ED[TORIAL

It's not over, it's just beginning

E gl,LowlNG.the. defeat of environmenral- I tst/preservattonlst measures on various state ballots in last fall's elections, the forest products industry heaved a sigh of collective relief and settled back comfortably.

What a mistake. Now isn't the time to rest on our laurels, no matter how sweet the victory. The industry hasn't eliminated its enemies, just slightly slowed their momentum.

With the short term challenges met, now is the time to set overall strategy, establish priorities, goals, means-to-an-end, financing and all the rest of the particulars. If the United States and the forest products industry are going to have a reasonable program for utilizing our natural resources, industry must think, plan and act.

One reason for the enviros misunderstanding of resource management is the historic failure of this industry to effectively tell its story. We must educate the various publics. The schools. the

DAVID CUTLER editor- publisher

teachers, the media and the politicians mold much of the opinion on the subject. We must enlighten these groups to the facts of the situation. As long as they thoughtlessly pass on the nonsense preached by the environmentalists/preservationists, the country will continue to back the wrong side in the battle for control of U.S. resources.

The need to explain what the forest is and what it can do for every citizen is important to retailers, wholesalers and distributors. Not only because it involves a supply of products for business, but because every person is poorer if America's resources are locked up or underutilized.

Some very good initial efilorts have been made in telling the real story. It's a job for both large national organizations and the single efforts of individuals. We allcan find a part to play. And we must.

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