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[at-l] Drilling & trees, etc...
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Re: [at-l] Re: This is important! ;Battle resumes over drilling =
in....After witnessing many incredibly vicious, vitriolic, and personal =
attacks on political statements on Trailplace (and being attacked myself =
) I am hesitant about writing this. Also, it's really impossible to =
state what I really think without writing all night long but here goes:
1) I don't like Clinton. He has no moral character. Period. I am =
raising two boys and am teaching them (as best I can) to be morally =
upright young men. I'm not a prude by any means but his breaking his =
vow to his wife and lying about it are not qualities I want my children =
to admire. They can admire him all they want as our President, but they =
are also aware that he has many, many personal "issues".
2) It can be debated ad infinitum whose policies were good or bad and =
who is better or worse for the environment. The debates will anger =
everyone and solve nothing. I wrote my Congressman. He sent me a =
packet of bills, initiatives, appointments, etc explaining to me all of =
the pro-environmental things that have occurred in Congress and which =
ones he was involved in. I was impressed and now we have a dialogue.
3) The USFS was formed to manage the use of our forests for lumber =
production. Trees are our only truly renewable resource and if properly =
managed, our forests can sustain us with wood for our homes and for =
paper indefinitely. Unfortunately, many of our forests were pillaged =
before any protections existed or have been undermanaged (not enough =
funding) and misguided (clearcutting policies, channelization policies, =
roadbuilding policies, tax policies for tree farms, etc). I spent many =
years working for a company that built pulpwood loaders and have =
traveled around the Southeast and have seen what damage can be done by a =
careless (or ignorant) logging crew. The Panther Creek Trail crosses =
the Conasauga River in the Cohutta Wilderness. At this crossing, there =
are still cables sticking out of the ground that were left by loggers =
from over 50 years ago. I can only imagine what the place looked like =
then. Also, my brother used to build tree planters until the tax laws =
forced many landowners to stop planting trees and thus stop buying tree =
planters. According to my brother, the tax laws in Georgia for tree =
farms are among the worst and our forest industry (paper production, =
wood production, flooring, cabinets, etc), which used to be the largest =
industry in Georgia, is in decline. Even though Georgia's plantings are =
down, a billion trees a year are still being planted in this country - =
mostly pines and mostly for lumber and paper. These billion trees take =
about 20 years to be harvested. These billion trees reduce the need to =
go into new USFS or private timber areas but do not eliminate it. =
That's where proper management and proper policies are critical to the =
survival of the forests (see # 2).
4) The oil drilling plan is not a production plan. It won't supply oil =
for a second. It is a six year exploration plan. It is a proposal to =
test a very, very, very small area in the northernmost part of Alaska =
for the existence of oil. It will still have an impact on the =
environment - but not nearly to the extent the opponents would lead you =
to believe. There is a totally separate proposal for production if =
adequate quantities of oil are found and its not even under =
consideration - yet.
5) Clinton's use of Executive Orders is both right and wrong. =
Executive Orders are an odd lot and aren't intended to bypass the =
Congressional system of lawmaking - If I remember correctly their intent =
was to allow for executive action in emergency situations - with the =
possibility of Congressional review (any constitutional law types out =
there?). The road plan is not (at least to me) an emergency situation. =
However, the road order has been "in the works" for a long time. There =
was a public review period during which the responses forced changes to =
the road plan. This delayed things. Estimates were that the plan would =
finally be completed around Election Day and then by Christmas. =
Somehow, the delay was until just after the Interior Secretary was =
announced.
I've written what I believe to be true and I've spent a lot of time =
trying to get all the facts. However, it is very, very difficult to get =
"the whole story", get it right, and act upon it. It is very, very easy =
to get part of the story, get it wrong, and either attack someone or be =
attacked. Its too easy to type too little (or too much) and not make a =
point the way it's intended and it's way too easy to be misinterpreted. =
If there is an error here - sorry - I'm not perfect. If I've offended =
you then send an email to me. I don't want to see this list get mean =
and I won't post anything like this again. =20
We all care about the environment and we all care about the forests and =
trails. Many of you have met and are friends and care about each other. =
It shows every day on this list. I like that. Sorry for the rambling,
Charles
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<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: [at-l] Re: This is important! ;Battle resumes =
over drilling in....</TITLE>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>After witnessing many incredibly =
vicious,=20
vitriolic, and personal attacks on political statements on Trailplace =
(and being=20
attacked myself ) I am hesitant about writing this. Also, it's =
really=20
impossible to state what I really think without writing all night long =
but here=20
goes:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1) I don't like Clinton. He has =
no moral=20
character. Period. I am raising two boys and am teaching =
them (as=20
best I can) to be morally upright young men. I'm not a prude by =
any means=20
but his breaking his vow to his wife and lying about =
it are not=20
qualities I want my children to admire. They can admire him all =
they want=20
as our President, but they are also aware that he has many, many =
personal=20
"issues".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2) It can be debated ad infinitum =
whose=20
policies were good or bad and who is better or worse for the =
environment. =20
The debates will anger everyone and solve nothing. I wrote my=20
Congressman. He sent me a packet of bills, initiatives, =
appointments, etc=20
explaining to me all of the pro-environmental things that have occurred =
in=20
Congress and which ones he was involved in. I was impressed and =
now we=20
have a dialogue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3) The USFS was formed to manage =
the use of=20
our forests for lumber production. Trees are our <STRONG>only =
truly=20
renewable resource</STRONG> and if <STRONG>properly</STRONG> managed, =
our=20
forests can sustain us with wood for our homes and for paper =
indefinitely. =20
Unfortunately, many of our forests were pillaged before any protections =
existed=20
or have been undermanaged (not enough funding) and misguided =
(clearcutting=20
policies, channelization policies, roadbuilding policies, tax policies =
for tree=20
farms, etc). I spent many years working for a company that=20
built pulpwood loaders and have traveled around the Southeast and =
have seen=20
what damage can be done by a careless (or ignorant) logging crew. =
The=20
Panther Creek Trail crosses the Conasauga River in the Cohutta =
Wilderness. =20
At this crossing, there are still cables sticking out of the ground that =
were=20
left by loggers from over 50 years ago. I can only imagine what =
the place=20
looked like then. Also, my brother used to build tree planters =
until the=20
tax laws forced many landowners to stop planting trees and thus stop =
buying tree=20
planters. According to my brother, the tax laws in Georgia for =
tree farms=20
are among the worst and our forest industry (paper production, wood =
production,=20
flooring, cabinets, etc), which used to be the largest industry in =
Georgia, is=20
in decline. Even though Georgia's plantings are down, a billion =
trees a=20
year are still being planted in this country - mostly pines and mostly =
for=20
lumber and paper. These billion trees take about 20 years to be=20
harvested. These billion trees reduce the need to go into new =
USFS or=20
private timber areas but do not eliminate it. That's where proper=20
management and proper policies are critical to the survival of the =
forests (see=20
# 2).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>4) The oil drilling plan is =
<STRONG>not</STRONG> a=20
production plan. It won't supply oil for a second. It is a =
six year=20
<STRONG>exploration</STRONG> plan. It is a proposal to test a =
very, very,=20
very small area in the northernmost part of Alaska for the =
existence of=20
oil. It will still have an impact on the environment - but not =
nearly to=20
the extent the opponents would lead you to believe. There is a =
totally=20
separate proposal for production <STRONG>if</STRONG> adequate quantities =
of oil=20
are found and its not even under consideration - yet.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>5) Clinton's =
use of=20
Executive Orders is both right and wrong. Executive Orders are an =
odd lot=20
and aren't intended to bypass the Congressional system of lawmaking - If =
I=20
remember correctly their intent was to allow for executive action in =
emergency=20
situations - with the possibility of Congressional review (any =
constitutional=20
law types out there?). The road plan is not (at least to me) an =
emergency=20
situation. However, the road order has been "in the works" for a =
long=20
time. There was a public review period during which the =
responses forced changes to the road plan. This delayed =
things. =20
Estimates were that the plan would finally be completed around =
Election Day=20
and then by Christmas. Somehow, the delay was until just =
after the=20
Interior Secretary was announced.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've written what I believe to be true =
and I've=20
spent a lot of time trying to get all the facts. However, it is =
very, very=20
difficult to get "the whole story", get it right, and act upon it. =
It is=20
very, very easy to get part of the story, get it wrong, and either =
attack=20
someone or be attacked. Its too easy to type too little (or too =
much) and=20
not make a point the way it's intended and it's way too easy to be=20
misinterpreted. If there is an error here - sorry - I'm not =
perfect. =20
If I've offended you then send an email to me. I don't want to see =
this=20
list get mean and I won't post anything like this again. =20
<DIV></FONT> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We all care about the environment and =
we all care=20
about the forests and trails. Many of you have met and are friends =
and=20
care about each other. It shows every day on this list. I =
like=20
that. </FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sorry for the =
rambling,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Charles</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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