Letter: Let’s protect national forests for everyone

Graphic by Lori Deaton

[Regarding “From CPP: Objections to Proposed Plan for WNC National Forests Delay Process,” June 20, and “Taking the Long View: Increased Logging Will Benefit Our National Forests,” June 8, both Xpress]:

The Pisgah-Nantahala forest plan has taken 10 years to write. During that time, over 34,000 comments have flooded the Forest Service. More than 95% of the comments urged the Forest Service to protect more of Pisgah.

After a decade of public meetings and a deluge of public comments, the Forest Service has issued a plan that quadruples logging and reduces protections for Pisgah. As a result, it’s received a record-setting 891 objections from organizations, local businesses and hundreds of everyday folks.

These forests belong to all of us. Cutting them down benefits only a few, while protecting them improves everyone’s health and well-being. There are plenty of logging opportunities on private property, which makes up three-quarters of WNC forestland. Let’s protect our publicly owned national forests for the benefit of everyone.

— Emily Diznoff, M.D.
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Letter: Let’s protect national forests for everyone

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.