Timber on public land is big industry

To the editor:

I am writing to address the record year enjoyed by Missouri farmers in 2004. With record production of soybeans, corn, cotton and rice last year, the value of Missouri's farmers increases with each passing day.

Often lost in the shuffle of agricultural production is Missouri's forgotten product: trees. More timber management on private and public lands is needed to provide forest products as well as to improve the health and quality of Missouri's forests.

Missouri has an opportunity to create more jobs for a booming industry during slow economic times. However, public entities with substantial amounts of land, like the Mark Twain National Forest, continue to under-produce while intertwined in needless government regulations. During this process, thousands of acres of trees die every year on federal land. More trees die than are harvested every year.

To those who are unfamiliar, the harvesting process regenerates healthier forests and provides much-needed wood products. Neglected public land must be harvested or managed in some way to have healthier forests.

As we celebrate Missouri's record agricultural output in 2004, let's also focus on an area that is not nearly so efficient: the forest industry. Let's remove needless regulations and laws that prevent one of Missouri's oldest industries from reaching its full potential.

CORY T. RIDENHOUR, Executive Director, Missouri Forest Products Association, Jefferson City, Mo.