FB*lffigt Fen*G$t podH*iln

s in 1975, meet Our rers. No exqp.[i lions, 100 percent guarantee$'. We also grade-certify many of ,o-tir.,' remanufactured producrs tol assurc you the on-grade, top quality that will satisly your customers' needs.

With three locations serving 12 western states, a deeply experienced worklorce, and a finely tuned, iust-in-time delivery syslem, we're committed to being the mosl responsive lumber distlibutol you've ever known. Gall us for the qualityin whatever quantity-you need. We'll always be equal to the task.

DAVID CUTLER editor-publisher dcutler@ioc.net

The Wilderness Society Galls

Environmental groups contact us periodically, so we weren't surprised to hear The Wilderness Society on the other end of the line. What we didn't expect is that they wanted to buy advertising in this magazine to tell their story.

As their real, though unacknowledged, goal is to eliminate all tree harvesting in America, we told them we felt it was inappropriate and that we wouldn't accept their advertising. (Their ad did, however, show up in one of our competitor's newspaper.)

The caller was pleasant, an eager volunteer fresh from school who couldn't understand why I wouldn't allow the Society to tell "the real story" about U.S. forests. I told him what I tell people outside our industry: if lou knew the facts, you would see the environmentalists' claims for what they are, mostly nonsense, and that the better view is held by our industry. He didn't agree. I couldn't convince him, and the call concluded.

He was right about one thing. There are plenty of people within this business who wholly accept the environmentalist line. The Wilderness Society is smart enough to know they can further their cause by proselytizing our people.

This business has always complacently assumed that all our people reject the tree huggers' message. Not so. During the last three decades the schools have provided us with new employees whose opinions are contrary to what the industry that feeds them knows to be true.

These failings certainly are not the fault of the students. Brought up on a convincing but inaccurate perception of the environment, they carry with them the baggage of ignorance. Not stupidity, just ignorance. The former is not correctable, the latter is. The new hires also bring a formidable challenge: the need to educate our own people on the true story of American forestry.