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Letter Regarding Jordan Creek Parkway Old Growth Forests
Mr.
William Berkheimer
Lehigh County Parks and Recreation
1401 Lennart Road
Whitehall, PA 18052
Re: Jordan Creek Parkway
Dear Mr. Berkheimer:
We
are writing to you in reference to the present status of the Jordan
Creek Parkway. The Lehigh Valley
group of the Sierra Club would like to present to you a different vision
of management for this unusual natural treasure. We feel that this forest needs a greater degree of protection than
is currently provided. We would
ask you to please consider further restrictions on the types of recreational
activities that will continue to compact soil and damage wildflowers,
shrubs and saplings.
In opposition to the proposals for “thinning” these old growth trees to deal with ecological problems occurring in the forest, the Sierra Club would like to informally discuss options for the preservation and enhancement of this park in lieu of logging. We have great interest in protecting and helping to improve the management of this area, particularly in that it is a long-lived jewel adjacent to an ever-changing urban location. One of these options involves the placement of fencing to surround the old growth area. This would restrict the impact of browsing deer and the damage to the forest’s under-story by over use.
It is the goal of the Sierra Club to ensure that everyone understands the significance of such a forest, and share with you a few pro-regenerative opportunities we have in mind at this time. This secondary old growth forest exhibits characteristics that would only occur after 150 years or more of growth. The presence of significant amounts of standing dead trees or snags in combination with ample numbers of rotting logs indicates this forest has not been logged for many decades. This abundance of decaying wood on the forest floor provides good cover for amphibians and lots of food for fungi. The carbon cycle is alive and well in this unusual forest and its soils are extremely rich in organic material. These humus rich soils provide the park’s abundant wild flowers with all they need to prosper. Some of the greatest concentrations of native wildflowers in the Lehigh Valley can be found in areas of this forest where outdoor recreation has not compacted its soil. In addition, the ecological continuity that this forest has experienced has allowed for moderate to acute lichen and moss development. The site is dominated by enormous shade tolerant, long-lived species of trees. Many of these trees show balding patterns on their bark indicative of old growth trees.
The Lehigh Valley group of the Sierra Club asked two old growth forest experts to visit this site and they have reported their findings to our group. One of the experts The Sierra Club called upon for advice is Bruce Kershner. Kershner is a noted authority and has authored four books on Old Growth Forests and is currently writing a book entitled The Sierra Club’s Guide to Old Growth Forests of the Northeast. Both experts concluded that the seven to ten acre forest of concern is approximately 150 to 200 years of age. These trees exhibit large burls and stag-headed branching in their canopies. The forest floor displays classic pit and mound topography which also is also consistent with old growth forest characteristics. Their findings indicate that there is a unique portion of forestland within the boundaries of the Jordan Creek Parkway and this secondary old growth forest has been left undisturbed and wild for almost two hundred years since its first and only colonial cutting.
In addition to the visit by this noted old growth forests specialist, the Sierra Club is preparing to host a volunteer program day in the Jordan Creek Parkway, May 17th, 2003, for educational and conservation purposes on the topics of ecological interpretation and natural resource management. The Sierra Club will provide skilled naturalists who will identify invasive species of concern and lead volunteers in their removal, thereby enhancing this forest resource.
We
look forward to further discussion of the matter at your convenience.
The Sierra Club would also like to extend an invitation to you for your
presence at our educational/conservation day on May 17th. If you are interested, please be in contact
and we shall discuss meeting times.
As always, your thoughts and interest in the matter are appreciated.
Sincerely,
Al
Wurth, Ph.D.
Executive Committee Chair
Barbara
N. Benson, Ph.D.
Conservation Chair
