In reference to “Lands commissioner’s go-it-alone decision shortchanges schools, public” (Sept. 14, Opinion), it’s not “go-it-alone”; he’s fulfilling a marketing campaign promise that individuals voted for. There’s a lengthy listing of the explanation why we have to save mature timber, not the least of which is carbon sequestration. The planet is indisputably warming and wholesome forests sluggish that course of. Wholesome forests are extra hearth resistant, and likewise defend salmon streams, endangered species and leisure use.
Sure, in 1889, the newly based state of Washington determined that it might use a lot of the revenue from logging forests on public lands for faculties, a course of managed by the Division of Pure Sources. However in 1889 forests had been thought almost inexhaustible and there have been only a few faculties. Right now the other is true — now we now have over 2,300 faculties and solely a small % of the forests that existed in 1889. We want different sources of income for faculties.
And sure, some mills and loggers will probably be out of conventional jobs. However that’s just like the buggy-whip producers opposing the auto as a result of it is going to put the buggy-whip makers out of enterprise. Retool and do one thing else.
The extra forests we enable to change into outdated progress, the higher for the kids, the state and the planet.
Jeannette Franks, Bainbridge Island
