Why It Matters: Legislation that removes management flexibility on public lands by prohibiting sustainable forest management practices threatens forest resiliency and wildlife conservation. Other Northeastern states have introduced similar bills in recent years, and it is important for the sportsmen’s community to continue voicing their concerns and advocating for policies that promote active forest management to support our sporting traditions that depend on productive wildlife habitat.
Highlights:
- Legislation introduced in the Vermont General Assembly, the “Vermont Climate Resilience and State Wildlands Act,” would designate certain public lands as “state wildlands” where vegetation management would be prohibited.
- On March 5, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted testimony encouraging the House Committee on Environment and Energy to table the legislation or, alternatively, amend it to exclude State Forests and the Levi Pond Wildlife Management Area from the “state wildlands” designation and permit sustainable forest management practices within those designated areas.
While House Bill 276 aims to conserve biological diversity and maintain landscape resiliency, CSF believes that the bill is misguided and would have the opposite effect. By strictly prohibiting forest management, the bill would remove important tools to combat invasive species, disease, and other threats that a changing climate poses to Vermont’s forests.
CSF’s letter stated, “The strict prohibition against vegetation management and other silvicultural practices would threaten biological diversity and limit the state’s ability to maintain the resiliency of its forests.” CSF provided examples of invasive pests and plants currently affecting forest health in Vermont and cited the Vermont Forest Action Plan’s recommendation to treat non-native invasive species that negatively impact forest ecosystems. CSF also cited a state report on forest resiliency and climate change that recognized the importance of active management to forest resiliency.
Additionally, CSF’s letter stressed the importance of young forests to wildlife and the need to maintain flexibility for forest management to create diverse habitats. CSF provided examples of species identified as High Priority for conservation in the Vermont Wildlife Action Plan that depend on young forests and other early seral habitats. Several species important to Vermont’s sportsmen and women, including ruffed grouse and American woodcock, also depend on young forest habitat.
CSF appreciates the intent of the legislation to conserve biological diversity and looks forward to working with the Vermont General Assembly to align the legislation with its intent by providing flexibility to adapt and actively manage for forest resiliency and wildlife habitat.