Press Release

To the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

I am responding to Charlotte Logan Smith’s letter regarding Joint Resolution 35 and family logging that appeared in the March 26 edition of your newspaper.

Ms. Smith obviously did not do the proper research before she wrote her letter. If she did, she would have discovered that the Missouri Department of Conservation has constitutional authority over fish, forestry and wildlife.  The forest industry had nothing to do with the drafting of the amendment.  But the proper management of our forests are just as important as the management of our fish and wildlife.

The writer will also be amazed to learn that families do log for a hobby and there are fathers who take their sons to log for practical and bonding purposes. The small portable band saw industry is the fastest growing segment of the machinery industry. The majority of logging businesses in the state of Missouri are small, family-owned businesses that are just trying to earn a profit from the industry they enjoy.

If Ms. Smith was truly concerned about “our fabulous forests,” she would understand that logging is very important to forest health and is a part of the natural forest process.

If we were to adopt Ms. Smith’s way of thinking, nobody would ever mow their lawn or clean out their garden. 

Cory T. Ridenhour

Executive Director

Missouri Forest Products Association