33
Northern Forest Lands
Case Study
Charles A. Levesque
33.1 Background
In 1988, a portion of the northeastern U.S. forest
lands of the former Diamond International Corporation, a timberland and forest products manufacturing company, were put up for sale. Of the 1 million acres owned by Diamond in Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, just over
200,000 acres were marketed for development purposes, while the rest went to other large timberland
owners.
This act caused much consternation among those
in the forestry and environmental communities in
the Northeast, because the many public values associated with these private lands were perceived to
be at great risk. The threat to these values caused
Congress and the states to embark on a six-year,
$4.5 million effort to develop public policy recommendations to address the potential loss of
forest values in the Northeast. The area of focus
was the northern regions of the four states, a 26
million-acre forested region that came to be known
as the Northern Forest.
The final products of this project were two reports that resulted from the two major phases of
the effort: the Northern Forest Lands Study and the
Northern Forest Lands Council. The first report, the
Northern Forest Lands Study (1990), was published in 1990; the second, a report entitled Finding Common Ground: Conserving the Northern
Forest-the recommendations of the Northern Forest Lands Council (1994), was published in late
1994. A third less distinct phase is being carried
out in the four states as implementation of the recommendations from the council moves forward. To
develop the public policy recommendations from
these efforts, assessments were designed and completed in both phases of the effort. This case study
focuses on these assessments.
33.1.1 Northern Forest Lands Study
The Study was created through congressional authorization and $250,000 of funding provided to the
USDA Forest Service in 1988 through Public Law
100-446. A second year of funding followed. Along
with the study process, directed by a team of Forest Service employees, the governors of the states
of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New
York each appointed 3 members to a 12-member
Task Force that worked in concert, as a volunteer
advisory committee, with the Study effort.
The direction given to the Northern Forest Lands
Study can be found in language from the Joint Explanatory Statement of the [Congressional] Committee of Conference for the law, which stated, in
part:
Changes in forest land ownership in northern New England and New York are leading to increased subdivisions,
development of large tracts of lands, and a loss of traditional economic and recreational uses of these lands ...
unless prompt action is taken, there may be an irreparable loss of these forest resources .... The Study shall include identification and assessment of (1) forest resources including, but not limited to, timber and other
forest products, fish and wildlife, lakes and rivers, and
recreation; (2) historical land ownership patterns and projected future land ownership, management, and use; (3)
the likely impacts of the changes in land and resource
ownership, management, and use of traditional land use
patterns including economic stability and employment,
public use of private lands, natural integrity, and local
culture and quality of life; and (4) alternative strategies
to protect the long-term integrity and traditional uses of
such lands ....
During its nearly two-year time frame, the Northern Forest Lands Study and Governors' Task Force
on Northern Forest Lands conducted a naturalsocioeconomic resource assessment through direct
research undertaken by staff, hired contractors, and
489
Northern Forest Lands
Case Study
Charles A. Levesque
33.1 Background
In 1988, a portion of the northeastern U.S. forest
lands of the former Diamond International Corporation, a timberland and forest products manufacturing company, were put up for sale. Of the 1 million acres owned by Diamond in Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, just over
200,000 acres were marketed for development purposes, while the rest went to other large timberland
owners.
This act caused much consternation among those
in the forestry and environmental communities in
the Northeast, because the many public values associated with these private lands were perceived to
be at great risk. The threat to these values caused
Congress and the states to embark on a six-year,
$4.5 million effort to develop public policy recommendations to address the potential loss of
forest values in the Northeast. The area of focus
was the northern regions of the four states, a 26
million-acre forested region that came to be known
as the Northern Forest.
The final products of this project were two reports that resulted from the two major phases of
the effort: the Northern Forest Lands Study and the
Northern Forest Lands Council. The first report, the
Northern Forest Lands Study (1990), was published in 1990; the second, a report entitled Finding Common Ground: Conserving the Northern
Forest-the recommendations of the Northern Forest Lands Council (1994), was published in late
1994. A third less distinct phase is being carried
out in the four states as implementation of the recommendations from the council moves forward. To
develop the public policy recommendations from
these efforts, assessments were designed and completed in both phases of the effort. This case study
focuses on these assessments.
33.1.1 Northern Forest Lands Study
The Study was created through congressional authorization and $250,000 of funding provided to the
USDA Forest Service in 1988 through Public Law
100-446. A second year of funding followed. Along
with the study process, directed by a team of Forest Service employees, the governors of the states
of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New
York each appointed 3 members to a 12-member
Task Force that worked in concert, as a volunteer
advisory committee, with the Study effort.
The direction given to the Northern Forest Lands
Study can be found in language from the Joint Explanatory Statement of the [Congressional] Committee of Conference for the law, which stated, in
part:
Changes in forest land ownership in northern New England and New York are leading to increased subdivisions,
development of large tracts of lands, and a loss of traditional economic and recreational uses of these lands ...
unless prompt action is taken, there may be an irreparable loss of these forest resources .... The Study shall include identification and assessment of (1) forest resources including, but not limited to, timber and other
forest products, fish and wildlife, lakes and rivers, and
recreation; (2) historical land ownership patterns and projected future land ownership, management, and use; (3)
the likely impacts of the changes in land and resource
ownership, management, and use of traditional land use
patterns including economic stability and employment,
public use of private lands, natural integrity, and local
culture and quality of life; and (4) alternative strategies
to protect the long-term integrity and traditional uses of
such lands ....
During its nearly two-year time frame, the Northern Forest Lands Study and Governors' Task Force
on Northern Forest Lands conducted a naturalsocioeconomic resource assessment through direct
research undertaken by staff, hired contractors, and
489