The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would choose a contractor to oversee the effort for five years, plan the logging, and get the best price for timber. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith (D., Middlesex-Somerset) affects New Jersey's Highlands, not the Pinelands.
But opponents say it will do more harm than good because it does nothing to stop the large numbers of deer that feed on new growth. And they say it doesn't take into account invasive species that take over when the forest canopy is opened up, letting in more sunlight.
"No one suggests this bill would turn the logging industry loose on the forests," said supporter Bob Williams, a certified forester with Land Dimensions Engineering in Glassboro who manages private forests in New Jersey and Maryland. "I'm not aware of anyone suggesting clear-cuts or massive intervention.
"But loggers can play an important role in sustaining the forest when they're pointed in the right direction," he said. "The amount of land where logging would take place is fairly modest."
Cutting some trees helps leave the forests healthier, the legislation's supporters say. It means more sunlight and more nutrients to feed new growth.
"By removing some trees, you can enhance more desirable species," such as oaks, Williams said. "You thin to get resilience in the forest so trees can fend off insects and disease."
The measure calls for a much-needed inventory and provides resources - from the proceeds of logging - "to manage the forests in a healthy and sustainable way," said Barbara McConnell, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Forestry Association, a nonprofit forest management advocacy organization representing private woodland owners. "An essential part of a good forestry plan involves some cutting and thinning."
