Subject: NEW PERSPECTIVES AND OLD NOTIONS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: William Barton is the incoming President for the Society of American Foresters. He pulled no punches with his first official statement in the January 1992 Journal of Forestry. Jerry Greer, from the Wayne-Hoosier NF, is counted among those SAF members who were shocked by Barton's message. I've packaged Greer's reaction alongside Barton's commentary. 2 pages. Dve. -------========X========------- Eco-Watch 1/8/92 To D.IVERSON:R04A From: Jerry Greer:R09F11A Postmark: Jan 06,92 11:25 AM Subject: ECO-WATCH: NEW PERSPECTIVES AND THE OLD TIMER ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Message: Many of us in the SAF were shocked to read President Wm. Barton's commentary in the Jan92 issue of the Journal of Forestry. In his first article, Mr. Barton outlines his belief that starting in 1892 (with Mr. Pinchot) we have been doing "the greatest job of environmental enhancement ever known to man." He discusses how growing trees take carbon dioxide out and put oxygen back; then how decaying trees take oxygen out and put the CO2 back. This is the natural order of things, he says. He believes that we should grow more and cut more trees only because of the CO2-Oxygen balance. Intensive harvesting, he seems to believe, is our salvation. "It seems to me that this puts us in line with the natural order of things: birth, growth, death. Utilization is better than rot and waste." He states his belief with clarity, "... timber comes first. It keeps us in line with the natural order of things." He fears "environmental extremists who see little merit in balance,..." In the commentary, there is no recognition of the right of other life forms to share the forest environment; no recognition of any benefit to humanity other than the production of oxygen; no recog- nition of any new perspective. A diverse Society has elected one who has a 100 year perspective; who fails to understand; one who has power to drag us back. Is this perhaps a creationist in the forest? ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ TELLING OUR STORY William J. Barton Man is an alarmist by nature. We see many dragons in the dark. The [Society of American Foresters] has its problems. Some are severe, and it may be time to get alarmed. Our membership is at a dangerously low level; we are embroiled in controversy; we have detractors; some say forestry is irrelevant; some say forestry has had its best day. Don't believe it. We are a diverse Society. Perhaps we try to be all things to all people. Perhaps we no longer recognize the roots from which we have grown. After studying in Europe, Gifford Pinchot came home near the end of 1890. He went to work on the Biltmore Forest in western North Carolina on February 3, 1892. Pinchot wrote, "To sum it all up, when I came home not a single acre of government, state or private timberland was under systematic forest management anywhere on the most richly timbered of all continents. The American people had no understanding either of what forestry was or the bitter need for it." That was our start. These are our roots. We can well be proud of what we have accomplished. We need to tell our 100-year story of forest management to the people of our country. We need to set forth the simple truth. Since that day in 1892, forest management has given us significant environmental benefits, and at the same time has provided needed wood products for generations. This can continue. We have provided raw material--wood--for the greatest, most efficient, most maligned wood-using industry in the world. It is an industry that can compete on a global basis. Forest products are worth about $190 billion a year to this country and account for 4 percent of our nation's gross national product. Our detractors say we are irrelevant. Since that start in 1892, we have done the greatest job of environmental enhancement ever known to man. We have regenerated millions of acres of cutover land to productive crops of trees. For every ton of wood grown, trees use about 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide and give off a little more than 1 ton of life-sustaining oxygen. To put this in perspective, a reasonably well managed acre of southern pine on an average site will grow about 3 tons of wood per year, use about 4.4 tons of carbon dioxide, and give off 3.2 tons of oxygen. Some say we are irrelevant. When trees mature, the process is reversed and deterioration commences. Growth slows, oxygen is used, and carbon dioxide is released. Before these minuses get too far along, the trees should be harvested and utilized. It seems to me that this puts us in line with the natural order of things: birth, growth, death. Utilization is better than rot and waste. This is a natural and sensible balance between the environment and the economy. I believe the profession must focus on the establishment, protection, growth, and harvesting of commercial crops of timber. This does not mean that other products and benefits should be ignored. It simply means that timber comes first. It keeps us in line with the natural order of things. I fear we are being weakened by articulate, well-funded, dedicated preservationists and environmental extremists who see little merit in balance, and who use incorrect or partial information to influence the American public against forest management. Harvesting operations, especially clearcutting, have unfortunately and incorrectly been cast in a bad light. Harvesting is not a sin--it is a positive activity. It fits into the natural order of things if we are to maximize both the environmental and economic benefits of the forest. We are a diverse Society. Forestry cannot be all things to all people. We can, however, continue providing huge volumes of wood, clean air, clean water, stable soils, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and many amenities through forest management...if we are not regulated out of business. We are relevant--believe it! _________________________________________________ William J. Barton is the incoming president for the Society of American Foresters. This commentary was published in the Journal of Forestry, January 1992.