chincoteague to Chilhowie to continue practicing state-approved forestry practices.
The ordinances are costing forestry owners a lot of money. In some cases landowners have tried to harvest small acreages of timber, but when county-mandated buffer strips were taken into account, there was very little left to harvest.
Some rules allow timber harvesting, and others do not - under virtually the same circumstances. These regulations are eliminating the economic incentive for landowners to practice sound forestry management, discouraging them from implementing appropriate forest-management decisions. This results in forests being converted to less-desirable uses.
SB 592 would stop local governments from using police and zoning powers to prohibit these state-approved forestry practices. But SB 592 in no way reduces current environmental safeguards provided in a number of state water-quality and Chesapeake Bay regulations.
We want a healthy environment and the continued availability of forest products. It's in everyone's best interest to protect the rights of private landowners to manage their property so that whimsical decisions will not be made with this precious commodity which benefits the economy, the environment and the aesthetic beauty of Virginia.
C. WAYNE ASHWORTH
President
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Richmond, Jan. 8, 1997