GROUP CONTINUES TO CALL FOR TIMBER HARVEST BAN; PRESS CONFERENCE CALLED AT SHAWNEE

TAMMS, Ill. -- A small group of people are continuing their efforts to bring a halt to logging in the Shawnee National Forest.

A dozen people from the Shawnee Defense Fund group held what they described as a "tree top" press conference from the Burner Hill area of the forest Saturday to relay their message to the public.

"Logging in this area is devastating to the ecosystem," said Matt Castano, who made his remarks from a 50-foot-high perch in a large oak tree atop Burner Hill. "It's breathtaking up here, and it's a shame to see a tree like this fall by the ax."

Castano and Jan Wilder-Thomas acted as spokespersons during the conference, which attracted broadcast and print media representatives to Burner Hill, in the Shawnee Forest about four miles northwest of Tamms.

"We're using this means to tell our story to the people," said Wilder-Thomas, who urged people to write their legislators seeking to ban logging from the nation's national forests. "We've lost 15,000 acres of forests in the Shawnee since 1987. This (Burner Hill) is the last 100-year-old canopy corridor in Alexander County."

Wilder-Thomas said the Shawnee Defense Group wants the National Forest Service to buy back Burner Hill and keep it intact.

The Burner Hill area will remain intact for at least a year, said an East Perry Lumber Co. spokesman.

"We don't have a contract to cut the timber in that area now," said Brian Unnerstall, forester with the Missouri company. "We made a bid on the timber contract and we're high bidder, but since that time the Forest Service has issued a new Shawnee National Forest Plan."

Under the new plan, the Forest Service will work with purchasers of sales already under contract to achieve acceptable modifications to the new plan.

In past years the Forest Service permitted clear cutting on 30-to-50-acre plots. That had been reduced to two-acre plots in recent years.

"Now they're talking only two-thirds of an acre, and this will be limited to group selection," explained Unnerstall. "The timber contract will have to be redone, based on the new plan.

The plan has already passed Congress and is awaiting President Bush's approval.

"Once everything is squared away, we'll redo the sale, but it'll probably be a year before we'll be cutting any timber at Burner Hill," said Unnerstall.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard, D-Carterville, elaborated on the new plan.

"It eliminates any clear cutting and introduces what is called `gap phase dynamics,'" said Poshard, representative from Illinois' 22nd District.

"This method simulates nature," he told the Southeast Missourian Saturday. "It leaves natural openings, but loggers are limited as to what trees they can cut."

Poshard said the former 30-to-50-acre cuts were devastating.

"Timber people went into a plot and cut everything standing," he said. "This was damaging, and created a lot of problems, especially erosion problems."

The Forest Service then went to two-acre clear-cutting until the new gap phase dynamics plan was introduced.

"The new plan will help achieve some balance," said Poshard. "My position is that the forest should be managed to provide recreation, conservation and economic activity, each within reason. The new Shawnee Forest management plans advocate that.

"It would be a mistake to discontinue harvest of timber at a time when private lands are less able to provide for our timber needs," said Poshard. "I believe harvestation of timber, along with reforestation, protects our future."