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Fuel For The Fire

Your September editorial ("Curbing Wildfires Again a Hot Issue," p. 6) was right on the mark.

As a Midwestern lumber wholesaler, we source much of our lumber from the forests of the Northwestern U.S. and western Canada. We empathize with the producers on both sides of the border who are affected by forest fires. The conditions con- ducive to fires need to be reversed by government policy for better forest management. On the U.S. side, the proposed legislation of HR 1904, known as the Healthy Forest Initiative, is a step in the right direction.

Here's an example of how we in the forest products supply chain can help. At this year's Sprengerfest held Sept. 13, we were pleased to have Jim Hurst of Owens & Hurst Lumber as our guest speaker to bring his message to our lumber dealer customers. The Owens & Hurst mill at Eureka, Mt., has been impacted by restrictive logging policy. The mill was shut down for part of the summer due to a lack of logs-this in a region that is becoming a tinderbox forest because of aging trees and insect infestation, causing falldown and fuel for wild fires. According to Jim, HR 1904 would serve both goals of improving forest health and utilization of the resource for human needs, changing a lose-lose situation to a win-win!

Jim urged us to contact our Senators and Congressmen to support HR 1904. It looks like the political winds may be going our way.

I received a response from my contact with Senator Daschle's office.

Although usually on opposing sides of the issues with Bush Administration proposals, Senator Daschle expressed hope that "in the end, we can develop a bipartisan proposal that can win approval in the Senate and provide federal land managers with the tools and resources they need to protect homes, businesses and communities, and improve the health of our national forests and public lands."

Let's get behind this "bipartisan" effort to remove the fuel from the fires.

Steve Sprenger

Sprenger Midwest Inc. Sioux Falls, S.D. steve @ sprengermidwest.com lf you ore o deoler or distributor of Southern Pine lumber products, odd your compony to our directory so thot interesled buyers con find you! The listing is FREE, ond signup is eosy. Just go to www.soulhernpine.com/signup.htm.

Thomas Herbert Guerry, Jr., 88, chairman of the board for Guerry Lumber, Savannah, Ga., died Sept. 24 in Savannah.

A native of Savannah, Mr. Guerry was also involved with Savannah Wood Preserving, Savannah, which is operated by his son, Herb Guerry III.

Southern Pine Council promotions generote thousonds of inquiries from folks who wonl to know where to find Southern Pine moteriols. Our website, www.soulhernpine.com, feolures on eosy-to-use "where to buy" directory.