To the Editor:

I vehemently oppose designating more wilderness areas within the Pisgah and Nantahala Forests. These lands are already protected under the Department of Agriculture as national forestland and set aside to be managed for multiple uses: timber, water, wildlife, recreation and range.  

These objectives are not mutually exclusive, but can exist simultaneously through well-planned and carefully designed timber harvests. A good forest plan wisely maps out road infrastructure, balanced with forest health and diversity as clear goals. To let our renewable wood resources grow and die without human intervention is wasteful and not at all the intent of these lands being conserved in the first place. To conserve something is to use it and use it wisely. To preserve a resource is the lock it up and throw away the key, which is why I strongly disagree with any wilderness designations.

Our forests are under tremendous threats from invasive species, oak decline, hemlock wooly adelgid, emerald ash borer, pine beetle, dogwood anthracnose, and the list continues. We need to leave all management options on our public table for accessing these forestlands for treatment. We must proactively manage these lands, not place them into a wilderness category, which greatly restricts and limits the options available.

One thing for certain in nature is change — as change is constant. We can replicate natural disturbances through science-based forest management and benefit the forestlands, wildlife and create a mosaic of varying age classes of forests to provide a myriad of products for man infinitely and sustainably.

In the birthplace of forestry, North Carolina is well positioned to celebrate our renewable wood resources with common sense. As our state toast lauds the “land of the long leaf pine.” I urge our forest land managers to heed our heritage of wisely using the abundant resources available to us — please do not lock these lands up in wilderness. Forever is indeed a long time.

Susan Fletcher

Candler