Who's Watching Forest Watch?
by Paul Howe, VFA Executive Vice President
Virginia Forest Watch held a series of street protests back in
September, 2003, complete with a couple of mockers dressed up like
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. I've been to both Presidents'
resting places a few times out of respect for these gentlemen, and I
think it's fitting that the national forest system in Virginia bears
their names. However, my guess is that the "President of the Dollar"
and TJ, the Commonwealth's favorite son, are rolling over in their
oft visited graves.
I'd bet my bottom dollar both Presidents would be shocked, like
me, at the timing of these so-called protests. Hurricane Isabel had
many Virginians struggling with thousands and thousands of downed
city and yard trees, and thousands of acres of wrecked rural forests,
while Forest Watch disciples were prancing around in costumes. This
group was and still is on yet another mission to save us all from
some inevitable environmental catastrophe brought about by man's
interference with nature. I don't think that message went over to
well with my friends and neighbors left in the wake of Isabel!
The real forestry community I know rallied to help their neighbors
and our forests. Loggers donated their skills and equipment to help
remove damaged and downed trees in yards and on roads. State and
industry foresters used their expertise to assess Isabel's impact on
our forest resource, planning to use felled trees and to make sure
more trees grow back.
However, instead of joining in to lend a hand and help both people
and forests, Forest Watch continues to bleat the same-old worn out
and unproven propaganda. This time it was through their so-called
"Endangered Forests, Endangered Freedoms Road Show." They aimed their
venom at President Bush, Congressman Bob Goodlatte, and efforts to
enact the Healthy Forets Restoration Act, a law to protect our
national forests. Forest Watch's rhetoric was fraught with
misinformation about timber harvesting. The fact is, only 2,100 acres
are harvested annually out of 1.8 million acres in the George
Washington and Jefferson National Forests. This is less than one
tenth of one percent of the land. Only about 84 acres, or four
percent of the 2100 harvest acres, are clearcut each year.
While harvesting of useful forest products should not concern
Virginians, the long-term protection of our forest's vitality from
pests and woodland threats is a challenge. Public forests are
threatened, due in part to ineffective forest management policies
that have been forced on the US Forest Service as courts and federal
lawmakers acquiesce to the never-ending complaints of small groups
like Forest Watch. Congressman Goodlatte, on the other hand, has
served as a champion for sound, science-based forest practices on
public and private lands.
Just like every citizen and special interest group in the country,
Forest Watch has had every opportunity to participate in the lengthy
public hearing process that goes on over a period of many years to
develop a plan for each national forest. Instead of appreciating,
like most of us, the compromises that go into developing plans for
the greater good, groups like Forest Watch cry foul and protest, and
then use a form of public extortion by suing the government. They
thumb their nose at the democratic process and prevent any form of
timely forest management. We would normally call them poor losers
where I come from, but the fact is they are winning in their efforts
to prevent the nurturing of our national forests.
Private lands are next on their agenda, and it is ironic that
Forest Watch dresses up its radical agenda with a title that claims
concern for "Endangered Freedoms." This is the same organization that
has pushed for state level regulation in recent years aimed at
limiting the freedom of hardworking and caring forest landowners.
Forest Watch's goal is to demand that government and every citizen
have a chance to review all forestry activity on private land in
Virginia. Forest landowners and forestry professionals are doing a
good job tending their forests. As long as they continue to meet
their responsibilities to the land and adhere to already existing
laws, it is not appropriate to require them to seek approval from
government or private groups before implementing forestry plans and
operations.
The mantra of Forest Watch claims that corruption of Virginia's
elected officials results in destruction of our natural resources by
uncaring multinational corporations. Their across-the-board
condemnation of government and business, is again, based on
falsehoods and not getting their way. Through twisted reasoning, they
claim that by not managing and properly harvesting public and private
forests, we are all better off. This is indeed hard to fathom, when
you consider that recently announced statewide forest inventory
results tell of growing forests. Our forests are growing while
supporting a $30 billion forest products industry that pays woodland
owners nearly $350 million annually for the state's largest cash
crop. This is in spite of losing thousands of forested acres each
year to development.
If it makes Forest Watch feel any better, the Virginia Forestry
Association is finding itself compelled to seriously consider forming
a Political Action Committee (PAC). VFA has long operated without a
PAC in its efforts to educate lawmakers about forestry, but now
something must be done to combat the millions of dollars lavished on
preservationist groups by well meaning but naive individuals and
duped foundations, both private and public. It seems our money, time,
and energy could be used much more effectively, especially when there
are real environmental issues to address and Virginians in need of a
helping hand. In contrast, Forest Watch's foolish skits based on
selfish demands display an attitude that is harmful to us all.
I know that the real President Washington, our country's leader in
the fight for freedom, and President Jefferson, wordsmith of the
language that so eloquently describes our personal rights, would be
aghast at the goals and rhetoric of groups like Forest Watch. We must
be just as committed as Washington and Jefferson in being stewards of
our freedoms . . . and our forests.
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