to landfills. It is urgently recommended that laws that
establish procedures for the disposition of household
trash and garbage be amended to permit the controlled
burning of all paper products outside of municipalities.
We oppose any efforts to amend, grandfather
provisions into, or dismantle laws which give
citizens the right to petition for a referendum on
proposed commercial infectious waste facilities in
their communities.
100. SUBSIDENCE DAMAGE CAUSED BY
MINING
West Virginia Farm Bureau supports the
enforcement of existing laws and the development
of additional laws pertaining to all mining. The West
Virginia Farm Bureau urges that existing laws be more
strictly enforced and that additional laws be created
that address subsidence issues related to farming and
agribusiness. This is particularly true in the area of
water loss from farm ponds, springs and the water
table. Water loss in the water table affects osmosis
preventing underground water from nourishing deep
roots of trees and crops. This can deprive producers of
the ability to grow crops on their land permanently.
Because the effects of subsidence can be
irreversible, compensation must be adequate to
the loss incurred. Farm Bureau recommends three
independent appraisals to assess damages and insure
proper compensation.
101. AMERICAN CHESTNUT TREES
West Virginia Farm Bureau supports funding
for the development and reestablishment of the
American Chestnut.
102. TIMBER MANAGEMENT AND
HARVESTING
West Virginia Farm Bureau opposes any
changes in current law that would restrict the
ability of the landowner to harvest timber and
manage his/her woodland.
open market with proceeds of the sale going to the
county in which the sale occurs and that all saleable
timber be removed.
104. HARVESTING OF DEAD TREES IN STATE
FORESTS
Much of the state owned forests contain dead
trees. This situation is caused, largely, by gypsy moth
damage and drought. Harvesting of dead timber would
be beneficial. Not only would harvesting eliminate
undesirable dead trees, it would generate revenue that
could be used to further combat the gypsy moth. West
Virginia Farm Bureau also recommends, to protect
users, dead and dying trees be removed from the
recreational areas of the state parks.
It is further recommended that the harvesting be
done before deterioration in quality of the dead trees
begins. A bidding process could be used to ascertain
that the highest return possible on the harvest would
be received.
105. EXEMPTION FROM CERTIFICATION/
LICENSING FOR TIMBER OPERATIONS FOR
LANDOWNERS
West Virginia Farm Bureau recommends that
West Virginia landowners who harvest wood
products from their property be exempt from
certification and licensing requirements of the
Division of Forestry if such operations gross
$50,000 or less in annual revenue.
We believe that this exemption does not relieve the
landowner of the responsibility to be a good steward of
the land. In all operations, the landowner shall follow
Best Management Practices (BMP) as defined by the
Division of Forestry.
106. GINSENG PRODUCTION, HARVESTING
AND SALE
West Virginia Farm Bureau supports the allowance
of planting, harvesting and sales of woods grown and
cultivated ginseng.
103. NATIONAL FOREST TIMBER
The federal government owns a major portion
of our standing timber. West Virginia Farm Bureau
recommends that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
continue its policy on the harvesting of this timber
and permit the U.S. Forest Service to identify and
selectively cut marketable timber and sell it on the
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 27