State Forest Clear Cutting

[Dawn]

Dear State of Florida Forestry Department,

I hope you get good money for our timber. I trust that the contract is fair and that the money received is used wisely.

But PLEASE! When you allow contractors to clear cut OUR forest next to OUR SCENIC HIGHWAY (395) PLEASE require a buffer so that our SCENIC Highway remains scenic!

 

[jkmason]

They also clear cut portions ON the Longleaf trail West of 83. They are removing all the native pine and other vegetation and replanting longleaf.

I can't believe they couldn't spare a small corridor along The trail. Go figure.

 

[Teresa]

Didn't realize the trail on 395 was closed until I tried to go out on it last week. Bummer. It looks terrible. I hope it's a good plan for the future with native long leaf.

 

[jodiFL]

They also clear cut portions ON the Longleaf trail West of 83. They are removing all the native pine and other vegetation and replanting longleaf.

I can't believe they couldn't spare a small corridor along The trail. Go figure.

The long leaf pine is actually the native tree for this area. What they are cutting is the pines planted by St. Joe for paper.

 

[Jimmy T]

Saw the clear cutting yesterday while riding my bike. They're tearing it up. It would have been nice to leave a buffer, so we could at least have the illusion of a forest from the road and trails. I understand they're re-planting with longleaf, but it's going to take years before we have a forest again. Here's a link to an article about it:
Florida Forest Service restores Longleaf Pines in Point Washington State Forest

It's their effort to restore the Longleaf Pine ecosystem.

For the next few weeks, the Florida Forest Service is having the Sand Pines removed from more than 120 acres at Point Washington State Forest.

"[Sand Pines] don't offer really any advantage to this forest,” said Mike Mathis, Forestry Operations Administrator for the Chipola District.

Mathis says that Sand Pine timber will be harvested. A process that has been done before, since Mathis says Point Washington is a "working forest"

"The objective is to remove the marketable Sand Pine and plant back, next year, during planting season, with native longleaf,” Mathis stated.

However, Mathis says over the last week he has heard a number of concerns from residents about this project; many stating to him they believe it is more about revenue than restoration.

"There is other concerns that we won't be planting back into longleaf or anything, so we definitely will be,” Mathis said.

While this project is in effect, Mathis says some of the trails will be closed within the area.

"Within a couple of weeks the Eastern Lake trail head will be closed, and right now the longleaf greenway trail is closed,” he said.

But Mathis says the purpose of this restoration is to not only help the longleaf ecosystem, but also bring the forest back to its natural state.

The Florida Forest Service will host a 10-year management plan workshop Tuesday April 5th at 10:30 a.m. at the South Walton Coastal Branch Library.

 

[Dawn]

They're tearing it up. It would have been nice to leave a buffer, so we could at least have the illusion of a forest from the road and trails.

That's what I am saying. 395 is a designated Scenic Highway by the same state that just ruined the scenery.

 

[Will B]

Unfortunately, the trees are theirs. They put them there and will replace them once they are done..

 

[seabythegrove]

Managing the state forest should be left to the professionals. Short term it appears unattractive; long term it probably is the right thing to do...

 

[Everytime]

This all makes sense now; I was down there 3/25-4/3 and ran portions of the Eastern Lake/Cassine trails and the trails/roads towards Deer Lake and saw no logging. A friend was visiting the area the following week and I recommended the PWSF trails. He ran them but ran into logging crews, controlled burns and trail closures on the west end and at the Eastern Lake Trailhead lot.

 

[Dawn]

Managing the state forest should be left to the professionals. Short term it appears unattractive; long term it probably is the right thing to do...

There is no reason for it not to be done properly in the short and long term. I noticed there is a buffer left for much of it but not all of it.

Utilities should be required to leave proper buffers also. And we should require utilities and road crews to leave no footprints and use proper landscaping and cleanup so that our roadways are attractive and neat. There is no excuse any longer for making a mess and leaving it. 30 years ago it might have been OK but not anymore.