Stung by the Sierra’s Club’s book, Clearcut, the
timber industry has struck back with a glossy 28-page rebuttal.
Closer Look: An On-the-Ground Investigation of the Sierra Club’s
Book, Clearcut, makes the case that clearcutting can improve forest
health. The Sierra Club’s 1993 book presented aerial photographs of
nearly 100 denuded sites to represent the industry’s devastating
forestry practices (HCN, 4/4/94). In its response, the American
Forest & Paper Association selected 10 sites to revisit,
examining each from the ground and photographing details not
captured in the Sierra Club’s aerial photos. Association
spokesperson Luke Popovich says the association initially revisited
30 sites – -and in not one of the 30 cases we investigated was poor
(forestry) practice at fault’ – but had only enough funding and
time to thoroughly review 10 timber cuts. The real problem
according to the timber association: Many areas were already
devastated by wildfire or insect infestation and had to be salvaged
to allow forests to regenerate. Examples shown of bad forestry
practices, the association says, were 30 years old. Closer Look
includes a seven-page essay by Thomas H. Bonnicksen, a professor of
forest science at Texas A&M, who explains the role of clearcuts
in nature. Other than Bonnicksen, the timber association does not
credit authors or photographers. Closer Look sells for $14.75, but
has been sent to all members of Congress, and Popovich says he does
not expect the group to recoup production costs. For more
information or to purchase a copy, write to American Forest &
Paper Association, Attn: Closer Look, 1111 19th St., N.W., Suite
800, Washington, D.C. 20036.
“Chip
Giller
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Timber industry takes a stand.
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