FORESTRY CONFAB ORGANIZERS LAUDED FOR HEARING ALL SIDES

If you didn't make it Friday evening or yesterday, be assured that the Home and Garden Show sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Homebuilders Association is worth your time. The popular show continues today at the Show Me Center.

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I had to be out of town and as a result missed much of it, but the Forestry Management Conference that ran Friday evening and all day yesterday had much to commend it. I made it a point to hear the remarks of Rolla lumberman and timber-acreage owner John Powell (a disclaimer: the blunt-spoken Powell is a long-time friend). Powell's remarks are the subject of a story by Ray Owen elsewhere in today's edition.

Although he is chairman of the Missouri Conservation Commission, Powell made it clear that he was speaking for himself alone and not for any official position of the commission on which he serves. It was nonetheless noteworthy that Powell was joined at this conference by all three of his fellow conservation commissioners: St. Louis businessman Jay Henges; Kennett businessman Jerry Paul Combs; and Springfield attorney (and Cape Girardeau native) Andy Dalton, a member of a distinguished family of public service-minded attorneys. Dalton's father, the late S.P. Dalton, was a Supreme Court judge, and his uncle was the former attorney general and governor, the late John Dalton of Kennett.

Powell's remarks on forestry management, multiple use of our resources, timber harvesting, wildlife conservation and related topics are a breath of fresh air. He makes a crucial point when he says that after more than 40 years in forestry and timber management, he can take a measure of pride in having played a part in the restoration of Missouri's forest lands. Forested lands in Missouri total more than a million acres more today than they did just 20 years ago. That's part of the good news on the environment of which, sadly, we hear too little today.

John Powell, who owns and manages more than 16,000 acres of timber in southern Missouri, is a true conservationist in the finest sense of that word. He is quite right to stress the fact that his type of conservationist pre-dates the modern environmentalist (or "preservationist") movement that has grown up over the last 20 to 30 years.

Both sides have much to contribute, as long as extreme positions are avoided. Perhaps this weekend's conference is a start toward lowering some of the voices on these issues, and beginning the crucial process of a dialogue that may just find some common ground.

At the very least, as long as both sides deal in facts and fair argument, a heightened sense of understanding should develop in both camps. It's when you can't be sure that a given speaker is dealing in facts that we get into trouble.

In any case, it was good to see representation from forest products producers and from timber managers along with the usual crowd of environmental activists. The forest products industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in our state that means thousands of productive jobs for our good people. My congratulations to conference organizers for insuring that at this conference, at least, there was good representation from all sides on these important issues.

For those of us who were unable to make it to all the presentations, the remarks of all the speakers are being transcribed into a book that will be available later this year. Presumably the libraries will have copies, or you can get one yourself by contacting the delightful and ever-helpful Kathleen Ruopp of the Sierra Club, one of the principal sponsoring organizations.

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Only 4 percent of Oregon voters and 8 percent of Washington state voters would willingly give up 10,000 or more industry jobs to protect the "endangered" Northern spotted owl, according to a poll released this week by a labor coalition.

"This poll proves that voters in the Pacific Northwest agree with organized labor's call for a solution to the timber supply crisis that balances environmental and economic concerns," said Danny Scott, staff economist for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

"Voters in Oregon and Washington agree that protecting jobs is as important as protecting endangered species," Scott said.

The poll also showed that 68 percent of Oregon voters polled and 51 percent of Washington state voters believe the loss of a single forest products-related job is not an acceptable cost of protecting the spotted owl.

excerpts from a wire story dated Monday, March 23, 1992.

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Don't forget the violin recital by Tarina Kang, which will be today at 2 p.m. at Centenary Church. We have a great talent in our midst, and this one will surely be worth your time.