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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from So Cal Foresters 3-24-10 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OF AmtRICAN SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS FORESTER Representing the Forestry Profession in America WARD OF SUPERVISORS March 24, 2010 CRWILLE,CALIFORNIA Mr. Bill Comely Butte County Board of Supervisors 45 Cow-jrLy Cef iter Drive OrovilIe, CA 95965 RE: Closure of Magalia Reforestation Center Dear Mr. Comely, On behalf of the Southern California Society of American Foresters, I would like to express our serious concern over the planned closing of CAL FIRE's Magalia Reforestation Center (MRC}. Since-July of 2009 CAL FIRE has been told to cut$3 million from Resource Management Programs. Due to this mandatory budget cut itm. as decided to close the MRC on March 1, 2011. I believe that..the monies.saved closing the MRC does not equate to the loss and impact that California will feel from the immediate decline of the invaluable resources provided by MRC. The MRC has played a critical role in the reforestation of California forested landscapes since its opening in 1952. In Southern California our needs have never been greater as recurrent wildland fires have burned over many of our watersheds and forested landscapes. Last summer's Station Fire, which burned over 160,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest, provides our most notable example. Not only has critical forest and watershed habitat been lost, but the resulting mud and debris flows will affect the surrounding neighborhoods for years. The seedlings that are produced at MRC are used for reforestation, erosion control, watershed protection, and windbreaks throughout the State. The 17 acre nursery is truly one of a kind, capable of providing 2.5 million seedlings a year. At the MRC, about 400,000 seedlings that are naturally adapted to areas of Southern California are grown yearly. CAL FIRE has made these seedlings available to state and private forested lands as part of a long-term effort of reforestation in area impacted by wildfires. The native seedlings that are grown at MRC are from seed stocks which are not always available from commercial nurseries. The seedlings are not just for large restoration efforts after-a catastrophe, but they serve a criticalrolein,stocking smaller private land-.. holdings with site specific native species. BUTTE COUN'T'Y ADMINISTRATION AIR 0 5 2010 CHAPTERS ptZgvILLF C.AJ I • SAN GABRIEL CHAPTER • r�I R&SAN BERNARDINO CHAPTER • LOS PADRES CHAPTER • MOUNT SAN ANTONIO(STUDENT CHAPTER) 0 CAL POLY-SAN LUIS OBISPO(STUDENT CHAPTER) OCIETY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OF AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS FORESTER 1900 Representing the Forestry Profession in America The preservation of native vegetation and the biodiversity in both flora and fauna that results has become a great concern recently. It is critically important to maintain not only a large reserve seed bank of native flora, but also a place where they can be grown and distributed affordably to the forested landscapes of California. The MRC is a great source in maintaining native Southern California flora. Regardless of your belief on climate change, the beneficial role in which California's forested landscapes play as a carbon sink cannot be denied. "Vegetation and soils are widely recognized as carbon storage sinks. The global biosphere absorbs roughly 2 billion tons of carbon annually, an amount equal to roughly one third of all global carbon emissions from human activity. Significant amounts of this carbon remains stored in the roots of certain plants and in the soil. In fact the inventory of carbon stored in the global ecosystem equals roughly 1,000 years worth of annual absorption, or 2 trillion tons of carbon" (Department of Energy). The increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere is a concern, and CAL FIRE through forestry can offer solid solutions now while the debate continues. Carbon sequestration is one of the most promising ways for reducing the buildup of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere;the MRC provides an irreplaceable source of native seedlings that can help reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. The MRC is also a big part of the local community. The nursery has long provided educational programs for local schools and volunteer opportunities for residents of the surrounding communities of Paradise, Oroville, and Butte County. These volunteers have found great joy in working along side CAL FIRE foresters at the nursery. We can only hope that CAL FIRE continues to fund the expertise that these Foresters provide, not oniy to the io;ai conunurdties but C:a ifornia as weil. Members of the Southern California Society of American Foresters have a keen awareness of the struggle that all levels of government are facing during these fiscally tough times. However, we feel that closing the MRC would critically and irreparably damage the reforestation infrastructure within the State of California. On behalf of the members of the Southern California Society of American Foresters, I would like to again ask you to reconsider the planned closure of the Magalia Reforestation Center. Sincerely, D. David H..Whitney Chairman, Southern California Society of American Foresters CHAPTERS • SAN GABRIEL CHAPTER • RIVERSIDE-SAN BERNARDINO CHAPTER • LOS PADRES CHAPTER 9 MOUNT SAN ANTONIO(STUDENT CHAPTER) 0 CAL POLY-SAN LUIS OBISPO(STUDENT CHAPTER)