The incidence of “oak decline,” an often fatal condition caused by a variety of stressors, is increasing in the Houston South Project area. Climate change is projected to accelerate this and other forest health issues.
UPDATED at 1:30 p.m. following a news conference
The Hoosier National Forest’s Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration Project, aka the Houston South Project, located in Jackson and Lawrence counties is complete and available for public review and comment.
The purpose of the assessment is to evaluate new information brought forward since the original decision was issued in 2020 and to provide further analysis on the potential impacts to Monroe Lake.
A copy is available online at fs.usda.gov/project/hoosier/?project=64831 and upon request at the Hoosier National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 811 Constitution Ave., Bedford, IN 47421, or by phone at 812-275-5987.
“We’ve strived to address the concerns of the public and the court with this document while ensuring we use the most recent science to protect water quality, improve forest health and provide for the long-term sustainability of this valued forest landscape,” District Ranger Chris Thornton said during a news conference Friday afternoon.
The analysis concludes that following existing standards and guidelines reduces sedimentation by ensuring erosion control measures are in place, and therefore, water quality of Monroe Lake will not be affected by the Houston South Project.
The project will improve degraded forest health and wildlife habitat. It also will protect and improve water quality by reducing erosion through trail and road improvements and restoring stream health in and around the Hoosier National Forest.
The project includes prescribed burning of 13,500 acres and the clear cutting of 401 acres of pines. It also would see the thinning of another 78 acres of pine but would not eliminate the nonnative species altogether, Thornton said.
The plan also includes the thinning of 2,327 acres of hardwoods. The Forest Services also plans to construct 3.2 miles of new road and 8.3 miles of temporary road.
Thornton said those actions would occur over a period of 10 to 20 years once the plan receives final approval sometime in 2024.
The prescribed burns, for instance, can only be conducted on a limited number of days in late fall each year, he said.
Science-based forest management is at the core of the Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration Project on the Hoosier National Forest, according to the news release.
With the goal of long-term health and sustainability in mind, inaction is not an option because officials are seeing steady declines in forest health, while climate change models show they can expect more intense periods of droughts, floods and other stressors that are likely to accelerate the decline.
Public comments will be accepted for 30 days following the publication of the legal notice in the Bedford Times-Mail, the newspaper of record. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period.
For information on how to provide comment to the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment, visit the Hoosier National Forest website at fs.usda.gov/hoosier.
If you would like information or have any questions regarding the commenting process, contact Kevin Amick at 812-276-4746 or via email [email protected].