[Regarding “Outdoor Alarm: Environmentalists Say Federal Policies Put Forests at Further Risk,” April 16, Xpress, and “Take Three: WNC Forest Plan Under Pressure from Storm Devastation, Lawsuit and Trump,” April 16, Carolina Public Press via Xpress:]
The local economy has always been dependent on tourism. The history of manufacturing left with the cotton mills, the sweatshops of the South. The small farming communities of Western North Carolina have slowly disappeared.
Most logging is done on private lands in the Southeast. While logging levels dropped, the U.S. remained among the world’s largest producers and consumers of timber.
The logging industry contributes 750,000 jobs, according to the White House, compared with some 5 million in outdoor recreation.
Sawmills and other infrastructure required to handle increased production have closed. It will take years to rebuild the manufacturing pipeline. Meanwhile, manufacturers will be outsourcing overseas until that happens.
Logging along the upstate of South Carolina’s grade needs to be restricted to prevent reccurring landslides.
The amount of logging that can take place in areas where they know that flooding increases needs to be restricted to mitigate flooding issues and erosion.
Logging in a previous landslide area should be prevented. For every tree taken out of a national forest, three trees must be planted in the same forest area. Additionally, three trees must be planted in an adjacent landslide zone (a 6:1 ratio). The cost of planting and sourcing trees needs to be borne by the logging company.
— Teresa K. Corn
WNC native
McLeansville, N.C.
