Wasted wood

When smoke clouds the skies and the fires that burn the West every summer have begun again, a little reminder might be invoked.

Fires need fuel and that fuel, the forests that burn now, used to be the source of money used to build roads and support schools. Money that is now deficient and short because mills all over Montana are closed and much of the wood we use is imported. Ask yourself where all the paper that Americans still use, is coming from.

Since the environmental side of the ledger is responsible for this situation, advocating no logging or thinning, only letting timber hit the ground and decay, I have often wondered how close the fire would have come to their cabins or place of business to have them change their minds.

One member of that side once said in an interview that he didn’t support logging, but cutting down his trees on his land was called “thinning the wood lot.”

Too bad our wood lots and more are burning needlessly. It helps to remember why.

Clare Hafferman

Kalispell