Bay City Times
By Jerry Nunn
ST. HELEN - When Rick Benjamin planned his dream home he chose the rolling, forested hills outside of Rose City as the perfect site. But when Benjamin steps out on his deck these days, he doesn't see nature's beauty. This past summer the Michigan Department of Natural Resources clear-cut nearly 100 acres of oak, maple and aspen trees across the road from his home. Last year, they stripped 40 acres bordering his property on the side. "They absolutely ruined the forest across the road. It makes me just sick." said Benjamin. "I only hope I can keep someone else from having to go through this." That hope was shared by nearly 75 other citizens from Ogemaw and Roscommon counties who attended a public meeting Thursday to discuss clear-cutting and other forest issues. The meeting was hosted by state Rep. Joel Sheltrown, D-West Branch, and held at the Richfield Township Hall, in St. Helen. The meeting, moderated by Sheltrown, allowed DNR officials to present their forest management plan, while providing citizens an opportunity to query officials. For state officials, the meeting was a demonstration of government as it is supposed to be - an open forum between citizens and the agencies that serve them. "Government is run by those who show up," said Keith Charters, chairman of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission. "We have done our part to make the process accessible to the public. Now what we need is for the public to be proactive," he added. But for citizens, it was a meeting that was long overdue. Locals say the clear-cutting has gotten out of hand, and speculate it is driven by the state's need to balance the budget. The DNR sells about $2 million worth of timber a year out of the Roscommon/Ogemaw area, but that money often reverts to the state for prior designated uses. "People in this town are pretty upset," said Jim Smolarz, of St. Helen, prior to the meeting. "It looks like a nuclear holocaust. It is everywhere around here." Smolarz, a Roscommon County commissioner, said the clear-cuttings have lowered property values, decreased wildlife populations and are ruining the tourist trade. At a recent Board of Commissioners meeting, Smolarz moved that a letter be sent to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, asking for a moratorium on clear-cutting and for an end to what he called "the raping of the earth." The Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners passed a similar motion at its August meeting. Both motions passed unanimously. "Restaurants and bait shops are dying in this town. This is devastating our economy," said Smolarz. Rich Cronk, owner of Rolling Oaks Archery in Roscommon, said everyone who walks into his shop has complained about the clear-cutting. Those most effected are the hunters from downstate, he said. "They buy 20 acres surrounded by state land and think, 'Hey, I am all set.' All of a sudden, they come up here and the forest is all cut down," Cronk said. DNR officials defended their management plan, noting it was designed for the long term. The loss of wildlife is a short-term problem, said Mark Boersen, DNR biologist. He noted more species of wildlife can use the invigorated forest in greater numbers within a few years. The 270,000-acre state forest of Ogemaw and Roscommon counties is managed on a 10-year rotation with roughly 10 percent inventoried every year to determine the age, type, vigor and species, according to Steve Anderson, manager of the DNR's Roscommon Management Unit in charge of the two counties. The inventory is used to determine the amount of harvest, which can range from 1,900 acres to 4,000 acres of clear-cut between the two counties, according to information Anderson provided. That is then presented for public input at an annual DNR open house, scheduled for Dec. 1. "That is when people need to get involved," said Anderson. "That is when we sit down one-on-one and listen to their concerns." While Anderson said public comment would not automatically sway agency decisions, he said public opinion is taken into consideration. That was little consolation for those who missed the chance. When the parcels were inventoried in Rick Benjamin's neighborhood, he had already purchased the property. But since his home was not yet built, he received no noticed of the proposed clear-cut. "It is our forest. They could do a better job of letting people know," said Benjamin. "It effects the value of my land." Benjamin suggests state forest bordering private property be selectively cut. "They should manage it like my forest, like our forest," said Benjamin. "I did not clear-cut my land."