[at-l] Adding fuel to the fire (was Logging on the AT inMaine)

[saunterer@jimbullard.org (saunterer@jimbullard.org)]

At 06:40 PM 11/1/01 +0000, Jim and/or Ginny Owen wrote:
>Lee I Joe wrote:
>>
>>It has been shown several times that recreational use of any given chunk 
>>of prime timberland generates more jobs than logging operations ...
>
>Lee -
>I'll go with Ron's question - what's the source for this?
>
>There's a considerable body of "common knowledge" that's been dubbed The 
>Litany - and this is part of it. ...clip...
>I'd REALLY like to find the source for this one if anyone knows.

Well, it ain't a "scientific study" but I have 27 years experience working 
for the Dept. of Labor and seeing first hand the results of such changes on 
unemployment and job opportunities.  The big difference is in who there is 
work for.  The type of folks who go out to cut and haul timber aren't the 
same sort of folks who run bed and breakfasts, outfitters, etc.  The rough 
and ready logger types are quick to complain when land goes to the state 
but, in my experience, the reason timber lands come up for sale is that 
there isn't enough of a market for the timber at the price that it costs to 
cut it.  The land owners have to pay the taxes and make a profit. If they 
don't, they have no reason to hang onto the land.

Another group that gets upset with state or federal acquisition of land is 
the local government.  In my area the state tends to pay local 
municipalities to compensate them for the loss of taxes at least until the 
local economy has time to adjust to the changed land use.

And then there is the on-going debate over how the land should be used (the 
typical hiker vs ATV user debate).  The usual argument is that people with 
motor boats and ATVs spend more money in the area.  A local college 
professor who is active in the Adirondack Mountain Club ran a study a year 
or so ago RE: the relative economic impact of snowmobilers vs hikers.  The 
study was too small to be conclusive but seemed to indicate that the 
difference was in how they spent money rather than in the overall 
amount.  Those businesses that catered to the snowmobile crowd discounted 
the study as biased.  I suspect that self interest always effects what one 
considers credible evidence.

sAunTerer