Homestead mailing list

[Walter H.Jeffries <Highlands AT blacklightning.com>]

On Sep 3, 2004, at 1:22 AM, Lynda wrote:
> We are talking apples and oranges here.  The subject header was "Big
> Timber."

The issue discussed was the import tariff. It was implied, even stated, 
that this was a bonus for the Big Timber industry. What I objected to 
is painting with too broad a brush and not realizing that this tariff 
is 1) reasonable and 2) helps the small timber industry too.

> Sustainable forestry is a dream and most of those folks out there 
> saying
> they are doing it are telling tall tales!

You are seriously deluded. I know because I do sustainable forestry. 
You need to get yourself educated before you start spewing liberal, 
eco-facist tripe. Since you believe this garbage I hope that you use 
absolutely no wood, paper products, etc.

>   You can't rebuild a forest

Yes you can. It has been done and is done over and over. You plant 
trees and wait for them to grow. You manage the forest by culling dead 
wood, thinning and more. It is truly sad that you are so uninformed. 
Nature does it to. The hurricane in the late 1930's destroyed thousands 
of acres of land of my family in New Hampshire. That land is now 
renewed with new mature trees which are being harvested in a 
sustainable manner. Back in 1998 the big ice storm destroyed hundreds 
of acres of maples on our land here in Vermont. Over the past five 
years we have been carefully clearing and harvesting the damaged trees, 
letting the regen get established and preparing for an over-story which 
we did this past year. The new trees are coming along nicely and in 40 
years we'll be able to harvest logs there again. You can rebuild and 
you can farm a forest just like any other crop. The turn around time is 
longer and you must be more patient. Go get yourself educated about 
sustainable timber and you'll understand this better.

> Just curious, how is "big timber" your competitor.  Folks aren't going 
> to
> build houses out of maple.

I said maple is our main wood. We also have spruce, white pine, red 
pine, hemlock, birch, ash, beech and many other types of trees. We 
don't monoculture. That would be unwise.

> Just a bit of trivia, if you are shopping The Gap, Old Navy or Banana
> Republic, you are supporting clear cutting and the shipping of timber 
> to
> Mexico and Japan.

I've never shopped at Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic, or any place 
else like that for that matter. Not my style. Nice try though.

Cheers,

-Walter
West Topsham, Vermont
---
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