While most how-to forestry guides are
tailored for Eastern landowners, former HCN intern Bryan Foster has
brought the issue west in his new book, Wild
Logging.
Foster introduces readers to Western
landowners, foresters and loggers, describing the physical work of
marking timber sales, cutting trees, performing prescribed burns
and removing felled timber.
As he tells their stories,
Foster answers technical questions: Which trees should I cut? What
does forest management cost? What is sustainable forestry? The
book’s appendices offer readers contacts for sustainable
forest management and land protection, and include a sample timber
contract and conservation easement.
There’s one
caveat to the book, however: It’s tough to make a living as a
sustainable forester. Foster writes that, while it’s possible
to make money this way, “none of these logging methods
maximizes profits.” He suggests, “In particular, they
are suitable for many landowners who have other income.”
Wild Logging: A Guide to Environmentally and
Economically Sustainable Forestry
By Bryan
Foster. 161 pages, softcover: $16.
Mountain Press
Publishing Company, 2003.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Sustainable forestry for beginners.
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