The State Forester’s New Clothes
Many states, including Wisconsin, have assumed a new garb – another facade, a “certification” scheme, to show off their sustainable forestry programs. Millions of acres have been added to the ‘certified pools’ of forest lands, and more are being added every day. (If you could actually see these clothes, they might be described as having a Green shade to them.)
Paul Delong – Wisconsin’s State Forester, sent our family a letter a while back announcing that we were now automatically green certified under TheTree Farm System.... blah blah and blah blah… and we were now members of the largest 'certified' family forest program in the world.... Blah Blah Blah!! Blah Blah!!!
Sincerely, Paul
Over and over, I see a big wig ‘professional’ forester strut his stuff with ‘certification’ as a new cloak, but as a forest owner who lives and works in the woods - it is obvious they are buck naked and we’ve seen it all before! Only those in fear, pretend that they are clothed and feign worship.
But nothing has changed – sustainable forestry is still a myth on the private woodlands of Wisconsin and all over the U.S.
Sustainable Forestry must be profitable to the grower and offer many benefits to the local community… Oh, yeah – it must be “state of the art” forest management too…. (not just traditional industrial logging)... or it is just words in some politician’s wind.
Foreign competition from wood products in our retail markets has now changed the local timber market. With imported flooring and furniture – much of it ‘green certified’ – flooding the retail markets, the U.S. Timber Industry is totally in trouble today. Forest owners now face a market with double the pressure to short-change them with low prices and slash & run logging. Now it is survival!
There is one alternative: Learn to earn a good income from your forest land. Cut out all the middlemen and shippers. Sell high value wood products direct to customers. Control your forestry business and make a profit! I can show you how. (Or do you have another?)
Or you can have it Paul’s way.
Birky