Just a little news from the state forest in your backyard. As planned, the Division of Forestry is preparing to axe many trees near the Fish Creek Campground in the Owen-Putnam State Forest.

While it is correct that they will NOT be doing this directly in the campground, I am still at a loss as to why they are doing it. 

I do understand the basic intent of these techniques. You cut down the larger or interfering trees to give other trees greater access to sunlight. The smaller trees grow quickly into the sun, and there is a bonus if these younger trees are more “desirable.” They will get more of that precious light. And, over time, you get more marketable trees from your public land.

That said, I do not understand why this approach must be used everywhere in the state forest. Of the more than 6000 acres in the Owen-Putnam State Forest, only about 100 acres are not in “the rotation”, the sequential and relentless application of this technique to grow sawtimber trees.

Personally, I have faith in the strength of God, DNA, human resourcefulness, and human judgment, in that order. It is our poor judgment that leads us to both extremes (either no logging or industrial tree farming) on our public lands. I feel it is wrong to think that any of us knows Nature better than Nature at this point. We ought to let nature be nature some of the time. Somehow 1.6% of the time does not seem like enough. 

I now return to the campground. Do we really need to axe that area? It has a campground and one of the most accessible trails in the forest. The campground is in a 120-acre tract.

Logging has its place, just not every place.

Please let them know whatever you think at the OPSF office at 812-829-2462 or at the Governor’s office at 317-232-4567.

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Jeff Marks

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