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Calling all national forest friends and advocates:
Over the years, Wild South (that means you) has protected over half a million acres from the axe. We've defended cultural sites, protected habitats, kept our air and water clean, and inspired thousands along the way. We have helped usher in a new era of forest management with a focus on ecological restoration. But, the system has inherent challenges with logging projects disguised as restoration, management regulations weakened, and positive work paralyzed as a result of dwindling agency budgets.
Wild South was born out of vigilant citizen involvement. For twenty years we have been the voice for the voiceless, the eyes and ears of the forest, the boots on the ground. Our founding spirit is as relevant today as it was in the beginning because while tools, strategies and tactics have changed, the need to protect the wild character and natural legacy of the South has not. Citizen involvement is still required to protect and steward the places we love and Wild South is committed to leading the way. Here's how you can help:
Forest Watch
Our Forest Watch program tracks ground disturbing projects in our region's national forests to ensure that the environment is protected. Our restoration work in Alabama's Bankhead National Forest – a source of pride for us until we caught the Forest Service cutting down old hardwoods in the name of restoring them – must have more community Forest Watch to be effective. In February we trained twenty-five volunteers in Forest Watch ground-truthing skills to help spot problems before they arise. You can be a part of this Bankhead Forest Watch team or you can help us to ground-truth projects in a national forest near you.
Helping Hands
Our Helping Hands program mobilizes local communities to improve trails, restore forest health, and maintain high quality recreational experiences in our National Forest. With shrinking Forest Service budgets and staff, Wild South expanded this program in 2011 to address some critical unmet needs.
Our new Volunteer Wilderness Ranger project will recruit, train and equip local volunteers to steward wilderness by serving as wilderness rangers in Alabama's three wilderness areas: the Sipsey, Cheaha and Dugger Mountain. These volunteer wilderness rangers will educate and inform wilderness users, monitor conditions of recreational resources, collect wilderness visitor use data, and perform services to maintain the wilderness resource in good condition.
Our NC Trails Inventory project will recruit and train volunteers to survey hiking, biking, and horse trails in the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forests of NC and collect data on their condition. The inventory will be the foundation for an ongoing collaborative effort to maintain a sustainable trail system that satisfies users while protecting the integrity of forest ecosystems.
NFMA Regulations Comments
The draft Planning Rule of the National Forest Management Act is out. This Act and rule determine how our national forests are managed and how their management plans are developed. These are your lands so the Dept. of Agriculture needs to hear from you. Submit your comments by May 16. Talking points and how to submit comments can be found in this newsletter.
The success of every grassroots group hinges on the involvement of people who care about the mission. It is going to take all of us to ensure that the wild character and natural legacy of the South are maintained. So if you care about wild places and your national forests, get active.
Ben Colvin, Wild South's new Donor Relations coordinator will be engaging more people in all aspects of our work. That's because our success rests on the support and active role our members play. If you are passionate about your forests and want to make a difference we've got a job for you. Please contact
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to learn more about the opportunities listed above or other ways you can be involved.
Thanks for all of your help! |