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December 26, 2000 Dr. Michael P.
Dombeck Dear Chief Dombeck: We appreciate the difficulty in meeting the multitude of expectations that are demanded of the United States Forest Service, and we know that this year has been a particularly trying period. Now that the ashes of this past wildfire season have cooled, along with media accounts of the wildfire-related tragedies, FRA members have asked us to write you to offer our assistance. Our members are very concerned about the overall health and condition of many of our National Forests. It is the strong conviction of our members that active scientific forest management of our National Forests is necessary to ensure or improve their future health and to protect these lands' ecological, economic, and aesthetic resources. We firmly believe that active prescriptive management is the solution, not the problem, to ensure our National Forests are maintained for future generations' enjoyment and benefit. Our population has grown and is so spread across the country that an extensive "hands-off" minimal approach to managing our National Forests is not practical, except in a few extraordinary areas. Active management, including the appropriately applied use of fire, planting, and harvesting, is necessary to create the conditions that might have resulted from natural processes in truly wild unaltered ecosystems. In view of the experience of our membership, we believe active management can be implemented in a manner that will make it cost-effective and profitable for the USFS and for our nation. We also feel it can be implemented in a manner that will maintain the recreational, spiritual, and other non-commodity values that we all feel are important benefits provided by our public lands. Our intent is not to criticize but rather to volunteer our efforts and assistance and to request the opportunity to provide input to, or serve on, any appropriate task groups you may appoint to address the issue of improving the management and health of our National Forest lands. Our membership is diverse in both experience and geographic location and covers multiple disciplines, ranging from professional foresters to professional loggers. We are sincere in our desire to provide help and assistance in whatever way we can best serve. Sincerely, Bill Baughman
Richard Lewis
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