To the Editor:

They, the Forest Service, want input. Here’s mine. I have seen many good things for years. The Forest Service had good, wide roads, most of them graveled. No turnouts because the roads were wide. So here they come spending lots of money, borrowing and putting turnouts in roads that were so good they couldn’t stand it. If I’m correct, they had two blades to go over the roads each spring and summer that were used by woodcutters, sportsmen and loggers. “No problem and not much expense!” Four men, two pickups, power saws and two road patrols. I remember most everyone was happy and pleased. We could use all roads anytime of the year for playing, hunting, woodcutting or logging.

Nowadays you can’t do anything on the forest. Almost. For the public, things are a disaster. We own but can’t use. We loggers and jypoes were always there for quick fire suppression. If a fire broke out, we were there and no one had to tell us to do so. It was automatic.

Here is what they need to do nowadays. Hire a few small loggers to log the scorched and lightning trees. Don’t let them go waste. Bring them in, and then have an auction once a month and sell them to mills. Their methods of timber sales nowadays stink. Log the ones that have died or are dying. No size would be too large. Some would be too small, however.

It wouldn’t take but a few overseeing the work in the woods and the log yard. Maybe I am having a dream, but I have seen a lot in my 40 years of logging in and around Grant County. They could do things a lot better with less expense, and we could all use the forest. How about somebody doing something right for a change? This is a waste of our money. Cut the budgets.

Stan Powell

Mt. Vernon