Saving the Owls, the Forests, and the Loggers

The communities and families currently dependent on logging the last of our remaining old growth forests would be better off if we preserved these areas.If we chose to fully implement the Endangered Species Act and National Forest Management Act, these workers could be employed in doing the mandated work necessary to inventory, research, and monitor national forest species and ecosystems. They could be employed in activities designed to repair past destruction, such as tree planting, wildlife habitat improvement, and erosion control. They could be employed in activities designed to enhance recreational uses of the forests, such as trail building and camp ground improvement. Such jobs could be funded with recreational-use fees and with money saved by ending old-growth logging, which is a net loss for the government. Since such logging will end in a few years anyway when the forest is logged out, such employment would provide much greater stability for families and communities now dependent on old-growth logging. Elizabeth Hernandez, Las Cruces, N.M.

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