Ohio’s black bears are not getting the help they need.
Not long ago, black bears were completely absent from Ohio; hunting and logging had driven them to extinction in the state. As the article “Black bear sightings increase in Athens” recently noted, however, this native species has been making a slow comeback.
The recovery of black bears and other native wildlife would get a huge assist if the state of Ohio and the U.S. Forest Service managed Ohio’s public forests for the benefit of wildlife and Ohio’s citizens. Unfortunately, however, our government’s current priorities consist of tens-of-thousands of acres of logging, prescribed burning and gas drilling.
While Ohio ranks 7th in the nation in population, the state ranks a pathetic 47th in public land available per person. Moreover, while the vast majority of Ohio was once covered with old-growth forest, today only a tiny .004 percent of Ohio’s forests are “old growth.”
Old-growth forests have rightly been called “the key” to biodiversity. These forests are invaluable for wildlife, and the recovery of old-growth forests should be a top priority.
What little lands we as Ohio citizens own should be managed with wildlife, our families and our future generations in mind.
Nathan Johnson resides in Westerville, Ohio.
