Pa. game commission goes overboard on timber

Pa. game commission goes overboard on timber
EDITOR:
The crest of a forested ridge near our cabin on the Allegheny River south of Warren now exhibits a wide gap, marking an area in State Game Lands 86 where a Game Commission timber crew has again been at work. Recently, one could often hear the distant snarl of chain saws. A pleasant grass-covered Game Commission service road leading into this area, which had been frequented by horseback riders from as far away as Erie, is now muddy and deeply rutted by the huge chained tires of the diesel log haulers.
This newly timbered area is covered with the slash from downed oaks, and the timber itself was stacked along the road, waiting to be hauled to local sawmills. The deforested area will be impassable to hunters for decades and beyond, even as the downed oaks will no longer provide food in the form of acorns for deer, turkey, bear and other wildlife.
Game Lands 86 is a large area, some 14,000 acres, and much of it has already been rendered impassable to hunters by previous timbering. Large sections of this same deforested land are fenced to keep deer out, which indicates a Game Commission policy of favoring timbering at the expense of wildlife.
One problem with this picture is that the commission would seem to be violating one of its own regulations, No. 5, which says that it is unlawful to & quot;Plant, gather, cut, dig, or otherwise injure plants or parts thereof, including trees, shrubs, vines, flowering plants and cultivated crops. & quot; Since revenue from timber sales hit a reported $14.5 million the last fiscal year, the Game Commission appears to be flouting this regulation on an impressive scale. Game Commission land is an acknowledged major source of timber for Warren area sawmills.
If I owned a hunting camp near Game Lands 86, I believe I would be upset that the Game Commission is ruining so much nearby game habitat which in turn diminishes the value of my property.
Quite close to the northern end of Game Lands 86 is the site of the U.S. Forest Service's Northeastern Experimental Station at Irvine, which was destroyed, along with forest research, in a $700,000 Aug. 11 arson fire.
While I have absolutely no sympathy with the tactics of the Earth Liberation Front, which has claimed responsibility for this fire (as well as for a previous Erie County fire which caused $500,000 damage to a crane at a Wintergreen Gorge bridge project), I can perhaps understand the existence of a certain amount of frustration over environmental policy in Pennsylvania, given the rampant game lands timbering,
However, I wouldn't go so far as to suggest a total ban against timbering in the 1.4 million acres of Game Commission land. This might be wise, but is, I'm afraid, an unattainable goal. (One might as well suggest to Saddam Hussein that he become a Trappist monk.)
I do suggest, however, that the commission stop pretending that timbering benefits wildlife and that timbered land remains viable hunting terrain.
I also believe the commission should strive to exempt more land from logging. This would benefit both wildlife and hunters and also help to realize the full potential of Pennsylvania's widespread game lands, which are a neglected resource for outdoor recreation.
ROBERT R. STANGER
Boardman
Hidden handicaps could explain parking problems
EDITOR:
A recent letter to the editor offered a two-tiered solution to the "problems" involved with handicapped parking.
The writer made reference to people who "hop out of their cars parked in handicap spaces and quite easily walk into the store" His solution would be a two-tiered system to identify handicapped persons. The first group would include those who are mildly handicapped. They may or may not need walkers. The second group would be strictly for those that are wheelchair bound.
I wonder if this writer has considered that many handicaps do not require the use of a walker or wheelchair. Perhaps the person he observed had a respiratory or cardiac disability. They may have been able to hop out of the car and easily enter the store that day simply because of access to the handicapped parking spaces.
Every "handicapped" person may not fit your definition of the word. Rather than sit in judgment, we should park as far away from the entrance as we can and be thankful that at least for today, we don't require the handicapped parking spaces.
DEBORAH A. DOLAK
Boardman