Butler Hollow project meeting in Seligman draws heat from residents
May 13, 2015
Charlea Mills
In an informal meeting held at the Seligman City Hall on Monday night, many citizens showed up to voice their concerns with the proposed Butler Hollow restoration project in the Mark Twain National Forest.
The meeting, organized by concerned citizen JoNell Corn, drew between 40 and 50 citizens from the Seligman and surrounding communities. Corn also invited Joseph Koloski, the district ranger at the Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs Ranger District office. Koloski and Steve Best, Mark Twain National Forest deputy forest supervisor, spoke to the group and tried to answer questions about the confusion generated by the project and tried to set the record straight on the Forestry Department’s plans for Butler Hollow.
Corn’s motivation for holding the meeting was fueled by a variety of concerns she and others have regarding the project, including the cut/leave method of timber thinning and prescribed burns.
Koloski opened his portion of the discussion in an attempt to clarify how much land would be affected by the proposed project. Figures released by some claimed that over 70 percent of the forest was going to be cut down, however that was inaccurate. Of the acreage in the Butler Hollow, currently 97 percent of it is forest and 3 percent is glade lands. Under the proposed project, 83 percent would remain forest while 17 percent would be turned into glade, according to Koloski. Glade acreage would be dispersed throughout the area.
Koloski said, “My goal is a healthy forest.” The main concerns driving the restoration project include trees maturing at the same rate and dying, disease and invasive species like Cedar trees taking over areas. The plan to manage that is to thin existing forest to about half the density, remove invasive species and institute prescribed burns. Both commercial logging and cut-and-leave are part of the plan for the forest.
The tension in the crowd was apparent before the question-and-answer period. Koloski addressed the audience and stated, “I realize this project has stirred a lot of interest and emotions. I do listen. I do read the comments, and I care about what you have to say.”
He continued, “I’m taking my time in making a decision. I’m not in a rush. I realize that I have a responsibility to the community and the forest that I’ve been asked to provide management for.”
Concerns from citizens from the area included issues with the number of trees being removed, the smoke from the prescribed burns, the beauty of the forest, and a call to let nature take its course.
Best addressed the audience, stating, “Nature is hard. When an area gets overpopulated, nature wipes it out.”
Koloski also said there are safety concerns with just letting the forest be without management strategies. He said, “This is a fire-adapted ecosystem. It will burn one way or another. With prescribed burns, there’s at least some control with where that fire and smoke goes, unlike with a wildfire.”
Corn stated, “There are great concerns that the cut/drop and prescribed burns are destroying and damaging future timber sales. Cut and drop management method destroys trees that would be marketable in the future.” Senator Roy Blunt brought up the same concern regarding Mark Twain National Forest in the past.
For some of the audience, the information provided by Koloski seemed to alleviate some of the fears about the project. Other citizens were heated in their questions, taking the opportunity to voice their anger at Forestry Department representatives for what they consider to be proposing to destroy the forest.
Corn said, “In trying to find answers for some of my own questions regarding the Butler Hollow project, I obtained information I felt was important to share with our community. I think everyone understands the environmental impact this project may produce, however there is also an economic impact to our community.” Corn was referring again to the timber damage from prescribed burns that would affect the financial prospects for commercial harvesting.
Koloski said the main reason for the cut-and-burn method instead of harvesting that viable timber commercially is due to the lay of the land. Using heavy equipment on steeper grades can cause issues with erosion.
However, some comments Koloski made generated an uproar of applause Monday evening. He assured the crowd, “I want to add an alternative to this project to meet the needs of the forest and the community both. For example, the public was not comfortable with the herbicides in the proposal. I’m more than comfortable with exploring the alternatives to using those herbicides.”
Koloski stressed that he wanted to find a viable solution that both the community and the Forest Department was comfortable with. He said, “What I’m interested in is some of the areas where we agree. We want a healthy forest just like you do.”
Best assured everyone, “Deforestation is not the same as restoration.”
At the end of the meeting, Corn read a letter from State Representative Scott Fitzpatrick regarding the proposal. Corn also showed a video where Senator Blunt raised concerns over the timber harvesting in Mark Twain National Forest.
Corn said, “It does not cost anything to allow these trees to remain and grow, however, it costs for us to pay for these trees to be slashed/cut/drop and for prescribed burns to be conducted.”
Koloski said, “The majority of this project is thinning the vegetation for maintaining the sustainability and health of the forest.”
While the public comment period ended on the Butler Hollow Project, there will be a 45-day period for people who submitted comments in the public comment period to file an objection once the environmental assessment and plan is revealed.
Koloski said that it may not be until August or later before he makes a decision with the additional input received in mind. Anyone who made a comment during the public comment period will receive a notice when the plan is finalized and be given the opportunity to file an objection at that point.
Charlea Mills
In an informal meeting held at the Seligman City Hall on Monday night, many citizens showed up to voice their concerns with the proposed Butler Hollow restoration project in the Mark Twain National Forest.
The meeting, organized by concerned citizen JoNell Corn, drew between 40 and 50 citizens from the Seligman and surrounding communities. Corn also invited Joseph Koloski, the district ranger at the Ava/Cassville/Willow Springs Ranger District office. Koloski and Steve Best, Mark Twain National Forest deputy forest supervisor, spoke to the group and tried to answer questions about the confusion generated by the project and tried to set the record straight on the Forestry Department’s plans for Butler Hollow.
Corn’s motivation for holding the meeting was fueled by a variety of concerns she and others have regarding the project, including the cut/leave method of timber thinning and prescribed burns.
Koloski opened his portion of the discussion in an attempt to clarify how much land would be affected by the proposed project. Figures released by some claimed that over 70 percent of the forest was going to be cut down, however that was inaccurate. Of the acreage in the Butler Hollow, currently 97 percent of it is forest and 3 percent is glade lands. Under the proposed project, 83 percent would remain forest while 17 percent would be turned into glade, according to Koloski. Glade acreage would be dispersed throughout the area.
Koloski said, “My goal is a healthy forest.” The main concerns driving the restoration project include trees maturing at the same rate and dying, disease and invasive species like Cedar trees taking over areas. The plan to manage that is to thin existing forest to about half the density, remove invasive species and institute prescribed burns. Both commercial logging and cut-and-leave are part of the plan for the forest.
The tension in the crowd was apparent before the question-and-answer period. Koloski addressed the audience and stated, “I realize this project has stirred a lot of interest and emotions. I do listen. I do read the comments, and I care about what you have to say.”
He continued, “I’m taking my time in making a decision. I’m not in a rush. I realize that I have a responsibility to the community and the forest that I’ve been asked to provide management for.”
Concerns from citizens from the area included issues with the number of trees being removed, the smoke from the prescribed burns, the beauty of the forest, and a call to let nature take its course.
Best addressed the audience, stating, “Nature is hard. When an area gets overpopulated, nature wipes it out.”
Koloski also said there are safety concerns with just letting the forest be without management strategies. He said, “This is a fire-adapted ecosystem. It will burn one way or another. With prescribed burns, there’s at least some control with where that fire and smoke goes, unlike with a wildfire.”
Corn stated, “There are great concerns that the cut/drop and prescribed burns are destroying and damaging future timber sales. Cut and drop management method destroys trees that would be marketable in the future.” Senator Roy Blunt brought up the same concern regarding Mark Twain National Forest in the past.
For some of the audience, the information provided by Koloski seemed to alleviate some of the fears about the project. Other citizens were heated in their questions, taking the opportunity to voice their anger at Forestry Department representatives for what they consider to be proposing to destroy the forest.
Corn said, “In trying to find answers for some of my own questions regarding the Butler Hollow project, I obtained information I felt was important to share with our community. I think everyone understands the environmental impact this project may produce, however there is also an economic impact to our community.” Corn was referring again to the timber damage from prescribed burns that would affect the financial prospects for commercial harvesting.
Koloski said the main reason for the cut-and-burn method instead of harvesting that viable timber commercially is due to the lay of the land. Using heavy equipment on steeper grades can cause issues with erosion.
However, some comments Koloski made generated an uproar of applause Monday evening. He assured the crowd, “I want to add an alternative to this project to meet the needs of the forest and the community both. For example, the public was not comfortable with the herbicides in the proposal. I’m more than comfortable with exploring the alternatives to using those herbicides.”
Koloski stressed that he wanted to find a viable solution that both the community and the Forest Department was comfortable with. He said, “What I’m interested in is some of the areas where we agree. We want a healthy forest just like you do.”
Best assured everyone, “Deforestation is not the same as restoration.”
At the end of the meeting, Corn read a letter from State Representative Scott Fitzpatrick regarding the proposal. Corn also showed a video where Senator Blunt raised concerns over the timber harvesting in Mark Twain National Forest.
Corn said, “It does not cost anything to allow these trees to remain and grow, however, it costs for us to pay for these trees to be slashed/cut/drop and for prescribed burns to be conducted.”
Koloski said, “The majority of this project is thinning the vegetation for maintaining the sustainability and health of the forest.”
While the public comment period ended on the Butler Hollow Project, there will be a 45-day period for people who submitted comments in the public comment period to file an objection once the environmental assessment and plan is revealed.
Koloski said that it may not be until August or later before he makes a decision with the additional input received in mind. Anyone who made a comment during the public comment period will receive a notice when the plan is finalized and be given the opportunity to file an objection at that point.
