FORUM: New law hurts forest-products industry

By Jeff Lassle - Fallbrook resident | Sunday, July 27, 2008 12:18 AM PDT ∞

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared that it is OK for the forest-products industry to leave the state of California. It will be replaced by green industry, according to Schwarzenegger.

I have to ask this question: Who is this governor, and does he understand anything relevant to America?

The forest-products industry is one of the oldest industries and most environmental friendly in the world. It takes absolutely zero energy to produce and is sustainable and the only renewable resource on this planet.

The forest products industry prides itself in its stewardship of forests; however, it is consistently classified by the Sierra Club and others as an enemy to their goals. They point out that the forest-products industry is devastating the rain forests with its mass logging operations.

The truth.

The forest-products industry harvests up to 3 percent of the world's logs cut in the rain forests on a yearly basis. The resulting 97 percent is cut down by agriculture for uses such as food production and grazing of livestock. The vast majority of the latter figure is cut down by illegal drug cartels that fell the logs, then slash and burn them without using the resource.

In other words, Sierra Club members, the insatiable desire/market for illicit drugs in this country is the real problem of the vanishing forests, a loss you so boldly blame on the forest-products industry.

Sierra Club, our industry sustains the forest; you are destroying it.

The Sierra Club recently promoted the eradication of hundreds of millions of dollars of a natural resource here in California, with the help of its friend, the California Air Resource Board.

This is making illegal $100 million to $300 million of plywood composite panels or particleboard that cannot be sold as they have a little bit more formaldehyde in them. This stock will have to be destroyed or burned and millions of acres of new forest lands harvested to remedy this huge environmental blunder by the Sierra Club and California Air Resource Board.

Also, based on recently enacted legislation, furniture companies based in the state will be hard pressed to stay in business. All of the furniture stores on Highway 78 will be threatened by this legislation at some point.

Formaldehyde is a natural compound that every human produces in the body daily.

The forest products industry is 4 percent of the U.S. Gross National Product at $480 billion.

California gathers 10 percent of this Gross National Product figure.

The forest-products industry is part of the three core industries of mankind, which are food, shelter and clothing.

Under the harsh terms of this new legislation, representatives from this industry are asking the California Air Resource Board to at least grandfather in the plywood and particleboard that's been produced to date.

With this legislation, the governor has asked us to leave. Who is this guy when his wife, Maria Shriver, flies in a private helicopter from Los Angeles to Escondido weekly to ride her horses?

Fallbrook resident Jeff Lassle represents the forest-products industry.

More Stories

Tags: Forests NCT Opinion Community Forum

Bookmark and Share

Ads by Yahoo!

Advertisement

Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

BOB wrote on Jul 27, 2008 3:33 PM:YOU ONLY NEED TO LOOK AT THE DEAD TREES IN BIG BEAR LAKE TO SEE WHAT NO CUTTING OF MATURE FORESTS CAN CAUSE.I HOPE THE "CLUB" GETS TO FIGHT THE NEXT FIRE.

Carl wrote on Jul 28, 2008 10:13 AM:To para-phrase Carlsbad Councilmember Mark Packard, "If the cows give their opinion, you will get a different opinion than if the chickens give theirs.

Its almost like... wrote on Jul 28, 2008 1:42 PM:There's no stopping folks like those on CARB from convincing enough of us that they know what they are doing. At face value, it makes sense, but when looked at deeper, it reeks of ignorance about how the real world works. Either 1) CARB and their ilk will be proved correct (long shot) or more likely 2) enough people will be hurt by these sorts of extreme policy decisions that they'll stop believing in the fairy tale world that these "leaders" want to make us believe in. But for now, and as good an argument as the author as well as others, are making, the "do gooders" have the upper hand, and only time will convince people otherwise.

alex wrote on Aug 27, 2008 12:19 PM:What a short sighted commentary. The forest-products industry is only just beginning to be better stewards of the forests. A few years of better stewardship can't negate decades of neglect.

And CARB has been working on this regulation since 2001, which amounts to a pretty significant amount of lead time. Too bad they procrastinated. It's their own fault, but I am sure CARB will work with you anyways.

carol wrote on Aug 27, 2008 1:36 PM:Our bodies produce insulin every day. But too much will still kill you.

Tim wrote on Aug 27, 2008 3:35 PM:Aerial photos of northern California clearly demonstrate the long term devastation the “Forest Products Industry” has carried out. Also, this North American industry has fought tooth and nail to preserve their use of cheap formaldehyde glue to make plywood. This chemical is a proven carcinogen, and a demonstrated workplace hazard. Don’t spout BS that formaldehyde is not harmful since it is a byproduct of some biological processes. With proper management California can have a sustainable forest industry. However, the industry has a proven track record of wasteful practices and environmental disregard. The decline of California fisheries are another direct result of the mismanagement of the “Forest Products Industry”. Unfortunately, we are required to use the clumsy hand of government to mediate the mess this industry has made.

Registered Comments[-]Go to Top

Advertisement

Videos