🚀 go-pugleaf

"SMITH29" <smith29@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:RJadnX3-ep8KYDzanZ2dnUVZ_q7inZ2d@comcast.com...
> Jon wrote:
>> There will be less in the future.
>> [...]
>> You appear to have dropped the "use it or lose it" argument.
>
> Having spent 62 years in the same area and seeing proper management of the 
> forest lands and game I would have to support managed lands for the 
> ecology is in very good shape as compared to lands burnt off by forest 
> fires and erosion that could have been greatly reduced in size by proper 
> management.

This subject is roadless areas.  Onec again, we have the
supposition that for these, the artificial is preferable to the
non-artificial so therefore we need to build roads and
expand active management and resource extraction in
currently roadless areas.

> We have a finite amount of land

Yes, and we have an even more finite amount of
undeveloped/less developed areas.

> and we best manage it
> for if we neglect it, it's of no value to anyone.

James Watt?   Second coming?  %^)

> We have wilderness areas set aside for retention
> of the natural state

And we have a range of accessibility and active management
across public lands.  Consider the spectrum from city parks
to designated Wilderness Areas.  There can be a place for
preserving roadless areas which are not designated Wilderness
Areas, just as there is a place for silviculture.

> and the land we use is put to good use for the population.

There will always be pressure to open more public wildlands
to resource extraction.  Development is a trade off.
Development will "win".  Consider the changes within the
last generation.  Within the last century.  Since "manifest
destiny' western expansion...  More and more, its the
story of  _Last Chance to See_ (Douglas Adams).

> That's how it's done in Washington State.

How it seems to be done in many places is that industry
continually lobbies to open more and more public lands
to resource extraction...

In this case the issue is not whether to stop development of
resources in existing managed forests.  Or even whether to
permit more logging in currently accessible areas. This
issue is whether currently roadless areas should by default
policy, be preserved.

Jon