[mou] Sax Zim Bog Sunday

Tom Crumpton reforest@wiktel.com
Mon, 16 Jan 2006 14:11:47 -0600


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Mike
The loggers have to freeze the road down before they can move in.  One 
rule of thumb (a fairly accurate one) is that you have to have the road 
plowed before January 15th in order to get sufficient frost in the 
ground.  That is enough frost to move trucks that weigh 80,000 plus 
pounds when loaded across the bog. 

So "Your loggers"  will not be moving in for a little while yet.
They might not even move in this year. 

This is the hardest winter loggers have seen in Northern MN  in the 25+ 
years I have been working the bogs here. 

The DNR has a natural heritage database that lists significant orchids 
and other natural heritage info. they deem significant.  Contact Sharron 
Nelson and know the legal description for where you want data for.   If 
anyone discovers things they think maybe should be listed they can let 
the DNR know I would suggest the wildlife manager for the local area.  I 
am a private consultant with some knowledge of the state.  By the way 
what orchids are you referring to????  Why is this bog you describe 
unique? 

I would suggest that your chances of stopping the current logging  are 
one in a million.  There is a state forestry office in Cotton FYI a Mr. 
Danzl works there I believe.  Your best to call ahead if you want 
someone to be there when you arrive.  That office is supervised out of 
Duluth or Cloquet.  Your legislative representatives would be your best 
bet  (but don't tell anyone I said so).

The reality of the picture you present is that logging created almost 
all of the wildlife habitat, roads and trails that you use to earn money 
guiding birders.

Logging and the associated industries (paper, OSB board and lumber) are 
still a large part of northern Minnesotas economy.
Granted guiding and servicing bird watchers is a growing segment. 

When you attack other independent people and employers its a bad 
reflection on you.  Loggers are pretty independent, most of the ones 
that have survived are pretty good and conscientious about their jobs.  
I have watched the decline of the small farmer (the extinction of the 
dairy farmer in this area) and I am glad that there are still 
independent people that survive through hard work as well as brains 
(loggers).  The number of logging operations has declined over 50% in 
the last 28 years as well.  Loggers capacity to harvest wood has 
increased substantially in that same time frame.  Less employees and 
more debt for equipment (at least the banks get richer). 

Logging and the associated industrial value added jobs are a large 
segment of the better paying jobs in certain parts of Northern Minnesota.

The forests of Northern Mn are a renewable resource.  How many acres of 
forest are lost to the sprawl of cities and small site development (this 
includes the conversion of farm land (that was once forest)).  I think 
you will find that this causes a much greater loss of forests and 
habitat in MN than logging. 

Maybe I should complain and say the city should grow up instead of 
out?????  yeah right.

There is no question logging changes wildlife habitat.  What hurts one 
species favors another. 
       Most Northern Hawk owls I have seen have been pointed out to me 
by loggers on fresh cutovers.
       Boreal Chickadees seem more prevalent in black spruce that is 
15-30 years old than in older stands.
        Is the increase in rose breasted grosbeaks where I live 
attributable to the increase in aspen 12-25 years old??? 
       Is the increase in  indigo buntings attributable to the increase 
in 6-15 year old aspen??

I can imagine the impression you left with the people from Ill.  It is 
to bad it was such a one sided one.

There is a million acre conference in Duluth the second w/e of 
February.  The focus of the conference will be forestry and wildlife.  
It would be an opportunity for you to learn a broader perspective and it 
is in your home town I believe.

If your so anti logging maybe you should buy land and protect it.  There 
is a sustainable forest incentive act (SFIA) program that will pay 
roughly $4.32 per acre per year to help you afford to keep it.

But if you want to manage it (which may include logging) let me know I 
will help you get the best price for your wood and  we can manage it for 
whatever species (be it trees or wildlife) you would like that  is 
suitable for the area.  I work on a percentage basis (of timber sale 
receipts) usually.  Therefore it will not cost you a penny out of your 
pocket and it will probably be very lucrative.  Let me know soon though 
because I am booked into summer with writing forest and wildlife 
management plans (as well as timber sales) for landowners who desire to 
manage their lands.  Timber sale receipts are subject to capital gain 
tax rates and the basis can be subtracted  from income also.

The bird report from the borderland (beautiful Rainy River)
STILL HOSTING
60+ evening grosbeaks (here AM and well into PM)
good numbers of pine grosbeaks,
downy and hairy wood peckers,
pine siskins
chickadees,
nuthatches (both kinds),
eagles (river is wide open a very rare occurrence in January)
occasional gray jay

Mike,
Last year you ranted about local people ragging on you and others for 
setting people up on county roads with spotting scopes, cameras and 
binoculars to look at local peoples bird feeders.  I kind of get the 
feeling  you probably did not ask permission as a courtesy first 
(because you figured you could be on a public road and do what ever you 
wanted).  If people set up cameras with huge lenses and spotting scopes 
outside my house without asking I might be a little pissed.  If I was  
elderly I would probably be paranoid or scared. 
Most people live rurally for a variety of reasons. 
One of which is privacy.
Another is to enjoy wildlife (Bird feeder).
I would not fault those people for one second for calling the police 
about peeping Mike's or harassment.  I  am pretty sure they would be 
successful in pursuing a court order in keeping you and your customers 
away from their homes (but I am not a lawyer).  I believe the road 
safety issue was addressed last year.
Road safety on many roads is an issue in MN especially in the winter 
time.  Roads where logging trucks haul and local people travel should be 
left passable, clear and safe when stopping for viewing birds. 

I realize full well that the majority of people on this list serve might 
see things Mike's way.  It is good to have people who are a little 
radical (or loud) to keep our perspectives open and to educate us as to 
different viewpoints.  I guess that is part of my reason for answering 
his email.  The forestry profession has not  educated people to the 
degree they should have. It is accepted that foresters were the first 
environmentalists (aldo leopold, I might argue that natives or 
aboriginals in other areas were).   Many environmental organizations 
mislead and misinform to scare people into supporting their causes. 
Scare tactics, sensationalism and polarized viewpoints seem to be the 
way things are done more commonly now. 

Fortunately I lead a protected (insulated) life.  I do host bird 
watchers (best place in state for evening grosbeaks)(also fisher people) 
and profesional photographers occasionally so contact me if your in the 
neighborhood (350 miles  no. of cities).  You will not find my feeders 
adjacent to any public roadway.
I own my own business and am a private forestry and wildlife (this 
includes birds and other species) consultant.  I assist people with 
managing their lands and have worked in Northern MN for over 25 years.  
I also do some limited teaching and guiding in natural resources.  I 
have walked in bogs for 25 plus years (maybe I am nuts when I reflect on 
that fact).
Woods & Wildlife Forestry & Real Estate Services
Have a great week
Tom Crumpton

Please excuse my long defense and attempt at educating people who have 
not had the opportunity to live, work, learn and coexist with the 
surroundings that I have had.

Mike Hendrickson wrote:

> Was out guiding a couple from Illinois.
>  
> Birds seen:
> -Northern Hawk Owl along Stone Lake Rd and McDavitt Rd.
> -Boreal Chickadees along Co. Rd 52
> -Gray Jays (every where)
> -Northern Shrike
> -Snow Buntings along Co. 7. A small flock of 30 1/4 mi. north of 
> Byrne's Greenhouse & a flock of 150 at the Malmberg Sod Farms south of 
> Byrne's Greenhouse. These were seen from 3-4pm
> -Pine Grosbeaks & Evening Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls at a few feeders
> -Common Redpoll along Blue Spruce Rd.  A large flock of 200+ birds 
> feeding on the Tamaracks.
>  
> * The Black-backed Woodpeckers that were reported several times along 
> McDavitt. Rd (2.5 miles north of Co. Rd 28-Sax Rd) were not found by 
> my group nor all the other birders that tried to locate these birds.
>  
> BUT----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  
> This unique (????) bog along McDavitt Rd. is in DANGER! Many of those 
> that hiked around this area last year remember that on the east side 
> opposite of all those snowshoe trails was a open corridor into the 
> bog. This corridor is the same corridor that I warned others in this 
> listserve that this road looks like a sign for future logging. 
> WELL yesterday a bulldozer worked all day in Sunday widening the 
> corridor, and cleared out all the small bushes and stumps. I walked 
> this widen area and witnessed that there are several corridors/roads 
> coming off this main corridor going into the bog. There is a lot of 
> woodpecker signs all over this area.  (HEAVY WOODPECKER SIGN MIGHT BE 
> AN INDICATOR OF HEALTH ISSUES WITH TREES, ADDED BY TOM) I can safely 
> bet that in the next few days the loggers will be in there clearing 
> this bog out.  To get an idea what this area will look like when the 
> logging is done is to visit places like all the bend on Owl Avenue, 
> along Co. Rd 133, along Co. 319 ( Stone Lake Rd.) and several other 
> places.  ALSO there is blue paint on many trees along Owl Avenue. 
> This MIGHT be a sign the state is just going to widen the ditch (or 
> improve the road?) or possibly next winter log this area out as well. 
> There is a entry road into the east side of Owl Avenue bog on the 
> north end near Co. Rd 52.  So this area looks like it might be logged 
> out as well. This is same area Conn. Warblers were nesting.  If you 
> know nest site you maybe able to get that saved, Tom
>  
> I know some birders are working to nominate the Sax Zim bog as an 
> Important Bird Area but by the time this nomination is announced this 
> unique area there will NOT be a important bird area but instead a good 
> area for growing hay and making meth! (That is sesationalism, false 
> and ranting, Tom) I am upset with losing more habitat to loggers but 
> there is nothing to do but accept this loss and move on. (You 
> contradict your later statement)  I just wish groups who are involve 
> with this area or people who been here who know what to do would help 
> me contact the right people ( I need email addresses ) and I wish this 
> group stop concentrating on the economics/tourist aspect in their 
> meetings and instead concentrate on protecting the bog and its habitat 
> and put all their energy into contacting state officials to stop this 
> logging.  (I believe the state goes through a management planning 
> process, that would have been the time to voice your objections, every 
> 5-10 years).  If anyone knows the right people to contact please email 
> me as I will do what I can to stop or at least slow down the logging.  
> Birders we are going to lose the bog (the bog will still be there it 
> will be better hunting habitat for owls), we are going to lose Conn. 
> Warblers, Boreal Chickadees (maybe better habitat in 15-30 years) , 
> Gray Jays, Great Gray Owls, and other boreal species.  Some of the bog 
> has orchids in them as well. We are going to lose everything that 
> makes this place so wonderful to us birders.  (Maybe you could 
> influence the number of snags live and dead that are left for 
> perching) There arguments against this may include Insect and disease 
> considerations (mistletoe) they can pick mistletoe free areas to 
> reserve patches.  If the trees are to big in these patches they will 
> blow down eventually anyways.  If they reserve tamarack this will make 
> better great grey owl habitat  (nesting) in the future and it is 
> mistletoe resistent.  There other argument is that snags maybe 
> hazardous to aerial seeding operations.  That would be poppycock or 
> something like that.  You could argue that aerial seeding is not 
> necessary that in all probability the site will regenerate with the 
> seed and cones present on the site.  Aerial seeding tends to overstock 
> the site (this depends on seedbed partially).  I am not familiar with 
> the site but would be happy to meet with you at the site to explain 
> silviculture (the art and science of growing trees) in the bogs 
> sometime when I am passing through that way.

You do not give me good descriptions of the "bog"   Reserve strips 
(along roads) are another option (they eventually blow down) also, that 
would appease 99% of people but hide what forestry is all about.  If the 
trees are tall enough to land in the road it is another hazard and 
management hassle.  The site will regenerate except maybe where the 
landings are and the landings will regenerate more slowly than the bulk 
of the site.

>  
> If you would like to help me please reply and if you know emails of 
> the right people to contact please contact me as well. Someone has to 
> make a stand against this logging and dammit I am going to fight this!

The new DNR Forestry Director was the Saint Louis County Land 
Commissioner up till last year.  Go into the DNR web site.  He  should 
be familiar with the bog? and its issues (but he will have someone else 
write the letter probably). I would give you his name but I do not want 
to get in hassles. The above clue should be adequate.  My comments here 
are not to be taken as support for anything you plan to do concerning 
timber sales or land management practices.  I have given you a couple 
good suggestions to improve the habitat for raptors and a few other birds. 
Without the death of one forest a new forest cannot be reborn (unless 
your planting open areas)
Tom
 

> Michael Hendrickson
> Duluth, Minnesota
> Minnesota Birding Treks
> http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/


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Mike <br>
The loggers have to freeze the road down before they can move in.&nbsp; One
rule of thumb (a fairly accurate one) is that you have to have the road
plowed before January 15th in order to get sufficient frost in the
ground.&nbsp; That is enough frost to move trucks that weigh 80,000 plus
pounds when loaded across the bog.&nbsp; <br>
<br>
So "Your loggers"&nbsp; will not be moving in for a little while yet.<br>
They might not even move in this year.&nbsp; <br>
<u><b><br>
This is the hardest winter loggers have seen in Northern MN&nbsp; in the 25+
years I have been working the bogs here.&nbsp; </b></u><br>
<br>
The DNR has a natural heritage database that lists significant orchids
and other natural heritage info. they deem significant.&nbsp; Contact
Sharron Nelson and know the legal description for where you want data
for.&nbsp;&nbsp; If anyone discovers things they think maybe should be listed
they can let the DNR know I would suggest the wildlife manager for the
local area.&nbsp; I am a <u>private consultant </u>with some knowledge of
the state.&nbsp; By the way what orchids are you referring to????&nbsp; Why is
this bog you describe unique?&nbsp; <br>
<br>
I would suggest that your chances of stopping the current logging&nbsp; are
one in a million.&nbsp; There is a state forestry office in Cotton FYI a Mr.
Danzl works there I believe.&nbsp; Your best to call ahead if you want
someone to be there when you arrive.&nbsp; That office is supervised out of
Duluth or Cloquet.&nbsp; Your legislative representatives would be your best
bet&nbsp; <u>(but don't tell anyone I said so)</u>.<br>
<br>
<b><big><i><u>The reality of the picture you present is that logging
created almost all of the wildlife habitat, roads and trails that you
use to earn money guiding birders. </u></i></big><br>
</b><br>
Logging and the associated industries (paper, OSB board and lumber) are
still a large part of northern Minnesotas economy.<br>
Granted guiding and servicing bird watchers is a growing segment.&nbsp; <br>
<br>
When you attack other independent people and employers its a bad
reflection on you.&nbsp; Loggers are pretty independent, most of the ones
that have survived are pretty good and conscientious about their jobs.&nbsp;
I have watched the decline of the small farmer (the extinction of the
dairy farmer in this area) and I am glad that there are still
independent people that survive through hard work as well as brains
(loggers).&nbsp; The number of logging operations has declined over 50% in
the last 28 years as well.&nbsp; Loggers capacity to harvest wood has
increased substantially in that same time frame.&nbsp; Less employees and
more debt for equipment (at least the banks get richer).&nbsp; <br>
<br>
Logging and the associated industrial value added jobs are a large
segment of the better paying jobs in certain parts of Northern
Minnesota.<br>
<br>
The forests of Northern Mn are a renewable resource.&nbsp; How many acres of
forest are lost to the sprawl of cities and small site development
(this includes the conversion of farm land (that was once forest)).&nbsp; I
think you will find that this causes a <u>much greater</u> <u><b>loss
of forests and habitat </b></u>in MN than logging.&nbsp; <br>
<br>
Maybe I should complain and say the city should grow up instead of
out?????&nbsp; yeah right.<br>
<br>
There is no question logging changes wildlife habitat.&nbsp; What hurts one
species favors another.&nbsp; <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Most Northern Hawk owls I have seen have been pointed out to me
by loggers on fresh cutovers.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Boreal Chickadees seem more prevalent in black spruce that is
15-30 years old than in older stands.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is the increase in rose breasted grosbeaks where I live
attributable to the increase in aspen 12-25 years old???&nbsp; <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Is the increase in&nbsp; indigo buntings attributable to the increase
in 6-15 year old aspen??<br>
<br>
I can imagine the impression you left with the people from Ill.&nbsp; It is
to bad it was such a one sided one.<br>
<br>
There is a million acre conference in Duluth the second w/e of
February.&nbsp; The focus of the conference will be forestry and wildlife.&nbsp;
It would be an opportunity for you to learn a broader perspective and
it is in your home town I believe.<br>
<br>
If your so anti logging maybe you should buy land and protect it.&nbsp;
There is a sustainable forest incentive act (SFIA) program that will
pay roughly $4.32 per acre per year to help you afford to keep it.<br>
<br>
But if you want to manage it (which may include logging) let me know I
will help you get the best price for your wood and&nbsp; we can manage it
for whatever species (be it trees or wildlife) you would like that&nbsp; is
suitable for the area.&nbsp; I work on a percentage basis (of timber sale
receipts) usually.&nbsp; Therefore it will not cost you a penny out of your
pocket and it will probably be very lucrative.&nbsp; Let me know soon though
because I am booked into summer with writing forest and wildlife
management plans (as well as timber sales) for landowners who desire to
manage their lands.&nbsp; Timber sale receipts are subject to capital gain
tax rates and the basis can be subtracted&nbsp; from income also.<br>
<br>
<u><b>The bird report from the borderland (beautiful Rainy River)</b></u><br>
<u><b><big>STILL HOSTING</big></b></u><br>
60+ evening grosbeaks (here AM and well into PM)<br>
good numbers of pine grosbeaks, <br>
downy and hairy wood peckers, <br>
pine siskins<br>
chickadees, <br>
nuthatches (both kinds), <br>
eagles (river is wide open a very rare occurrence in January)<br>
occasional gray jay<br>
<br>
Mike,<br>
<u><b>Last year you <big><big>ranted</big></big> about local people
ragging on you and others for setting people up on county roads with
spotting scopes, cameras and binoculars</b></u> to look at local
peoples bird feeders.&nbsp; I kind of get the feeling&nbsp; you probably did not
ask permission as a <b>courtesy</b> first (because you figured you
could be on a public road and do what ever you wanted).&nbsp; If people set
up cameras with huge lenses and spotting scopes outside my house
without asking I might be a little pissed.&nbsp; If I was&nbsp; elderly I would
probably be paranoid or scared.&nbsp; <br>
Most people live rurally for a variety of reasons.&nbsp; <br>
One of which is privacy.<br>
Another is to enjoy wildlife (Bird feeder).<br>
I would not fault those people for one second for calling the police
about peeping Mike's or harassment.&nbsp; I&nbsp; am pretty sure they would be
successful in pursuing a court order in keeping you and your customers
away from their homes (but I am not a lawyer).&nbsp; I believe the road
safety issue was addressed last year.<br>
Road safety on many roads is an issue in MN especially in the winter
time.&nbsp; Roads where logging trucks haul and local people travel should
be left passable, clear and safe when stopping for viewing birds.&nbsp; <br>
<br>
I realize full well that the majority of people on this list serve
might see things Mike's way.&nbsp; It is good to have people who are a
little radical (or loud) to keep our perspectives open and to educate
us as to different viewpoints.&nbsp; I guess that is part of my reason for
answering his email.&nbsp; The forestry profession has not&nbsp; educated people
to the degree they should have. It is accepted that foresters were the
first environmentalists (aldo leopold, I might argue that natives or
aboriginals in other areas were). &nbsp; Many environmental organizations
mislead and misinform to scare people into supporting their causes.&nbsp; <br>
Scare tactics, sensationalism and polarized viewpoints seem to be the
way things are done more commonly now.&nbsp; <br>
<br>
Fortunately I lead a protected (insulated) life.&nbsp; I do host bird
watchers (best place in state for evening grosbeaks)(also fisher
people) and profesional photographers occasionally so contact me if
your in the neighborhood (350 miles&nbsp; no. of cities).&nbsp; You will not find
my feeders adjacent to any public roadway.<br>
I own my own business and am a private forestry and wildlife (this
includes birds and other species) consultant.&nbsp; I assist people with
managing their lands and have worked in Northern MN for over 25 years.&nbsp;
I also do some limited teaching and guiding in natural resources.&nbsp; I
have walked in bogs for 25 plus years (maybe I am nuts when I reflect
on that fact).<br>
Woods &amp; Wildlife Forestry &amp; Real Estate Services<br>
Have a great week<br>
Tom Crumpton<br>
<br>
Please excuse my long defense and attempt at educating people who have
not had the opportunity to live, work, learn and coexist with the
surroundings that I have had. <br>
<br>
Mike Hendrickson wrote:<br>
<blockquote cite="mid003301c61ab6$354bfbe0$d099bf44@FAMILYCOMPUTER"
 type="cite">
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  <meta content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name="GENERATOR">
  <style></style>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">Was out guiding a couple
from Illinois.</font></div>
  <div>&nbsp;</div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">Birds seen:</font></div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">-Northern Hawk Owl along
Stone Lake Rd and McDavitt Rd.</font></div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">-Boreal Chickadees along Co.
Rd 52</font></div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">-Gray Jays (every where)</font></div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">-Northern Shrike</font></div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">-Snow Buntings along Co. 7.
A small flock of 30 1/4 mi. north of Byrne's Greenhouse &amp; a flock
of 150 at the Malmberg Sod Farms south of Byrne's Greenhouse. These
were seen from 3-4pm</font></div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">-Pine Grosbeaks &amp;
Evening Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls at a few feeders</font></div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">-Common Redpoll along Blue
Spruce Rd.&nbsp; A large flock of 200+ birds feeding on the Tamaracks.</font></div>
  <div>&nbsp;</div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">* The Black-backed
Woodpeckers that were reported several times along McDavitt. Rd (2.5
miles north of Co. Rd 28-Sax Rd) were not found by my group nor all the
other birders that tried to locate these birds.</font></div>
  <div>&nbsp;</div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">BUT----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></div>
  <div>&nbsp;</div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">This unique <u><b>(????)</b></u>
bog along McDavitt Rd.&nbsp;is in DANGER! Many of those that hiked around
this area last year remember that on the east side opposite of all
those snowshoe trails was a open corridor into the bog. This corridor
is the same corridor that I warned others in this listserve that
this&nbsp;road&nbsp;looks like a sign for&nbsp;future logging. WELL&nbsp;yesterday a
bulldozer worked all day in Sunday widening the corridor, and cleared
out all the small bushes and stumps. I walked this widen area
and&nbsp;witnessed that there are several corridors/roads coming off this
main corridor going into the bog. There is a lot of woodpecker signs
all over this area.&nbsp; <u><b>(HEAVY WOODPECKER SIGN MIGHT BE AN
INDICATOR OF HEALTH ISSUES WITH TREES, ADDED BY TOM)</b></u> I can
safely bet that in the next few days the loggers will be in there
clearing this&nbsp;bog out.&nbsp; To get an idea what this area will look like
when the logging is done is to visit places like all&nbsp;the bend on Owl
Avenue, along Co. Rd 133, along Co. 319 ( Stone Lake Rd.) and several
other places.&nbsp; ALSO there is blue paint on many trees along Owl Avenue.
This&nbsp;MIGHT be a sign the state is just going to widen the ditch <u><b>(or
improve the road?) </b></u>or possibly next winter log this area out
as well. There is a entry road into the east side of Owl Avenue bog on
the north end near Co. Rd 52.&nbsp; So this area looks like it might be
logged out as well. This is same area Conn. Warblers were nesting.&nbsp; <u><b>If
you know nest site you maybe able to get that saved, Tom</b></u><br>
  </font></div>
  <div>&nbsp;</div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">I know some&nbsp;birders are
working to nominate the&nbsp;Sax Zim bog as an Important Bird Area but by
the time this&nbsp;nomination is&nbsp;announced this unique area there will&nbsp;NOT
be a important bird area but instead a good area&nbsp;for growing hay and
making meth! <u><b>(That is sesationalism, false and ranting, Tom)</b></u>
I am upset with losing more habitat to loggers but there is nothing to
do but accept this loss and move on. <u><b>(You contradict your later
statement)&nbsp;</b></u> I just wish groups who are involve with this area
or people who been here who know what to do would help me contact the
right people ( I need email addresses ) and I wish this group stop
concentrating on the economics/tourist aspect in their meetings and
instead concentrate on protecting the bog and its habitat and put all
their energy into contacting state officials to stop this logging.&nbsp; <u><b>(I
believe the state goes through a management planning process, that
would have been the time to voice your objections, every 5-10 years)</b></u>.&nbsp;
If anyone knows the right people to contact please email me as I will
do what I can to stop or at least slow down the logging.&nbsp; Birders we
are going to lose the bog <u><b>(the bog will still be there it will
be better hunting habitat for owls)</b></u>, we are going to lose Conn.
Warblers, Boreal Chickadees <u><b>(maybe better habitat in 15-30 years)</b></u>
, Gray Jays, Great Gray Owls, and other boreal species.&nbsp; Some of the
bog has orchids in them as well. We are going to lose everything that
makes this place so wonderful to us birders.&nbsp; <u><b>(Maybe you could
influence the number of snags live and dead that are left for perching)
There arguments against this may include Insect and disease
considerations (mistletoe) they can pick mistletoe free areas to
reserve patches.&nbsp; If the trees are to big in these patches they will
blow down eventually anyways.&nbsp; If they reserve tamarack this will make
better great grey owl habitat&nbsp; (nesting) in the future and it is
mistletoe resistent.&nbsp; There other argument is that snags maybe
hazardous to aerial seeding operations.&nbsp; That would be poppycock or
something like that.&nbsp; You could argue that aerial seeding is not
necessary that in all probability the site will regenerate with the
seed and cones present on the site.&nbsp; Aerial seeding tends to overstock
the site (this depends on seedbed partially).&nbsp; I am not familiar with
the site but would be happy to meet with you at the site to explain
silviculture (the art and science of growing trees) in the bogs
sometime when I am passing through that way.</b></u><br>
  </font></div>
</blockquote>
<u><b>You do not give me good descriptions of the "bog"&nbsp;&nbsp; Reserve
strips (along roads) are another option (they eventually blow down)
also, that would appease 99% of people but hide what forestry is all
about.&nbsp; If the trees are tall enough to land in the road it is another
hazard and management hassle.&nbsp; The site will regenerate except maybe
where the landings are and the landings will regenerate more slowly
than the bulk of the site.</b></u><br>
<blockquote cite="mid003301c61ab6$354bfbe0$d099bf44@FAMILYCOMPUTER"
 type="cite">
  <div>&nbsp; <br>
  </div>
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">If you would like to help me
please reply and if you know emails of the right people to contact
please contact me as well. Someone has to make a stand against this
logging and dammit I am going to fight this!</font></div>
</blockquote>
<u><b>The new DNR Forestry Director was the Saint Louis County Land
Commissioner up till last year.&nbsp; Go into the DNR web site.&nbsp; He&nbsp; should
be familiar with the bog? and its issues (but he will have someone else
write the letter probably). I would give you his name but I do not want
to get in hassles. The above clue should be adequate.&nbsp; My comments here
are not to be taken as support for anything you plan to do concerning
timber sales or land management practices.&nbsp; I have given you a couple
good suggestions to improve the habitat for raptors and a few other
birds.&nbsp; <br>
Without the death of one forest a new forest cannot be reborn (unless
your planting open areas)<br>
</b></u><b>Tom</b><u><b><br>
</b></u>&nbsp;
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid003301c61ab6$354bfbe0$d099bf44@FAMILYCOMPUTER"
 type="cite">
  <div><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">Michael Hendrickson<br>
Duluth, Minnesota<br>
Minnesota Birding Treks<br>
  <a href="http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/">http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/</a></font></div>
</blockquote>
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