New York Catskills grouse report

[Gary Laudermilch]

Everybody is right. There are a multitude of factors that are creating a perfect storm. Any one of them might not be catastrophic but when combined can cause severe problems that can be difficult to overcome. We can only hope it is not too late to effect some change.

Changing people's perceptions regarding timber harvesting, especially clearcutting is a tough nut to crack. The exodus of urban folks to rural areas has not been helpful as it has caused the fragmentation of large farms into smaller units owned by city folks. To them cutting a tree is desecration of the forest. They see things in too short a time span. Unfortunately, they are also quite vocal about events on public land as well. Farmers saw trees as a crop to supplement their income or serve as a retirement fund. Creating good quality habitat over the landscape will be a major challenge.