Updates from Friends of White's Woods
May 28, 2020
White Township Supervisors voted to table the public distribution of the draft forestry stewardship plan for White's Woods Nature Center.
May 27, 2020
PA DCNR is now playing a role in the management of White's Woods Nature Center.
May 26, 2020 - FWW FILES SUIT
The Indiana Gazette just published a story regarding a suite filed against White Township. For more details, also be sure to read the press release written by Tim Fitchett of Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services.
May 24, 2020
There is a new article about White's Woods that you should read from the HawkEye. A new letter to the editor also points out the immense public value of WWNC.
May 20, 2020
Read what members of the Indiana Borough have to say about the proposed work in White's Woods Nature Center. Also read the new letter to the editor.
May 19, 2020
Make sure you read the new letters to the editor!
May 17, 2020
HOT OFF THE PRESS!! SAVE WHITE'S WOODS face masks are here. And oh do they look sharp!
Do not miss all the latest articles and letters to the editor from the Indiana Gazette.
May 10, 2020
Be sure to read all the new letters to the editor regarding White's Woods Nature Center.
May 6, 2020
The WCCS interview with members of Friends of White's Woods is now available for viewing/listening on Youtube.
May 4, 2020
Member of Friends of White's Woods will be interviewed by Todd Marino on WCCS at 9:45 AM Tuesday, May 5, 2020.
April 30, 2020
IUP scientists submit letter to White Township and Millstone Land Management asking the township to cease all forestry activity until a comprehensive forest stewardship plan is in place.
April 28, 2020
Today additional trees were marked. A new map showing the perimeter of the new markings is available.
April 27, 2020
Friends of White's Woods, Inc. is now accepting donations online. Please visit our Gofundme page and give what you can to help protect White's Woods Nature Center.
April 23, 2020
New trees were marked in both blue and green. Be sure to check out our new maps to get an idea of where the trees are being marked.
April 22, 2020
Today members of Friends of White's Woods attended the White Township supervisors meeting. Representatives of the township informed FWW that there was not a finalized forestry management plan. The partial plan that does exist does not have the necessary approvals to begin work. It should be noted that trees were marked today for removal. The supervisors again provided the opportunity for Friends of White's Woods to visit with the consulting forester. This option will be considered by the FWW board. Read more about the meeting in an article featured in the Indiana Gazette.
April 21, 2020
Be sure to read the latest letters to the editor on our news archive page. Members of our community want to be heard!
April 18, 2020
Today new mature trees were marked with blue spray paint. It is likely that these newly marked trees are slated for harvest as per the timber valuation document (Page 2, line 16). See map for location.
April 16, 2020
At 4:52 PM this evening, FWW received the Millstone forestry plan related to White's Woods.
April 12, 2020
White Township is managing White’s Woods without public comment or involvement.
Sections of mature trees in White’s Woods have been marked with green dots to be timbered and removed from the forest beginning as soon as early summer 2020. White Township claims that this is all part of a management plan to remove invasive species and improve forest health and safety.
However, the management plan has not been made available to the public as of April 12, 2020. Additionally, this activity is happening during a global pandemic when members of the public have been asked to shelter at home, unable to attend White Township Board of Supervisors meetings.
It appears as though White Township has been taking swift steps to move forward with a plan that they knew would need reviewed by members of the public.
The organization, Friends of White's Woods, that had major concerns regarding the last two attempts (1995, 2007) to timber White’s Woods is still active and can be reached at info@friendsofwhiteswoods.org
Join us in demanding transparency and accountability from our local elected officials – The White Township Board of Supervisors.
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April 16, 2008
Friends of White's Woods contends that White's Woods is a park not a forest and DCNR’s legal department agrees. The Board of Supervisors now acknowledge that any management plan must accord with Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act but insist on trying to make a logging plan fit a park.
The Supervisors insist that a plan developed to generate “continuing township revenue by the sale of forest products” can somehow serve the recreation and conservation purposes of a park. But how can a plan optimal for one purpose be optimal for another, very different purpose? A valid plan results from clearly stated and agreed upon goals from multiple stakeholder groups. The Supervisors seem to be developing a plan for one stakeholder group – themselves. This is a recipe for disaster. It would be better to have no plan than one purported to be for the health of the park but developed for the health of a commercial forest.
The Supervisors continue to ignore the concerns of the community and refuse to establish communication that could lead to the park stewardship plan we all desire. We all agree that a desirable plan would maintain the health of White’s Woods thereby allowing the community to enjoy this unique community resource for generations to come.
Why won’t the Supervisors help develop such a plan and with public involvement?
