Logging law proposal
This idea has come as the reaction to 2 different clear cuts in Danby over the past 10 years. One is in West Danby and the other on Deputron Hollow Rd. This is an example of governance where a specific situation leads to a law aimed at one or a few, that over reaches and now applies to everyone- a loss of freedom and new control by those in leadership. There are several things to consider here. First, logging has been done in Danby since its inception. Thousands of log jobs using selective harvest have been done without harm to either the ecosystem (logging actually opens up the forest canopy and improves habitat for all wildlife species of Danby!) or to the views and aesthetics of Danby. Why regulate all because of 2 isolated examples that have done otherwise? This even ignores the greater question of personal property and freedom.
A second consideration is this: do you like the fields of Danby? Horrors! They are All the result of clear cuts! We live in a temperate-deciduous ecosystem where the climax vegetation is forest. Before settled, all of Danby was forested. It actually was almost nearly clear cut to provide potash and land for farming. The marginal land has reforested through ecological succession. Many abandoned fields are in process of that now.
The CAC has come up with a proposed logging law (ordinance) that would require anyone cutting more trees than for their own firewood supply, to get a permit from the town to do so. It gets even more non sensical, as the proposal at one point (possibly the current proposal) asked for a scaled drawing of where each tree is in the woodlot. Current logging practices are to mark the trees to be cut, and list the species, number of trees in each species, and the board feet of lumber to be produced through this timber harvest. NO ONE does a scaled drawing! We’ve spoken to multiple loggers, and if this were to occur in Danby, logging would cease to occur. Another taking of freedom and rights of landowners.
When we made a suggestion within the past 2 years to Joel and the Town Board that if clear cutting was so horrible in their minds, why not make their ordinance only applicable to those taking greater than 40% of the timber off a woodlot? Why regulate everyone as the result of an isolated few? We asked them to not overstep and overreach through legislation, but we got no positive response. It seems they only desire to control and legislate the people of Danby. Instead, we support life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Here is another reason to vote for the 3 running as the Danby Roots Party.