New! Please sign our petition to protect the Finger Lakes National Forest from the Trump administration’s cuts and from expanded Timber Logging
Please take two minutes to sign a petition to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a major cosponsor of the GENIUS Act supporting cryptomining.
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Seneca Lake Guardian (SLG) is encouraging the public to sign a petition to Senators Gillibrand, Schumer, and Governor Hochul, urging them to protect the state’s only National Forest, the Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF), from potential increased timber logging that could occur following President Trump’s Executive Order. The order seeks to increase timber production, erode Endangered Species Act protections to speed approval of timber sales, and set a target for timber offered for sale annually, among other measures, all of which could result in widespread clear-cutting of federal forests.
Reports indicate that the FLNF is among those targeted for increased logging activities, but there has been some question as to whether this small national forest has enough timber to be logged. According to a Forest Ranger, no logging is currently planned. However, local loggers with an intimate knowledge of the forest maintain that there is a large quantity of high value timber in the woods -and plenty of local milling capacity for them- with four major commercial sawmills within a fifty-mile radius of the forest.
Drawing in visitors year-round, the forest is situated atop a ridge between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes in the northeast Schuyler and southwest Seneca Counties, and attracts visitors not only from this vicinity, but also from Rochester, Syracuse and Binghamton which are all within a two-hour drive of the forest, and easily accessed from 1-90 and 1-81 and State Route 17.
The Trump administration’s federal cuts have already reduced the number of FLNF employees to 3 full time staff, and the Ranger station is now only open one day per week. These cuts will make it difficult to plant native trees in the section of the forest that was clear cut to remediate Emerald Ash Borer infestation, leaving the FLNF asking for volunteers to help replant this area. Additionally, regular maintenance of the forest will be nearly impossible due to such drastic cuts.
In the early 2000’s, the FLNF was engulfed by the same disputes about opening federal lands to oil and natural gas drilling that swirled around places like Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. An impassioned battle to protect the land included many New York officials who fought alongside hundreds of local residents, including Gov. E. George Pataki, Senator Charles E. Schumer, then Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and several other members of Congress, ultimately protecting the FLNF from drilling. The SLG petition asks “for that same fervent and protective response from you today.”
Many constituents have expressed apprehension, arguing that a federally mandated increase in logging of the FLNF could lead to habitat degradation, water quality issues due to increased runoff for both Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, and increased wildfire risks. The petition states, “We recognize that responsible forestry should be a part of the forest land management, but it is clear that with this executive order, that is not the protocol that would be implemented”.
The petition requests that federal and state decision-makers address the following issues:
Request that a Public Meeting be held that includes FLNF Rangers, local experienced loggers, and concerned constituents to discuss the potential for and applicability of increased logging in the FLNF, the impacts, and how to protect it.
Request that the Federal Executive Order be amended to exempt the FLNF from increased logging by the federal government.
Immediately do whatever is within their power to support the reinstatement of FLNF employees.
“We treasure our National Forest for all the benefits it provides to New York State. But this order ignores these values and opens the door for our highly valued forest to be plundered, for nothing more than corporate gain,” said Yvonne Taylor, Vice President, Seneca Lake Guardian. “In the long run, not only would this harm the forest we love, but would also worsen the effects of climate change, while also destroying critical wildlife habitat. We urge everyone who cares about this forest to ask our decision makers for its protection,” Taylor added.
SLG has also created a sign up sheet for volunteers to help the FLNF during this shortfall, and will deliver it to the Ranger Station.
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Seneca Lake Guardian
Protect the Finger Lakes for Future Generations
Public Education | Citizen Participation | Engagement with Decision Makers | Networking with Like-Minded Organizations
Join us in understanding the urgent threats facing the Finger Lakes and take action to protect our land and waters. Industrial projects, pollution, and harmful development put our region’s health, economy, and way of life at risk. At Seneca Lake Guardian, a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate, we believe that protecting our lakes is a shared responsibility—one that requires awareness, advocacy, and community partnership. We are the only organization dedicated to actively working to protect the Finger Lakes from dirty industrial projects that could threaten the health of our lakes, our rural community character, the Finger Lakes Brand, or the livelihoods of the small business owners who depend on the lakes for their success. Together, we can defend the Finger Lakes from environmental harm and ensure they remain clean, vibrant, and thriving for generations to come. Be a part of the movement to safeguard our waters—because once they’re gone, there’s no turning back.
Seneca Lake Guardian is a New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation with 501(c)(3) status. It is dedicated to preserving and protecting the health of the Finger Lakes, its residents and visitors, its rural community character, and its agricultural and tourist-related businesses. This is achieved through public education, citizen participation, engagement with decision-makers, and networking with like-minded organizations.