Over the course of the last 8 years, I have investigated many of the issues related to our forests, public timberlands and private management. As a forest/wildlife photographer I have covered literally hundreds of thousands of miles of forestland in the United States & Canada.

In traveling this country and photographing forests, one thing that notably stands out, is the difference between the health of federal public forests vs. private forestlands. Particularly lands that are managed for timber production.

Over the last 4-5 years most notably, the public forests around this country are quite apparently beginning to show serious signs of decline. Environmentalists and this administration will blame timber harvesting, however more educated foresters and silviculturists have a much simpler answer. Once we have managed forests for between 100 to over 300 years, including fire suppression, and then we stop managing, stuff happens. Natural occurrences such as fires, drought, hurricanes, tornados, overcrowding of natural, un-controlled regeneration, have stressed forests. Bug infestations and disease have gone un-checked and subsequently have infected and killed millions of acres of our public forestland, much of which is now in some sort of preserve or wilderness.

Now compare private forestland. What’s the difference? These type of devastations also occur in private forests don’t they? Yes they do..... but they are managed so that the effect is mitigated. The forest is then salvaged and re-planted so that the disturbance has only a fraction of the loss it could in today’s public forests. The area is restored quickly to a healthy, productive forest again.

If you were a ‘critter’, which forest would you prefer for your ‘habitat’? A dead one...... or a healthy one? 98% of all the critters agree with you!

Rather than manage our forests, “ologists” from within these agencies responding to pressures from environmentalists from without, are further closing our public forests. I have encountered many more ‘gates’ denying public access to formerly accessible areas of our forests this year. When asked, the response I get, is that ‘they’ are restoring some area in the now Pseudo-wilderness area ‘they’ have created (without the benefit of an Act of Congress). “Ologists”, see their function as preservation of the forests, which most times includes ‘removing people’ from the environment or at the least, minimizing our use of it. The problem today is too many ‘ologists’ trying to find something to do, to justify their position, and not enough foresters in the Forest Service.

As an exercise, let’s take a look at managing our forests just for the sake of healthy forests. The forests benefit, habitat for all wildlife benefits, water sheds benefit, fish habitat benefits.... So, what would that cost and who would pay it?

As an example, it has been estimated that on one National Forest alone, the Clearwater in Idaho, that tree mortality exceeds 11 billion board feet of timber annually. This includes dead, insect infestation and fire loss. Remember when enviros were complaining about cutting 4-5 billion board feet annually in Region 6, Oregon and Washington, which covers 20 National Forests?

Now, let’s suppose, we salvage logged this, (managed the forest) and the salvage price came to $100 per thousand board feet. The U.S. Treasury is paid $1.1 billion dollars by the contract winners. The forest is made healthy again. New trees are planted. Some green trees are also harvested to aid in thinning and tree spacing. Wildlife has a home again. Wood is made available to our mills. Loggers, millworkers and communities are back to work and the overall economy is boosted ten fold... $11 billion dollars worth.

Answer me this? Who losses? Nobody!

Now.... let’s go a step further. That’s just one forest. What’s the national debt today? ....and how many National Forests and Parks do we have?????

Imagine.... no program cuts to eliminate the national debt in the next 5-10 years. Creating millions of jobs.... and healthy eco-systems. A Win-win!