farleyr at wdni.com:
>Well, I'm an amateur birder,
>participate in the annual backyard bird count (Puyallup), work for one of
>those forest products companies, support the National Wildlife Foundation
>and don't think I'm all that unique. I just wanted to put in my two cents
>that there are lots of conservationists in the forest products industry -
>we're here to help make it better.

Of course. But your industry, and the lobbying groups supported by
it, is dominated by folks who DON'T care, or at least who don't care
to if the bottom line will be effected.

Senator Larry Craig of Idaho is being opposed in the next Republican
primary by a man named Walt Minnick, who just happens to be married
to an old college friend of mine. He was the CEO of Trus-Joist for
many years - a forest products company - but was also on the board
of the Wilderness Society and believes that below-cost timber sales
in National Forests should be stopped. He has done a lot of
stream rehab work for native trout on a bunch of land he purchased
some years back. Though running as a Democrat he would probably
prefer to run as an old-fashioned moderate, Conservationist
Republican if it weren't for the fact that the modern Republican
Party of Idaho has no room for folks like him any more.

And, of course, is considered a pariah by most of the other CEOs
of timber companies in the PNW.

Unfortunately, folks within industry who believe strongly in
conservation rarely speak up as they're fearful.

When we speak of the timber industry taking an action, such as
demanding that two administration officials be held in contempt
of Court and jailed for refusing to begin harvest of old-growth
sales in western Oregon until after the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeal rules on the new salvage rider, we aren't saying that
all of the individuals employed by the timber industry have taken
this action or even approve of it.

But, it can't be denied that the leadership of the timber
industry has taken such action, either!

If you are a forest products worker and are also a conservationist,
BE VOCAL!


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>