Passage of farm bill important to protecting Michigan's forests
"If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you," is Michigan's state motto. What is now underway in Washington, D.C., may determine if our motto holds true into the future.
Fortunately, a Michigan native and U.S. senator, Debbie Stabenow is in a leadership position to help control our destiny.
Senator Stabenow, now sits as the chair of Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. Our junior U.S. Senator has a big task on her hands: Writing a new Farm Bill. This mega bill is now up for renewal (every five years) just as budget deficits are mounting and the call for spending cuts are deafening.
Tom Watkins
In Michigan, forests generated nearly 31,000 jobs in 2007 and an additional 30,000 outside the wood industry. The woody biomass from Michigan’s forests provides 30 percent of the state’s renewable energy. Our forests also supply residents with clean air and water; and places to hike, hunt, and fish, which generates millions in recreation and tourism revenues, not to mention the thrill of the great outdoors.
But our forests are not a sure thing. Particularly around our urban areas, forests are at risk of conversion to other uses that won’t provide the same environmental, community and economic benefits. Throughout the state, we have growing forest health threats -- from the emerald ash borer that has chewed up more than 30 million ash trees in the state, to wildfire risks in northern lower and the Upper Peninsula.
Here in Michigan, we’re depending on more than 400,000 family forest owners, to keep our forests healthy. These families own almost half our state’s forests. Unfortunately, most of Michigan’s family forest owners don’t have any kind of stewardship or management plan which outlines the necessary action steps to ensure healthy woodlands for the future.
At the same we have impending threats like development pressures and invasive species, we also have a large group of forest owners who have minimal understanding of what to do about these threats. There is a similar phenomenon across the nation, where only 4 percent of forest owners have management plans.
And that’s why Stabenow's Farm Bill is so important. Farm Bill conservation programs in particular, provide key tools to help engage private landowners in active management to conserve forest land. The Farm Bill conservation programs help them know what to do and why to do it, and offer resources to leverage a landowners own investment which can result in significant improvements on the ground. Once given the understanding and the tools, landowners often do right by their land.
The 2008 Farm Bill was a good start -- forest owners were made eligible for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP), ensuring significant new dollars for forest practices like wildfire prevention and invasive species removal. More than one million forested acres are now part of the Conservation Stewardship Program, nearly reaching the limit of what can be enrolled in the program based on the 2008 Farm Bill.
There’s a lot more forest land in America and Michigan that Farm Bill programs need to reach. The 10 million family forest owners -- who own more of America’s forests than the federal government -- need technical assistance and cost share programs to help make the right choices that will benefit all of us. We’ll have more sustainable harvested wood for the products we all enjoy, cleaner air and water, and the quality of life we all have come to appreciate when we see and experience the woods around us.
Chairwoman Stabenow is faced with some very tough days ahead as she leads the development of this formidable piece of legislation and given her history -- she’s up to the task. She’s always done right by Michigan and we should stand by her as she fights to craft a new Farm Bill. The senator knows that here in Michigan we take our environment and trees seriously, and a strong forest industry in our state means good paying jobs, strong rural economies and forests that help create Pure Michigan.
Tom Watkins is a business and educational consultant. He is the former Michigan state superintendent of schools and chair of Earthforce, a national organization to engage youth in civic activities to improve our environment. He can be reached at: tdwatkins88@gmail.com.
Comments
Tony Dearing
Thu, Sep 8, 2011 : 7:39 p.m.
Comments were removed because of personal remarks that two commenters were directing at each other. While commenters are free to disagree with each other, we ask that they do it in a way that is civil and stick to the substance of their arguments.
Tony Dearing
Thu, Sep 8, 2011 : 9 p.m.
Three replies posted here have been moved to our comment moderation thread because they dealt with our moderation, rather than with the topic of this guest column. You can see these comments, and my reply to them, here: <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/about/annarborcom-conversation-guidelines-comment-moderation/?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:6bc75810-4031-4085-a9ca-14571a1f97f5">http://www.annarbor.com/about/annarborcom-conversation-guidelines-comment-moderation/?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:6bc75810-4031-4085-a9ca-14571a1f97f5</a>
outdoor6709
Thu, Sep 8, 2011 : 11:49 a.m.
The farm bill is just another pork laden policy the U.S. cannot afford. If Senator Stabenow really is interested in the long term health of U.S. she will cut the scope and cost of the farm bill. My guess is she will not. She no longer even pretends to care about what the citizens of Michigan think. She does not even sent form letters in response to tough questions about her budget priorities. Since she supported no budget for FY 2011 and 2012 she has demonstrated she is unwilling to carry out the basic responsibilities of her office. As Patriotic citizens we should do our duty and vote her out of office. Who was it that said " I love my country, but I fear my government"?
outdoor6709
Thu, Sep 8, 2011 : 2:21 a.m.
My guess is if you ask the forest owners they will say, "We do not ned or want the kind of help the government has to offer". An over aggressive EPA threatens the lively hoods nonsuspecting people. <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/31/epa-regulations-violate-constitutional-rights/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/31/epa-regulations-violate-constitutional-rights/</a> Lenin was a big believer in a powerful government and used his power to sieze the assets of the Russian people. We can only hope Senator Stabenhow will not help land owners. If we are real lucky she will loose her seat and once again be subjected to the laws she imposed on others.
Mick52
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 8:53 p.m.
The last time I wrote to Senator Stabenow I received a response that started out, "I believe health care is a right." Anyone who believes that should not hold elective office. Never mind that my inquiry to her was not on the health care issue. For some odd reason I prefer our policy on farming and forestry are not lumped together. I suggest keeping farming with the agricultural experts and forests with the natural resources/forestry experts. When we have to start eating wood we can lump em together again. In re to Ms Stabenow, I hope she can just get Michigan some funding on each and stay the heck out of the way.
DonBee
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 5:47 p.m.
Michigan's forests two largest owners are the Federal Government and the State Government. Both badly mis-manage their forest land. Governor Granholm made the largest purchase of private forest in decades by the state and promptly closed most of this forest to any economic use, throwing hundreds of people out of work. The state continues the path that Gov Granholm started, strangling the timber and wood pulp industry in Northern Michigan and the UP. De-population of the northern part of the state seems to be a goal of the state and federal programs for Forestry management. Most private landowners do a much better job of managing their forest than the government and most of the remaining firebreaks are on private land, not government land. We need an active management system for the government land in Michigan. For jobs, hunting, stumpage (tax for logging) and other purposes. Too bad this is way to far down the list of things to fix in Michigan.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 8:53 p.m.
"The state continues the path that Gov Granholm started, strangling the timber and wood pulp industry in Northern Michigan and the UP." I guess that's why, whenever I'm in the UP (2 or 3 times every summer) I see dozens of logging trucks on the road and woodcutting operations in both state and national forests. Far more likely that the logging industry, to the degree it has become smaller, has become smaller due to the fact that the area's paper industry has moved offshore. Escanaba, Ontonogan, and Manistique have all had paper mills shut down in the last decade, and not for want of timber. And, last time I was there, it was not clear that the mill in Munising would be open much longer. Good Night and Good Luck
Mike
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 4:41 p.m.
God helps us if we're relying on Debbie Stabenow to help Michigan. This is the same senator who single handedly drove tens of thousands of high paying biotechnology research jobs out of the state.
jcj
Sun, Sep 11, 2011 : 3:44 p.m.
E GHAST What did one member do to keep them here?
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.
Specific examples, please. What, exactly, did ONE member of the United States Congress do to drive off jobs in Michigan. Good Night and Good Luck
sbbuilder
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 3:22 p.m.
Two summers ago we had a massive invasion of tent caterpillars in upper lower Michigan. Tens of thousands of acres were affected. The blight stopped, of all things, mid-way through our acreage near Cadillac. The next summer, you could see a distinct line between the infected and uninfected areas. The blight was so bad that the Wexford Ct road commission was using road graders to scrape the caterpillars off the roads. Here's the kicker: Gov. Granholm, when confronted with this issue, flatly turned down any funds to spray these areas with bacteria that would stop the blight in its tracks. I cannot think of a better example of penny-wise pound-foolish. Spraying 80 acres here or 140 there is totally impractical. It needs to be done on a much larger scale, and that means state coordination, something that was also turned down almost immediately. The result? Nothing was done, and thousands upon thousands of acres of hardwoods was severely impacted. Local landowners, of which I am one, went to the local DNR office to voice our concerns, and to offer to subsidize the spraying of our area, but were told, in effect, that this was just wishful thinking. Would this glorious Farm Bill have helped in this instance? Most likely not. They have their agenda, we have ours, and there is little overlap. Oh, and by the way, we do have a comprehensive forestry management plan for our 460 acres, thank you very much. That included planting 5000 red pine four years ago, and includes a plan for 4000 more this next spring. All without the state lifting a finger.
jcj
Sun, Sep 11, 2011 : 3:43 p.m.
ERMG = Everyone's Rights but Mine are Gone That includes the right to think differently. What a joke to put on such a facade. You spew such contempt for those that think differently than you that you should be the last to condemn others.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Sep 9, 2011 : 11 p.m.
To paraphrase The Bard: me thinks thou doth protest too much. Good Night and Good Luck
Not from around here
Fri, Sep 9, 2011 : 2:53 p.m.
also, I am offended by your use of the term Republikan. Equating someone who's beliefs are different than yours as Facist is mean spirited and wrong. Just because some of the people posting here are not democrats dosn't mean you can equate them to Nazi's. Please try to remain civil or sit on your hands
Not from around here
Fri, Sep 9, 2011 : 2:51 p.m.
ERMG, I was just trying to explain to you the reality of individual spreading of pesticides verse co-ordinated state application. there is no need to insult me or the original poster.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Sep 9, 2011 : 1:45 a.m.
There's ALWAYS a reason that the government spending you want is a good thing but that the spending that the other guy wants is not. RepubliKans in the legislature in concert with the emperor in Lansing have taken a bad fiscal situation and made it worse. Stories such as these are the consequence. As I said in a now deleted comment, its called "karma," and there's a lot of that floating around right now in this state. Good Night and Good Luck
Not from around here
Thu, Sep 8, 2011 : 9:02 p.m.
ERMG, if you read the comment you will note that spraying 80-140 acers is impractical and uneffective. To be effective it needs to be done large scale, with state coordination and managemnt. Spraying your own and your neighbors yards would stop the ones already there, but they would be quickly replaced by tent catapillers in un-treated area. sbbuilder stated the he went to the DNR with his neighbors and agreed to help with the cost. You need to read others post before questioning their intentions.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 8:46 p.m.
"Oh, and by the way, we do have a comprehensive forestry management plan for our 460 acres, thank you very much. That included planting 5000 red pine four years ago, and includes a plan for 4000 more this next spring. All without the state lifting a finger." Congratulations. Now, go spray your own property rather than expecting the government to do it for you. Get your neighbors to chip in so that all of you can do it. Or is it OK for the government to intervene in those areas that you approve of, esp. those circumstances that benefit you and your interests? Good Night and Good Luck
SonnyDog09
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 2:08 p.m.
Given the state of Michigan's economy and our dwindling population, I don't see much development that would infringe on forest or farm lands for the foreseeable future. So, why do we need subsidies to keep development that will not happen from happening?
Diagenes
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.
Well written campaign piece for Sen. Stabenow's re-election effort. Yes agriculture and forestry is important to Michigan's economic health. Will Sen. Stabenow support ending ethanol subsidies to farmers? An incentive that turns food into fuel is not good for our country. If ethanol was an economically viable alternative to gasoline we would not need to subsidize its production. I do not believe Sen. Stabenow has the competency or political will to craft a bill which will reduce costs for logging companies and grow jobs, or help small family owned farming operations to be successful without government subsidies. I am sure this farm bill will look remarkably similar to past farm bills; heavy on subsidies to large agri-business (ie campaign contributors) and short on meaningful reforms that could help create private sector jobs.