The U.S. Forest Service is holding meetings around Ohio to see what people want in a federally mandated update of plans for the management of Wayne National Forest.

        The answer is, quite a bit.

        The Ruffed Grouse Society wants more “young brushy woods” in the forest, which spans 12 counties in southeast Ohio.

        The Ohio Multi-Use Trails Association wants more paths for bikers, hikers and off-road vehicles.

        The Sierra Club wants a permanent ban on commercial logging.

        The Forest Service is required to update its plan for Wayne National Forest every 15 years. The agency is holding 10 meetings across Ohio this month as it gets ready to put together an environmental impact statement due in fall 2004.

        About 60 people attended the Tuesday night session, and most of the 19 speakers were there to oppose commercial logging.

        “The fact that the Forest Service is authorized to commercially manage timber does not mean that the agency is required to do so,” said Sierra Club spokesman Brian Pasko, “and the agency should refrain from doing so when logging conflicts with other laws that pertain to national forest management.”

        The Forest Service has noted that no commercial logging has been conducted in Wayne National Forest since 1993. However, two suspended operations could be allowed to resume later this year if the service decides there no longer is an impediment to logging, Forest Service spokesman Ken Arbogast said.

        Ricardo Garcia, the agency's natural resources group leader at Wayne, told Sierra Club members that people who live near the forest don't seem to agree with the club's goals.

        “When we have meetings in local communities, people tell us they want to see oil and gas development, they want to see logging,” Mr. Garcia said. “They think they're not getting enough economic return from their public land.”

        A final environmental impact statement and record of decision are not due until fall 2005.

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