A middle path for the forest

To the Editor:

A forest fire is no joke — especially for those who risk their lives as firefighters to keep communities safe from danger. But are the white pines in Manuel F. Correllus State Forest truly the fire threat the DCR has made them out to be? Or is the origin of such talk a premeditated scare campaign to justify clear-cutting thousands of healthy, carbon-storing trees? If conifer trees are so dangerous, why aren’t similar pitch pine stands across the Island targeted as dangerous too? One could argue that labeling the white pine portion of the State Forest as a unique public safety risk serves the interests of those who want to turn it into a nearly evergreenless, micromanaged landscape.

Think about it. If catastrophic fire in the State Forest is imminent due to the presence of flammable trees, why in the world would DCR propose replacing white pines with pitch pine and scrub oak? White pine trees are not easily burned. Research shows their thick bark and tall crowns help them survive most fires. Pitch pine and scrub oak, on the other hand, are considered among the most combustible trees in the area. 

Despite what the state would have us believe, the white pine plantations are a valuable forest asset on the Vineyard. Remove the canopy and you dry the soil, open the ground to sun and wind, leave piles of slash, release tons of stored carbon, destroy habitat, and invite invasive plants and flammable scrub to take over. 

Fire prevention is critical, and ought to be based on best practices, not hysteria. Educate abutting home owners, harden houses, secure water access, and selectively cut certain trees. The public deserves a plan that respects science and nature, not one that doubles as a PR strategy by those who wish to repurpose the forest.

If the DCR moves forward with its clear-cut plan, come December, the crisp clean scent of pine sap and visual balm of deep greens in winter will be replaced by acres of downed trees, industrial fencing, heavy machinery, compacted soil, and noxious diesel fumes.

The DCR says not to worry, though — we won’t notice the drastic erasure of the white pine forest because they will keep a thin buffer of trees along the roadside to shield the clear-cut from view. Hiding this atrocity from our view does not lessen its impact. The DCR seems set to divide and conquer the public by issuing an all-or-nothing edict in regards to the management of this shared natural resource. The people can and should reject this false choice, and push for a well-balanced, long-sighted solution that does more good than harm.

Johanna Hynes

Charlestown