Our forests are in our hands

To the Editor:

Montana now is in the midst of another extreme fire season; a monster that is out of control. Our Governor is quoted nationally as saying the fire "is now in the hands of God."

If a father gave his kids a house to manage, and we argued and fought over what to do with the house, so therefore never fixed a roof or cleaned out the vermin, it could be expected to self destruct. When that happens it would be silly to say it is now Dad's house to fix or save - that we aren't responsible.

Because God was brought into the picture lets look at the Book. In Genesis it says "and God made all kinds of trees to grow out of the ground" and God took the man and put him in the abuses in past decades, it is just as bad to neglect the health of our forests by letting it overgrow ragged and thick.

Loggers are able to help establish beautiful healthy forests that are resistant to fires and beetles, while making better food and environment for wildlife. All forests will be logged when Mother Nature does it, she isn't so discriminating for the aftermath of killed animals, mud choked creeks, destroyed landscapes, and air pollution (where are our carbon-footprint radicals now?)

No Mr. Governor, God put the forests in our hands. Politicians have neglected their duty and allowed the emotionally irrational to control the courts, forests and the Forest Service.

Radicals without balance only care about a narrow sick agenda and not the overall factors or outcomes. The environment radical's only logical outcome of forest neglect is fire, so as their relative radicals of yesterday cried "Burn Baby Burn!"

Steve Mangold

Eureka