For Immediate Release: March 17, 1999
Contacts: Danna Smith, Dogwood Alliance, 828-883-5889
Rick Spencer, EarthCulture, 336-685-7012

The state-funded North Carolina Study of the Economic and Environmental Impacts of Chip Mills is underway, and two public forums will be held next week to educate citizens and gather comments from them. On Monday, March 22, a forum will be held in Stokes County, near Winston-Salem, at South Stokes High School on Germanton Rd. north of Walnut Cove, and another will be held Tuesday, March 23 at McDowell East Junior High School on State St. in Marion. Both forums will last from 6 PM-9 PM.

Environmentalists across the state are worried that because of limited funding, the study may fail in informing the public and decision-makers of the full-range of economic and ecological impacts of the wood chip production industry.

"While the state is making an honest attempt to address the concerns citizens have about chip mills,lack of adequate funing seems to be the biggest obstacle to an adequate and thorough assessment of the full range of the chip mill industry’s,” said Danna Smith, Executive Director of the Dogwood Alliance and member of the study’s Public Advisory Committee.

Community groups are also concerned about the study’s lack of financial resources. “Although the governor mandated a 2 year study of chip mill impacts, the analysis on community impacts has not even begun,” said Lynne Faltraco of Concerned Citizens of Rutherford County.

Another shortfall of the study is that it lacks a complete evaluation of the full range of ecological impacts associated with chip mills. Although the impacts to threatened and endangered species, birds, and game will be addressed, the study does not address the effects of clearcutting on plant diversity or aquatic species. In addition, some environmental groups are concerned tht the researchers are relying on computer-based models rather than actual field research.

Concerned citizens are also disenchanted about the analysis of the stormwater runoff impacts from chip mill sites will be limited to chip mills that have agreed to participate, and will not include taking any samples of water runoff from chip mill sites.

Of equal concern is the fact that the economic values of an intact forest, known as the "non-market" values, are not being thoroughly analyzed under the current study plan. "Intact forests have economic value in watershed protection, flood control, and aesthetics. If the loss of these values is not considered in the study, the economic costs of chip mills will be underestimated,” says Smith.

"The state is only spending $250,000 on this study, but is constantly forking over taxpayer money to subsidize the chipping industry," says EarthCulture's Rick Spencer. "We cannot expect an impartial study if the state continues to hand out these incentives, which is why we are calling for a chip mill moratorium until the study is complete." In Montogmery County, there is a proposed medium density fiberboard mill which will cost taxpayers $2.5 million if built.

The findings of the NC Chip Mill Study have broad implications for the forests of North Carolina and the rest of the Southeast. Many are looking to the results of this pioneer study to determine policy for protecting forest resources in the region for years to come.