[mou] Sax Zim Bog logging news

[shawn conrad]

I agree, this is not a good situation.  I am not against logging at all (in 
fact, I think it's the best tool we have for keeping industrial and county 
forestland from being parcelled off into lots until local politics evolves 
into something that serves interests other than those of developers, not to 
mention if we're going to consume resources we shouldn't just take them from 
the forests of other countries and pretend it's not happening), but I don't 
like seeing lowland conifers that take nearly a lifetime to mature into a 
*usable* forest (one with different age classes, openings, cavities, good 
seed production) being converted to paper, much of which is wasted on credit 
card solicitations, free newspapers we don't ask for, etc.  Big picture, 
this is going to get worse if we don't address consumption issues.  
Personally, I don't think I could complain about forests being cut for 
pulpwood unless I was doing what I could to reduce my own paper 
consumption--not suggesting anyone here is doing that.  Reducing consumption 
and eliminating waste is just always a good, mostly painless starting point 
when discussing environmental issues.

I do realize that even if everyone on this listserve stopped using paper 
altogether these stands would still be logged.  That's the way it 
is...public land managers often don't understand that there are a lot of 
people out there that value a wet, buggy, county-owned tamarack bog an hour 
or more from their homes for anything other than the pulpwood...it's 
unfathomable to some.  Wish I had some fabulous idea for how to change the 
way primary sector economics and land management decisions work...but I'm 
glad that Mike is bringing this issue to the listserve because there will 
never be a full page spread in the paper, "Hey, we're gonna log McDavitt, 
anyone mind?  Call St. Louis...."  It just happens one day and only those 
who are in the area when it happens know about it.  With the warm weather 
all winter and things just freezing up recently, I think the loggers are 
going to be beating the bogs pretty hard over the next few weeks trying to 
make up for lost time...watch out for logging trucks 24/7 if you plan on 
birding up north!!!!

Anyway, my main motivation for posting is to disburse this related piece of 
news in case you missed it.  It's about an expansion of the Blandin Paper 
plant in Grand Rapids that would increase the volume of timber cut in the 
area...scroll down to 'Timber' to see how much.  I think it's kind of ironic 
that immediately after Minnesota forests were certified "sustainable" this 
proposal would come out.  My gut feeling (I'll admit the need to do more 
research, so hold the flames please) is that the economic and environmental 
impacts look sugar coated as this proposal claims $180-360/cord of wood 
return to the local economy.  (based on 197,000-400,000 additional cords of 
wood and $77,000,000 per year to local economy)  I wish I could attend the 
public hearing to see how those numbers reconcile and how much of that wood 
would come from conifer bogs in and around Sax-Zim.  Ironic that a project 
birders should find at least questionable is called "Thunderhawk"....

*DNR seeks comment on Grand Rapids paper mill expansion*

A proposal to increase paper manufacturing at the UPM/Blandin paper mill in 
Grand Rapids took another step forward today as the Minnesota Department of 
Natural Resources (DNR) released a draft environmental impact statement for 
public review and comment.

The 800-page document, prepared during the past year in cooperation with the 
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), UPM/Blandin Paper and the Grand 
Rapids Public Utilities Commission, details potential impacts of installing 
a new paper machine and increasing the plant's efficiency. The project, 
known as Thunderhawk, will increase the mill's annual wood consumption by 
approximately 197,000 cords to 400,000 cords per year.

"Release of the draft environmental impact statement represents a 
significant milestone in the review process," said Bill Johnson, DNR 
environmental impact statement project manager. "This document gives the 
public a detailed look at the project and its consequences. There's also the 
opportunity to provide feedback for agency consideration."

Public comments will be accepted through March 7. The DNR and its consultant 
will consider all substantive comments in the final environmental impact 
statement, which is expected to be available for a 10-working-day public 
review period in early April.
When complete, the project could result in 27 new full-time jobs and produce 
761,000 tons of publication-grade paper per year. The draft environmental 
impact statement contains detailed analysis of the project's impacts and 
mitigation relating to potential traffic, noise, socioeconomic and timber 
harvest.

Principal findings include:

TRAFFIC
The project is not expected to cause excessive delays to drivers operating 
along the existing road network in Grand Rapids. The project is expected to 
increase traffic volume by 2 to 5 percent. Delays can be addressed by 
adjusting signal timing at key intersections or by adjusting travel routes.

RAIL
Project implementation will result in approximately five minutes of 
additional delay at Grand Rapids rail crossings. A train services the mill 
twice a day and the number of railcars will increase from an average of 18 
to 37 cars per trip.

NOISE
The draft environmental impact statement required the collection of new 
noise data to project current and future noise conditions. Existing noise 
was within the state daytime noise standard but exceeded the state nighttime 
noise standard by one decibel. The MPCA was notified and Blandin Paper 
Company took the actions necessary to bring the facility back into 
compliance with state regulations.
Future noise levels with the project are projected to be within state noise 
standards. Annual noise monitoring will be a condition of the MPCA air 
permit.

SOCIOECONOMICS
If approved, the project would be built in late 2008 or early 2009. Local 
construction expenditures are projected to be approximately $96 million. 
Installation of the new paper machine will add 27 full-time jobs to the mill 
from current operations. The total economic impact of building the project 
upon the local economy is $77 million per year compared with the present.

TIMBER HARVEST
The proposed expansion would increase statewide demand for aspen, spruce and 
balsam fir by 5 percent over current conditions. The draft environmental 
impact statement analysis indicates the additional harvest to supply the 
project could have a small impact on plant diversity, soil nutrients, soil 
erosion, visual quality, recreation resources and cultural/historical 
resources.

UPM/Blandin Paper's forest management includes provisions to address each of 
these impacts. These impacts are also addressed through the state's 
programmatic effort conducted statewide. The draft environmental impact 
statement also reports that although statewide aspen harvest levels are 
approaching the estimated maximum sustainable harvest level for all 
ownerships, modeling shows this expansion is sustainable under current 
conditions.

Public review copies of these documents are available at the DNR library, 
500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul; the DNR Regional Office in Grand Rapids, 1201 
East Highway 2; the Grand Rapids Area Library, 140 NE Second Street; the 
Duluth Public Library, 144 West Second Street; and the Environmental 
Conservation Library, 250 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis. There are limited 
copies of the draft environmental impact statement available. A draft 
environmental impact statement summary is available by calling the DNR at 
(651) 259-5157 or toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367). The documents are also 
posted on DNR's Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/index.html.

The DNR will hold a public informational meeting at the Robert J. Elkington 
Middle School in Grand Rapids on Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.

Written comments on the draft environmental impact statement must be 
received by 4:30 p.m. on March 7. Comments and inquiries should be directed 
to: Bill Johnson, DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4025; or (651) 
259-5157.



>From: "Mike Hendrickson" <smithville4@charter.net>
>To: "MOU-Net" <mou-net@cbs.umn.edu>
>Subject: [mou] Sax Zim Bog logging news
>Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:55:26 -0600
>
>I wish I took some photos of the recent logging events going on in Sax Zim 
>Bog.  For those that have a love for this place the photos would of mad you 
>very sad or very angry.
>
>I am not making this up or blowing this out of wack but hear is a honest 
>account of what is going in this bog.  Those who been there may of recall 
>all the nice dense cedar trees along Co. Rd 133 between US Highway 53 and 
>Co. Rd 7 Well they are ALL GONE!  I drove by it this morning and its 
>flatten out with no standing trees at all.  The logging trucks were working 
>this area and also across the road.  Remember those clear cut blocks taken 
>out during the winter of 2004 along Co. Rd 133 on the south side of the 
>road between Co. Rd 7 and Hwy 53? Well this whole area is getting logged 
>out as we speak.  Not a tree is left behind in all these so-called land 
>management practices.  All of the bog habitat or old growth cedar trees and 
>spruce/jack pines stands are all wiped out flat!  I was informed by Caroll 
>Henderson that he looked into what is going on in Sax Zim and he said to me 
>that the loggers are going to leave some adult tamaracks up and some spruce 
>trees up so these adult trees can re-seed the land.  WELL there was NOT one 
>tree left standing in all the plots I looked at!
>
>Want some more good news?  The plot along McDavitt Road will be logged out 
>this winter as the logger company has there license up on the tree and some 
>metal box as well.  I can honestly say that this area that has been 
>consistent for Black-backed Woodpeckers and Boreal Chickadees plus a host 
>of other boreal birds will not be found here anytime soon in the future 
>because there will not be any trees left standing.  More news??  Owl Avenue 
>is blue spray painted all along the east side of the road from the bend all 
>the way to Arkola Road then east along Arkola Road on the south side for at 
>least 1.5 miles!  This whole block will be logged out as well!
>
>I emailed a lot of folks and so far the only good news is that Steve 
>Swiggum is suppose to email me back on my concerns.  I chatted with the 
>Meadowlands Co-Op people and told them IF bog birds continue to lose 
>habitat there will be no more visiting birders to your store.  I am sorry 
>if I have to say this but naming the Sax Zim Bog a Important Bird Area will 
>not save the habitat we are losing daily.  Sax Zim in my opinion is not 
>going to be worth birding in about 4-5 years from now.  There will be 
>nothing but alder marshes, aspen stands and hay fields!  Sax Zim Bog will 
>be a has been place and I am telling you the honest truth!  The place is 
>getting cleared out!  The only happy people about all this logging are the 
>loggers, DNR, Forest Service, and St. Louis County!
>
>The lighter side is that house on the north end of Stickney that has the 
>red shed and all the warnings is BAAAACK in action.  We were driving about 
>30mph and this crazy lunatic came running out of from his yard and chased 
>us down. We did not stop at anytime before he spotted us or after he chased 
>us.  He was like some country dog and BOOM there is this man chasing after 
>us, pointing at us, and spitting some words at us.  In other words this man 
>is insane or possibly the St. Louis County land manager!
>
>I am very sad and angry about the changes I see weekly going on at Sax Zim 
>Bog!  Maybe I should call ELF (Environmental Liberation Front)to save the 
>day these boys will stop this logging! LOL  ( Just kidding )
>
>I will post photos very soon so you all can see the destruction going up in 
>Sax Zim and prove to you all what I am saying here.
>
>Later-
>
>Michael Hendrickson
>Duluth, Minnesota
>Minnesota Birding Treks
>http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
>
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