Trenton, NJ -(AmmoLand.com)- In the ongoing debate about fuel load reduction cuttings at Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area the NJOA contacted a regional expert.
According to John Rogalo, President of the New Jersey Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs and Rutgers trained Forester, “There is a gross misrepresentation about what the Sparta Mountain Forestry Stewardship Project is all about.” He continued, “It is a wildlife project on a designated Wildlife Management Area, not a timber or logging project designed to raise state revenues as it is being portrayed by some who seek sympathy, member and votes. The timber cut will barely pay for the labor needed!”
Rogalo cited a recent article by renowned Biologist Scott Stoleson who works out of the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Research Station in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. Here is the link which identifies with the conflict on Sparta Mountain WMA to a Tee. (YoungForest.org)
The Sierra Club, Highlands Coalition and the citizens they have misinformed through their media and meetings really need to read this article and err on the side of science as opposed to public opinion. No one representing any of the aforementioned organizations has a background in Forestry, so they rely opinion to decide what is right for wildlife. That includes New Jersey Sierra Club President Jeff Tittle, Executive Director of the New Jersey Highlands Coalition Julie Somers, former Urban Parks Project Manager for the New Jersey Conservation Foundation Dennis Miranda, and Sustainability and Energy Coordinator for Raritan Valley Community College Susan Dorward. They see this conflict as a chance to form a protest in hopes of raising memberships.
As a result the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance in conjunction with New Jersey Audubon has issued a statement. “The Sparta Mountain locals want to look out their window and see a lush, green forest, we don’t blame them and would want the same. It is just that the forest is not lush anymore! Their so called lush forest is nothing more than a green canopy with minimal undergrowth to attract and feed wildlife. Sunlight no longer penetrates. Browse is nonexistent. Many of the animals and birds no longer live there. The deer are on the lawns, in your shrubs, or on the roads, while bears are scavenging through garbage cans. Birds are skipping state migrations or becoming endangered altogether. The locals utilize and understand the importance of this land, but have been misguided as to how to manage it for future prosperity.”
About Sparta Mountain – SMWMA.
About NJOA:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earth’s resources.
For more information, visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org.