Timber Industry Myths in the Era of "Log Baby Log"
Trying to make sense of terms like “ecological forestry,” “climate-smart forestry” and “exemplary forestry” in the context of the climate and extinction crises? Wondering how these terms square with calls to protect more forest as wildlands?
Join ecologists Bart Bouricius, Cheryl Joy Lipton and Bill Stubblefield for a deep dive into the effects of logging on forests. We’ll explore narratives coming from the timber industry, government agencies, and some academics that suggest our forests can only be made healthy by cutting them, and the myth that simply letting our forests develop naturally is irresponsible. We’ll cover the science of the climate, biodiversity, and hydrological impacts of timber harvesting, compare natural disturbances to those caused by logging, and give you the backstory on how timber industry myths have developed over time.
When: Wednesday, March 26th, 6:30 - 7:30 pm EST
Where: Zoom webinar. RSVP here to receive the meeting link.
Bart Bouricius has been studying forests for over 50 years. He received a Masters in 1973 from the University of Stockholm, studying impacts of logging on boreal forests in Northern Sweden, and a second Masters from the Environmental Studies Ctr. at SUNY Buffalo, where he later served as faculty. Bart spent 3 decades working and studying tropical forests in Latin America and Borneo, and a decade working with professor Bob Leverett to collect tree volume data used to calculate forest carbon stocks.
Cheryl Joy Lipton is an ecologist with a Master of Science from Penn State, and an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture from SUNY - Environmental Science and Forestry. She currently does ecological landscape design using native plants and natural processes, and creates management plans for invasive non-native species.
Bill Stubblefield is a biologist and independent researcher from Wendell, Massachusetts who has been involved in forest protection efforts across the Northeast for decades. Bill has a Ph.D from Harvard University and a background in evolutionary biology.
