Fire plan would cut 2.4 million New Jersey Pinelands trees

stiltzkin

Explorer
Feb 8, 2022
452
596
Medford
Hmm. Not sure what to think about this one. Knee jerk reaction is that it should not be done; it seems likely to cause more damage than it would prevent. Especially the mention of spraying some sort of chemicals to prevent "invasive species regeneration." Some skepticism that the state will restrict itself to its stated aims is healthy.

But I have no expertise in this area. I'm curious what others who understand far more about fire ecology than I do think of this.
 

Scroggy

Scout
Jul 5, 2022
66
85
Delaware
"We are in an era of climate change; it's incumbent on us to do our utmost to preserve these trees that are sequestering carbon."

My dude, if you want to sequester carbon, I would suggest you not do it in an ecosystem historically featuring a frequent fire disturbance cycle. Sussex County is that-a-way.

Granted it's little quote snippets in a news story, which can make anyone look like an idiot, but it's not exactly a confidence booster.
 
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Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,178
I have been looking over the map from other articles and the thinning is taking the tree cutters in places that have some really old and interesting stones. I am going to contact them and see if they are receptive in avoiding or at least protecting them.
 

Scroggy

Scout
Jul 5, 2022
66
85
Delaware
I smell money in it for someone.
That might be a Yankee Candle.

From rather peripheral experience to a somewhat similar project, old dense pitch pine stands are pretty worthless as far as timber goes. They can be used for pulp or shavings for animal bedding, probably the latter, unless there's a paper mill closer than I think. I don't want to underestimate the ability of graft to appear in New Jersey contracts, but they're not plundering some commercially valuable resource here.
 
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Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,178
I say let them do it. There are many other places that should also be thinned. However, they need to be mindful of history and I don't think many of the people involved really know what is out there.
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,552
2,465
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
That might be a Yankee Candle.

From rather peripheral experience to a somewhat similar project, old dense pitch pine stands are pretty worthless as far as timber goes. They can be used for pulp or shavings for animal bedding, probably the latter, unless there's a paper mill closer than I think. I don't want to underestimate the ability of graft to appear in New Jersey contracts, but they're not plundering some commercially valuable resource here. They do make money off of pulp and thats most likely what they will sell it for
 
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