A Letter to President Bush 8 May 2002 The Honorable President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, Too often, commercial forest management practices are portrayed as solely a means to harvest wood fiber. This oversimplification is inaccurate and serves only to further polarize already disparate publics regarding the management of our National Forests. Thoughtfully implemented forest management practices are essential elements of a balanced approach to science-based forest stewardship, an approach that addresses the interests of sportsmen and other dedicated wildlife conservationists. We recognize the need to conserve old forests in many areas on our National Forests. However, the young forest habitats created today almost solely through forest management practices are important to many popular game species. The lush herbaceous vegetation that flourishes after a mature forest stand is harvested provides high-quality forage for elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer. Insects, abundant in these temporary openings, provide wild turkey poults with an important source of protein to meet the energy demands of growth. Black bears feed on the fruits and berries that thrive in these openings, a food source relatively unavailable in the shade of the mature forest. The thick, almost impenetrable cover of young forest habitats provides ruffed grouse and American woodcock with protection from a host of potential predators. Certain nongame wildlife species also depend upon the habitats created by forest management practices. The golden-winged warbler, a species that is seriously imperiled throughout much of the eastern United States, commonly nests in very young forests. The Kirtland's warbler, a federally endangered species that is only 10% as abundant as the northern spotted owl, breeds only in very young stands of jack pine in central Michigan. Forty-five percent of the global population of Kirtland's warblers breeds on the Huron-Manistee National Forest. No single forest, young or old, pine or hardwood, can provide suitable habitat for the full array of forest wildlife. But a diverse forest landscape, supporting young and old stands of all native forest types, can help to sustain local wildlife populations. Old forests develop only through time; young forests develop only through disturbance. Historically wildfire was the principal agent of disturbance responsible for the establishment of young forests. Today, wildfires have been drastically reduced on most landscapes. Although neither prescribed fires nor forest management practices can precisely replicate the effects of wildfire; both can provide wildlife habitats similar to those historically created by fire. Forest management practices, including commercial timber harvest and prescribed fire, are essential tools in the maintenance of diverse, healthy forest landscapes. The removal of either of these tools from the hands of trained resource professionals on our National Forests would be a disservice to sportsmen and, more importantly, our nation's forest wildlife. Sincerely, Daniel R. Dessecker Senior Wildlife Biologist Ruffed Grouse Society Ray Lee Executive Director Foundation for North American Wild Sheep Richard Lane Chief Executive Officer Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Terry Z. Riley Director of Conservation Wildlife Management Institute Scott Hartman Director, National - International Affairs National Trappers Association Jay McAninch Chief Executive Officer and President Archery Manufacturers and Merchants Organization Bud Pidgeon President US Sportsmen's Alliance Matt Hogan Conservation Policy Director Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation James Earl Kennamer Senior Vice President, Conservation Programs National Wild Turkey Federation Terry Wayne Cloutier President and CEO The Mule Deer Foundation Tom Franklin Policy Director The Wildlife Society Paul W. Hansen Executive Director Izaak Walton League of America R. Max Peterson Executive Vice President International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Gray N. Thornton Executive Director Dallas Safari Club Jeffrey B. Schinkten President Whitetails Unlimited David Howell Director, Agriculture and Wildlife Services Quail Unlimited Susan Lamson Director, Conservation, Wildlife and Natural Resources National Rifle Association A.C. Smid President Bear Trust International Phil Reddock National Chapter Director Buckmasters American Deer Foundation Hyland B. Erickson Immediate Past President Shikar Safari Club Mark W. Johnson Executive Director Minnesota Deer Hunters Association William Leipold President Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs Joe Wilkinson President Iowa Wildlife Federation C. Randall Byers President Pope and Young Club Peter Roemer Deputy Chair Conservation Committee Camp Fire Club of America David M. Knotts Executive Vice President International Hunter Education Association Doug Grann President and CEO Wildlife Forever Earl Morgenroth President Boone and Crockett Club Kirby Brown Executive Vice President Texas Wildlife Association Chris M. Marino President Connecticut Sportsman's Council Melody Zullinger Executive Director Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs www.twincitiesrgs.org