Cumberland Chapter Sierra Club Kentucky

The following are comments prepared By Dave Stawicki on behalf of the Cumberland Chapter regarding the Cerulean Warbler Project proposed for the Morehead Ranger District. These comments were submitted to James Manner, District Manager, Morehead Ranger District of the Daniel Boone National Forest on December 22, 2005.

James D. Manner
Morehead Ranger District, DBNF
2375 KY 801 South
Morehead, KY 40351

Dave,

Thanks for including the Sierra Club in the mailing for the Cerulean Warbler Project being proposed for the Morehead Ranger District. I found a need for additional information regarding this proposal and contacted Jeffrey Lewis in your office and Dave Maehr with UK and the Cerulean Warbler research group. Both were helpful in helping me further understand this project.

Given the information I have received, it is the opinion of the Sierra Club to oppose this project. We do not see where the USFS-Daniel Boone NF has adequately documented the need for additional timber harvesting. At this point it appears that you are expanding existing timber sales areas and using the Cerulean warbler research as an excuse.

There is little documentation in the scoping to support a need for this project, and the availability of adjacent timbering areas already approved is omitted. Having talked briefly with Dave Maehr, I got no indication that a cutting of trees was even necessary for the completion of their research. His comments referred mainly to existing habitat changes – due to the ice storm – and to means of enticing the warblers to habitat.

The existence of project areas near the research site is beneficial, but it has not been verified that the additional cuts are necessary for the successful completion of the research. Furthermore, in any research project, areas of untouched “control-habitat” would be beneficial in determining habitat preference and use. Additionally, the presence of machines and laborers during the timber harvest would surely negatively impact the warblers’ presence and influence the research.

It is our opinion that the areas proposed in this project be left uncut and in their natural condition. This would provide better data regarding the Cerulean warbler, as well as other species, than the project you propose.

Sincerely,

Dave Stawicki
Cumberland Sierra Club
Forest Issues Chair

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