At the White's Woods meeting March 29 at Indiana Senior High School, a memo from Tock! A. Chambers Vtikich Associates to interested citizens of Indiana was distributed. It commenced, "White Woods is a unique parcel, not only for its sylvan wooded hillsides and valleys, but also for its proximity to Indiana Borough and White Township. There are precious few communities with this large of an expanse uf open space in such close proximity to so many people." It was downhill after that.
Jerry Kozusko, despite writing in the Indiana Gazette's "As I See It" feature on March 25 that the '"eventual master plan may give justification for timber removal from Whites Woods," said in his opening statement at the March 29 meeting that trees would have to be cut in order to pay the White Township portion of the phase one expansion of Getty Heights Park.
This was substantiated later in the meeting by White Township Manager Larry Garner, who stat ed that "there will probably be some limbering done" because the "Supervisors (White Town ship 1 feel there needs to be development' whether you tthe public in attendance 1 like the word or not." He concluded by repeating "some timbering will be done."
This destroyed the slated intent of the meeting, which was to begin developing a master plan lor While's Woods since the more than 100 in attendance were inter ested in keeping the natural and wonderful recreation area we I have rather than planning how to best use a significantly denuded tract of 250 acres.
I would like to make a series of points:
1. White's Woods currently pro vides a variety of recreational uses including hiking, running, biking, cross-country skiing and wildlife viewing. It offers solitude to those so inclined to simply sit. meditate and enjoy.
2. The woods are now used by people ranging in age from under 10 years to those over 70 years. Enjoyment of a recreational fa cility by almost the complete spectrum of human ages is un usual, to say the least.
3. The cost of maintaining the more than four miles of trails is very low and much of it could be accomplished by volunteers, thus reducing the park expenditure even more.
4. The present land use of the township's250 forested acres well matches the use of IUP's 270 acres that abut the western end of the property.
5. Selective cutting is not well understood by all involved in this process. Any significant culling will dramatically alter the nature of the woods for at least 20 years. When a targeted tree falls, other trees will also fall and debris will be left on the forest floor. And. of course, access to the cut trees will cause considerable damage to the flora and the ground itself.
6. The validity of point five was tacitly accepted by the Chambers Vukicli consulting firm, which said that uncut buffer zones were to be left near roads and on the Indiana side to maintain the present long-distance beauty of the woods. This is an example of the philosophy that "if it looks good, it is good," even if those wishing to enjoy the woods find it impossible because of a donut effect with trees on the outside hut no trees on the inside.
7. It is true that proper forest management requires that ma ture trees be cut in order to gain financially from the forest being mitnaged. This is not true if the purpose of the management is human enjoyment. Forests have done quite well on their own for a long time.
8. Pennsylvania Project-70 moneys were used to help White Township purchase the woods. These funds were to be used,only for recreation, conservation and historical purposes. This would seem to prohibit the cutting of trees to earn money for the expansion of another park.
9. Any major "development" will provide more facilities such as those already enjoyed at other parks. They will be expensive to build and to maintain.
10. Environmental studies will show that drainage patterns and water flow will be altered if trees are cut. There will be substantial cost in maintaining the necessary water control facilities to insure those living near the woods will not be flooded or sustain property damage.
I see no reason to "destroy" White's Woods and find it an anathema to ruin one park to expand another. My wife and I are of like minds and invite all who agree to join in forming a "Friends of White's Woods Asso ciation" to protect what we have.
Interested persons should write to John D. and/or Claudine Coffman. 471 South Seventh St., Indiana. Pa. 15701. Give your name, address, telephone number and and any special help you can provide, such as a place for us to meet.
John Coffman is a teacher in the Marion Center School Dis trict, a member of the Indinna Planning Commission and chaired Indiana Borough's parking permit ad hoc committee.