This Trump order could impact a ‘crown jewel’ of New York

Trees in New York’s only national forest could be cut down at an accelerated rate under an order by President Donald Trump to increase timber production in national forests by 25 percent.

The Finger Lakes National Forest, spanning 16,000 acres between Cayuga and Seneca lakes, is among the national forests that could be affected by Trump’s order, according to a map from the U.S. Forest Service.

Trump’s administration invoked emergency powers to expedite the sale of timber and roll back environmental reviews to bring about a “new era” in logging of national forests.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said last week it would invest $200 million from taxpayers to fast-track the plan, streamline “burdensome regulations” and expedite project approvals.

The USDA said its actions are needed to improve forest health, reduce the risk of wildfires and create a more stable supply of wood products.

New York’s two U.S. senators and an environmental group are warning that any increased logging in Finger Lakes National Forest could damage a public treasure and have unintended environmental consequences.

The forest is on a ridge between the two Cayuga and Seneca lakes, about 70 miles southwest of Syracuse.

Large-scale logging in the environmentally sensitive region could unearth soil that would wash into the two Finger Lakes and harm the water quality, said Yvonne Taylor, vice president of Seneca Lake Guardian.

“If it gets logged, that could mean more sediment in Seneca and Cayuga lakes that are already struggling with harmful algal blooms,” Taylor told syracuse.com.

“It’s a part of the Finger Lakes that really deserves to be protected,” she said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think from what we’ve seen of the Trump administration that they would allow for harvesting of the timber in any kind of responsible way.”

Schumer, D-N.Y, said the plan is so ill-conceived that “even the Once-ler in the Lorax would scoff at it,” referring to the greedy industrialist character in a Dr. Seuss book.

Schumer said the forest is vital to protecting the surrounding Finger Lakes, biodiversity and the region’s recreation and tourism economy in Seneca and Schuyler counties.

“The Finger Lakes National Forest is a crown jewel of the region, and a magnet for families and tourists alike to experience the vast nature and beauty of Upstate New York,” Schumer said in a statement. “But Trump’s recent executive order could callously cut down huge chunks of this forest, threatening the Finger Lakes.”

Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., sent a letter Monday to the chief of the U.S. Forest Service, urging him not to boost commercial logging in the forest.

“The Finger Lakes National Forest is more than a beautiful landscape – it is a living asset for the region, supporting tourism, recreation, and a healthy environment, while also serving as a source of pride for generations of Upstate New Yorkers,” the senators wrote to Forest Service chief Tom Schultz.

The senators cited a U.S. Forest Service report that found Finger Lakes National Forest and Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont together boost the economy by about $174 million per year by supporting recreational activities on their land.

Finger Lakes National Forest has more than 30 miles of interconnecting trails that span gorges, ravines, pastures and woodlands.

Schumer and Gillibrand said the benefits from recreational activities far outweigh any potential profits from increased timber sales.

The Forest Service already allows logging on up to 800 acres in the Finger Lakes National Forest to support forest health and reduce fire risk, the senators said. They said it’s unclear why additional logging would be necessary or productive.

The Forest Service did not respond to a request for comment.

Taylor, of Seneca Lake Guardian, said a better use of resources would be to restore cuts to the Forest Service staff who oversee Finger Lakes National Forest. She said the staff was reduced this spring by 60%, leaving only three full-time workers.

She said the cuts will slow the process of planting native trees in a section of the forest that was cut down to stop the infestation of the Emerald ash borer, an invasive species.

The Forest Service has also managed the fire risk in the forest over the years with prescribed burns to clear overgrown brush and grass.

This spring, the service planned to burn about 600 acres in the Hector Ranger District in Seneca and Schuyler counties.

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