Technically, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is correct with their white-knuckled, redundant rebuttal: “We’re not cutting old-growth trees.” For the damage the old growth will suffer on their behalf, they might as well be.

For those just joining us, here’s a quick recap. Zoar Valley was born when Herbert F. Darling, Jr donated 612 acres of mature forest with the proposition that it was to remain untouched, and forever wild. Zoar Valley now boasts 2,978 protected acres and three nature preserves. To date, Zoar holds some of the last old growth forests in Western New York. As stated by the Old Growth Initiative, “an Eastern Hemlock … has been core dated to 450 to 500 years old… an isolated Sycamore … has been core dated to 350 years.” It would stand to reason that the department intended to protect and serve the environment would work diligently to protect this sacred land- but their current actions sabotage what little old growth we have left.

Currently, through the partnership of the DEC and the Connecticut and New York Audubon Society, 92 acres of Zoar Valley is slated for logging and clear cutting- an affront to Darling’s wishes. According to a 2021 draft plan, 900 of the 2,978 acres could be logged over a span of 10 years. Though this has yet to be signed, it has yet to be rejected, which means it holds the possibility of becoming a reality. Let’s get one thing straight, before we dive in. While the 92 acres does not include any old growth trees, it is mature forest, meaning the trees in this area are 100 years from being considered old growth. All the while, those 92 acres buddy right up to the border where old growth begins, and this move will prove to be its ultimate demise.

Why?

The forest currently surrounding the old growth is what is known as a buffer zone. In a nutshell, buffer zones act as a barrier for vulnerable areas, protecting them from invasive species, parasites, pathogens, extreme weather, etc. It’s akin to someone with a compromised immune system wearing a mask during cold and flu season. Without the buffer zone, mature growth is now open to any and all threats. To add insult to injury, the forest marked for logging is also a drainage site. The water that drains into this area feeds the old growth network. Without this area, our old growth forest is faced with no protective border and the loss of its main water supply.

Of course, this plan is proposed to save the dwindling bird population by offering shelter for nesting. It does raise suspicion to true motives, however, when the head forester of the CT/NY Audubon, Suzanne Treyger, owns one of the most successful logging companies in the area- one that proudly broadcasts their “timber cruise” of federal, state, private and county land. If you direct your attention a few miles away, even more questions arise.

Planted by the DEC is a monoculture forest of Norway Spruce and another of Larch. Monoculture forests can prove to provide more problems than solutions. As the trees are all one species, they are a breeding ground for invasive pests and communicable diseases due to decreased genetic biodiversity. Entertainingly enough, the DEC planted these stands specifically for logging purposes, with plants to harvest them every 5-10 years- specifically for bird habitat in the Norway Spruce section. It begs the question as to why the DEC would elect to log an established, bio-diverse, mature and thriving forest instead of the monoculture stands already designated for harvest.

You can do with this information what you will, but I’ll end with the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, a Potawatomie ecologist. “In some Native languages the term for plants translates to ‘those who take care of us’.”

For many, Zoar Valley has taken care of us for generations. It’s our turn to take care of her.

Lily Harrington is a Gowanda resident.