Oh my god. The NIMBYs have become NIYBYs.

“Uninterrupted” bruh we basically clear cut the whole state in the 1800s for sheep farming, less than 5% is old growth these days.

Maybe don’t tell Vermonters how to advocate for their state? 🤷🏻‍♂️

This needs to be pointed out every time a tourist equates VT to Narnia.

You do realize that most of the green mountain forest is less than 150 years old as the entire state was almost clear cut in the 1800’s.

The forests of Vermont have been actively managed since that time. That management has resulted in what we currently have: a productive, multi use forest ecosystem that employs Vermonters, allows for ample recreation opportunities and has a generally healthy biodiversity.

Do us a favor, and “save” your own state first. Once you have done that, then please come and present the result of your efforts for us to see.

The forest service has done a pretty impeccable job managing that bit of woods so far. Vermont's forests are healthy and growing. Logging (when done the right way) helps mimic natural disturbances that humans otherwise prevent and can lead to healthier, more diverse, and stronger forests.

came here to say this

Hey my state is pretty fucked, but believe me I try. I grew up in Pennsylvania but my parents and generations before them are from Massachusetts/Vermont/New York—my relatives live about 20min from the Vermont border— so I am very familiar with the region and there’s no need to discriminate against me as a non-resident. I am pretty concerned about the Earth as a whole, and what we can do to protect what is left. I receive emails from Environment America who are a nationwide advocacy group. I thought I could bring light to this impending project to locals before it happens. With big projects such as this, once it’s approved by the governing bodies and too late to speak out, everyone says “what could we have done to stop it?” It’s helpful to know this is happening. You can certainly decide for yourself whether or not you support it. Note that the proposed plan is not manifesting from individuals in the local Vermont forestry sector, it’s a federal government plan, and this is not logging as you’re used to, it’s clear-cutting and creating a road/tele services through the clear cut area. Once that starts, it won’t stop. You are misunderstanding “uninterrupted” and thinking I believe it is “old growth”— I know that Vermont was logged AF in centuries ago and that it’s not untouched and pristine. At the moment the Green Mountains are one of the largest patches of continuous unfragmented forest and this is in fact something that should be protected from large scale projects such as this.

Thank you your comment is very helpful!

You are misunderstanding “uninterrupted” and thinking I believe it is “old growth”— I know that Vermont was logged AF in centuries ago and that it’s not untouched and pristine. At the moment the Green Mountains are one of the largest patches of continuous unfragmented forest and this is in fact something that should be protected from large scale projects such as this.

Note that the proposed plan is not manifesting from individuals in the local Vermont forestry sector, it’s a federal government plan, and this is not logging as you’re used to, it’s clear-cutting and creating a road/tele services through the clear cut area. Once that starts, it won’t stop.

We all live on this planet. The fact that the Green Mountains are not “my” back yard or even my state and I still care to protect them from fragmentation cannot be construed as a negative.

I am pretty concerned about the Earth as a whole, and what we can do to protect what is left. I receive emails from Environment America who are a nationwide advocacy group. I thought I could bring light to this impending project to locals before it happens. With big projects such as this, once it’s approved by the governing bodies and too late to speak out, everyone says “what could we have done to stop it?” It’s helpful to know this is happening. You can certainly decide for yourself whether or not you support it. Note that the proposed plan is not manifesting from individuals in the local Vermont forestry sector, it’s a federal government plan, and this is not logging as you’re used to, it’s clear-cutting and creating a road/tele services through the clear cut area. Once that starts, it won’t stop.

I think you fundamentally misunderstand what this project is.

Telephone Gap is a place name in Vermont, and this is a pretty comprehensive project to protect and improve it.

They're not clear cutting for a road and telephone services.

https://usfs-public.app.box.com/v/PinyonPublic/file/1125013714612

The idea that telephone gap is one of our “most valuable forests” is only a claim that a flatlander would make 😂 have you ever been there? It was once a very industrial area and had a road through it before.

In order for a forest to sequester more carbon than it releases through respiration you need there to be disturbances in the forest canopy. Without them you have just a bunch of aging trees that are actually only producing a little bit of wood while most of the tree rots and releases carbon. Old growth has its place and there’s many reasons to preserve old growth but telephone gap is not an area that has a structure remotely similar to an old growth forest, and we need to make some gaps in the canopy. Since we suppress fires here we are left with only windstorms and logging.

This comment should be at the top 🙏 I’m so tired of people from out of state trying to complain about how VT is being managed when they don’t even know the first thing about what’s going on here. Theres literally people on vacation who complain that there’s not enough people working at the resorts and then turn around and complain that we’re building houses….. like excuse us for trying to survive

It’s federal land so of course it’s a federal project, but it’s not like the wood just goes down to DC it’ll end up at mills in VT or at the paper plants in Ticonderoga so unless you live in a house made without a single piece of wood in it and wipe your butt with a cloth instead of TP you should probably be pretty grateful that we have the space to be able to pull off long term management plans of our forests that include sustainable harvesting.

Part of the reason VT has gone back to being over 60% Forested is because of active management of our forestland. Our forests are far healthier than the forest preserve right across the lake in the Adirondacks because our public lands are managed (mostly through timber harvests). We’re more resilient to Forest pests, invasives, potential for fire, and it even gives us an economic argument for keeping it forested. If you look at the Adirondack and Catskills Forest preserves (where cutting hasn’t been allowed in any form on the state lands ever since they realized they needed trees to have water for the Erie Canal), it’s pretty obvious how detrimental a complete lack of forest management is.