11/7/98
mecrirov@nemaine.com
There are 16 million acres of timberland forest in Maine. The
largest privately owned acreage of pure forest in the United
States. Historically there are now more forest acres than there
were in the 1880's, for then millions of acres in the western and
middle portion of the state had been cleared for agriculture.
Since the early 1900's that land has returned to forest growth.
The growth rate of timber in Maine forests is rated at 26 cubic
feet per acre per year. As a reference there are 85 cubic feet in
a single cord of wood. An unusual characteristic of the Maine
forests is their natural regeneration. This characteristic is
typical of most northeastern states. Because of this regeneration
forest owners do not have to replant after harvesting. A few do,
perhaps some 7000 acres per year, but this is insignificant
considering the total acreage harvested each year. This is one of
the factors that makes ownership and harvesting of Maine forest
an economical activity.
The forests of Maine are the economic foundation to the total
economic health of Maine. It is the wood and wood products
generated by Maine forests that are the lifeblood of Maine. Those
wood and wood products businesses provide tens of thousands of
direct and indirect jobs for Maine citizens. In the 1600's the
King's ships came to the Maine woods for their masts, considered
the straightest and strongest masts anywhere. In the 1850's
Bangor was called the lumber capital of the world. In the late
1800's Lubec had numerous ship building yards. They built some of
the three and four masted ships for the whaling industry. Today
the privately owned forests of Maine are highly prized as
profitable money and product generating sources. There are few
places in the world that can match them point by point. Witness
the quick turnaround sale of the Sappi Land, the two sales for
Bowater land. These were not fluke sales. These were
opportunities pounced on by sharp entrepreneurs in the timber and
the wood product industry.
The major negative factor of the Maine forests as viewed by the
CEO's of the industry, is the constant pressure and activity by
the radical enviros to put the Maine forests in public ownership
and to shut down the industry. We have been successful for the
past decade to shunt aside, to prevent, to slow the progress of
these dedicated, nature driven, pagan worshiping radicals. But
they are not quitting nor going away. The war goes on.
The radicals' basic strategy is built around incrementalism. Each
year they try to gain more control by a regulation here, a simple
appearing legislation there, attacking woods industry methods,
and using
apocalyptic terms about the condition of the woods. There is no
question that their ultimate goal is to shut down all wood
industry and return the forests to primeval wilderness. It is all
covered in the four inch thick United Nations protocol to the
Biodiversity Treaty.
The grassroots activists here in Maine prevented passage of the
1991 federal Northern Forest Lands Act. The grassroots activists
weakened and watered down the results of the Northern Forest
Lands Council and their final report, "Finding Common
Ground". They prevented passage for four years in a row of
the Senator Leahy Northern Forest Stewardship Act, most recently
last month, for the fourth time. The governor and the enviros
attempted to take control of the forests by Compact I and Compact
II, two years in a row. Both bills in referendum form were
defeated by the grassroots activists, protecting the integrity of
the privately owned forests.
Two years ago the enviros tried to pass state legislation to halt
development in 4.2 million acres of forest. The purpose of this
legislation was to initiate the first step in the creation of the
"Wilderness Project" here in Maine. Again this is in
conformance with the Global Biodiversity Assessment protocol.
Grassroots testimony defeated that effort. One of the current
proposed mechanisms is to create the 3.2 million acre national
park. This too is simply a part of the overall scheme to take
control of the Maine forest and place it in public ownership and
control. And to halt all industry!
A good and valid question at this point is, " Why must
ordinary citizens band together to preserve their constitutional
rights and fight not only the radical enviros but also their own
government ?" For in every case cited above either the
federal or state government was involved in the scheme to take
over private land and stop private enterprise.
State and national environmental groups have banded together in
the Northern Forest Alliance - some 34 groups - with a budget of
tens of millions of dollars with the objective of taking control,
through a piecemeal basis of the16 million acres of forest in
Maine, and then shutting down industry. They are well aware of
the fact that their constant pressure, their constant badgering,
their constant initiation of threatening legislation is a drag on
the industry. Industry on the other hand, has come to consider
that that constant threat by the enviros is part of the cost of
"doing business" in Maine.
One of these days the enviros must realize that the amazing Maine
forests teamed up with industry, teamed up with the wonderful
indomitably spirited people that live here and earn their living
here (the grassroots), are absolutely unbeatable ! Right? Right !