Not to bring up an older topic, but I was wondering where exactly this area was (town, county). I'd like to visit it when I get back to NJ in the fall.
Now to branch off topic (sorry Ben):
While I'm in New Zealand at University, I'm taking a Forestry class called forests and people. I've taken quite an interest to forestry in the form of sustainable management since I've been here. We talk about plantations a lot and there are a lot of them over here in New Zealand, mostly radiata pine which are not indigenous.
In relation, I also just read on the PPA's website that individual land owners in the Pinelands are applying for land clearing. Instead of leaving it to regrow as natural forest or replant with native species, they are introducing a foreign pine species. This is somewhat like the New Zealand model of forestry which is highly irregular amongst the rest of the world but produces some of the highest amounts of wood per area. Their model is, lots of plantations on one side but on the other end of the spectrum, protect native forest without allowing any logging whatsoever, similar to what it looks like might be happening in the Pinelands.
Pondering what I might do in graduate school, and the reoccurence of forestry within the Pinelands makes my decision lean towards forestry in helping to make sure sustainable development and forest management occurs as time goes on and pressures come as the growth continues to push the original limits outlined by the CMP.
Here's a link to that PPA article. Go to the 'PPA Action' section
Sorry for the long post, I have been reading this site everyday while in NZ but I really have nothing to post because I'm sans-Pine Barrens. It's one of the only things I'm homesick for, hehe.
Peace,
Justin
