THE PUBLIC MIND: TIMBER-CUT OPPONENT TAKES ISSUE WITH PAPER'S STAND CONCERNING HARVESTING OF SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST

Dear Editor:

I am responding to the editorial in your Sept. 19 edition regarding the moratorium on timber cutting in the Shawnee National Forest.

I appreciate the writer's opinion and respect his right to one; however, there appears to be some misinformation or lack of information on the writer's part. Logging at the Fairview area in Jackson County does not consist of a large area as the writer points out; however, this is not all that has been cut or will be cut. There are thousands of acres in the Shawnee which are designated as sale areas. In Alexander County alone there are two sale areas, Burner Hill and Big Ranch, which consist of 961 acres and 1,040 acres respectively. There are approximately 200 acres in the Burner Hill area which may be scheduled for cutting at any time. Thousands more acres throughout the Shawnee have been cut in the past 25 years or so and, as stated, more is scheduled.

The writer also attempts to play down the significance of the Fairview cut or any cut by the statement that the forest is not leveled by the cuts. Apparently he has not seen a clear cut or a group selection cut. Granted, the entire area of a given acreage may not be leveled, but the areas which are cut consisting of 4 to 25 acres each, depending on the type of harvest, are leveled. Such cutting has a variety of effects on the ecology and biological diversity of the forest. Obviously, the older the forest, the greater the effect as is the case at Fairview.

There are actually 714,644 acres in Shawnee National Forest which is considerably more than the 267,000 stated in the editorial which, again, points out the lack of information or misinformation the writer has. I realize the point of the editorial was not to get the facts straight but to attack those of us, including Congressman Poshard, who oppose the harvest and techniques employed. There are many people who care about the forest and as was pointed out in the editorial, trees have stood and survived long before special interest groups were developed to speak in their behalf and I have no doubt they will continue to grow on the planet long after we are gone. I might add that the forests stood and flourished long before the intervention of man's "management techniques" which are depleting them at an alarming rate. Your writer like East Perry Lumber Company, other timber companies and the U.S. Forest Service have given new meaning to not being able to see the forest for the trees. This is not, nor has it ever been, an issue solely about trees: it is one about forests, their ecology and the biological diversity of them. National Forests are forests, not tree farms. There is a vast difference between the two.

Congressman Poshard knows the difference between trees and forests. That is why he and many others of us are concerned and support a moratorium on cutting until harvest effects can be evaluated and some sanity can be regained in management. Some of us approach this issue with more vigor than others. Some have resorted to techniques which may seem drastic; however, without question, they have brought the issues to public awareness. It should be pointed out that those of us who care about the forest have nothing to gain from protecting it except to enjoy it. We do not make money from it. East Perry Lumber Company does and they do so at the expense of the taxpayers. Virtually every sale in every national forest results in net loss to the American taxpayer.

I strongly urge the writer o~f this editorial and Peter Kinder who has also had his say about the issue (bless his bigoted heart) to get in touch with what is happening to the Shawnee. I would be happy to show them what is going on in Alexander County and throughout this national forest. If they aren't willing to get the facts, maybe they should write about subjects they know something about.

Incidentally~, I almost took exception to the statement that East Perry Lumber Company is directing timber cutting in the Shawnee. That is probably the most correct statement the writer made. East Perry does seem to control most of what goes on in the Shawnee including the Forest Service. It's a classic example of the tail wagging the dog.

Yours truly,

Leslie F. Honey

Cairo, Ill.