“I have read many definitions of what is a conservationist, and written not a few myself, but I suspect that the best one is written not with a pen, but with an axe. It is a matter of what a man thinks about while chopping, or while deciding what to chop. A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke he is writing his signature on the face of his land.” (Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac)

In the past, we have written about the importance of science-based forest management for wildlife and their habitats in the federally managed Hoosier National Forest (https://www.backcountryhunters.org/indiana_forests_healthy_management_for_biodiversity). Now, legislation has been proposed that targets the state’s management of Indiana’s state forests. 

HB 1447 "State forest areas restricted from logging," which was introduced to the Indiana House last month, reads:

"Requires the department of natural resources (department), before January 1, 2026, to designate at least one undivided area comprising at least 10% of each state forest as an old forest area. Provides that, wherever possible, the size of a designated old forest area must be at least 500 acres. Sets forth certain purposes to guide the department in designating the old forest areas. Prohibits the department from conducting or allowing timber management in the old forest areas."

Our primary concern with HB1447 is that we firmly believe forest and wildlife management decisions should be left to experts, not decided via one-size-fits-all legislation. 

In short, Indiana needs more young forests, not more areas set aside to create even more mature forests.  

80.1% of Indiana's forestland is considered mature, and around 61% of DNR managed forestlands do not allow timber harvest. From 1986 to 2015, state forests in the youngest age classes decreased by 68% while those in the oldest age classes increased by 50.5%. 

Management projects diversify the age classes of the forest, generating young forests, a forest type that numerous species, including ruffed grouse (which was listed as state-endangered in December of 2020), wild turkey, songbirds, and a number of mammals, including the whitetail deer, rely on. This forest type, which experts call “early successional,” used to be created by “natural disturbance” events such as tornadoes, fires, and insects and diseases. Today, forests are fragmented from development and these kinds of events no longer happen with the same frequency and intensity as they once did. Management fills this gap. 

Forests of diverse age classes are also essential for facing the numerous challenges posed by climate change, including drought, wildfire, and disease. Young forests sequester carbon more quickly while older trees store more. Younger trees are also more resilient to these environmental stresses. 

Forest management also helps to restore important but declining species, such as oak and hickory trees. Oaks are essential to the central hardwood ecosystem and are one of the most ecologically important tree species in the US. They provide food and  cover for numerous insects and pollinators, which in kind benefit song birds. Acorns from oaks are critically important to building fat reserves in wild turkeys and other wildlife species in the harsh fall and winter months. As browsers, whitetail deer benefit from acorn mast, oak leaves, and new buds. 

One of the state’s goals is to improve oak hickory ecosystems by way of management. Beech and maple trees play an important role in Indiana’s native forests, but they are also shade resistant and easily take over oak hickory forests in the absence of forest disturbances. In order to thrive, oak saplings require an opening in the canopy so that sunlight can get through. Since beech and maple can thrive in the shade, they easily replace oak trees. The wildlife that rely on oak hickory forests, in kind, suffer as a result. 

There are often misconceptions about what timber harvest means for a forest and for wildlife. Timber harvest does not permanently convert forestland in the way that development does. Rather, it maintains the health of the forest for the future. 

Here is the makeup of Indiana's public forestlands::

• Indiana has 4.9 million acres of forestland (22% of Indiana’s land base)
• 722,713 acres (15%) are publicly-owned forestland
• 84% of forestland is privately owned (around 1% is owned by corporations)
• 94% of the forested acres are hardwoods
• State-owned forests comprise 160,252 acres
• 61% of DNR forestlands already do not allow timber harvest (such as state parks, FWAs, etc.)

Indiana has 160,252 acres managed by the state, and these forests contain 61.3 million live trees. Recent research by Indiana DNR foresters has shown the following concerning trends:

• American beech trees and sugar maples are more abundant than any other species (13.2 and 11.8 million trees, respectively.) 
• In a recent study of the number of current saplings, which predict the future makeup of our state’s forestlands, only 3.3% of all saplings were oak species
• As for mortality rates, oak species accounted for 41% of annual tree mortality
• Japanese honeysuckle, stiltgrass, and multiflora rose are the most common invasive species

This is a glimpse of the science that guides forest management decisions and the development of vegetation management projects, including timber removal and prescribed fire.

Mature and old growth forests certainly play an essential role in healthy, biodiverse forest communities, and BHA often supports the preservation of old growth forests. In Indiana, the DNR has designated a total of 2,709 acres as old growth forest across the state (old growth forest contains trees 150-200 years old), all of which are protected from logging. 

However, young forest ecosystems also play a vital role for wildlife, with numerous threatened and endangered species depending upon them, and these kinds of forests are disappearing rapidly. The last thing Indiana’s forests need are even more areas set aside and excluded from management. 

Indiana’s expert foresters and wildlife biologists should be left in charge of forest management decisions, decisions which should be based on science. 

To learn more:

Visit Indiana’s state forests!

https://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/properties/ 

The Indiana Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment: Indiana Forestry and Wildlife

https://edustore.purdue.edu/fnr-500-w.html 

Indiana Forests 2018 Summary Report

https://www.fs.usda.gov/nrs/pubs/rb/rb_nrs132.pdf 

Indiana DNR State Forest Properties Report of Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) Summary of years 2017-2021

https://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/files/fo-continuous-forest-inventory-property-report-2017-2021.pdf 

Want to visit Indiana’s old growth forests? Check out these locations: https://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/files/indianaoldgrowthforests.pdf